Cinders 3





Cinders
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by June "KaraOhki" Geraci

December 7, 1999



Ranma 1/2 and its universe was created by Rumiko Takahashi, and belongs to her. This work of fiction was written for entertainment only, and is not intended for commercial purposes.




Chapter 3


"I'll never leave you."

First Ranma saw Akane's eyes open wide in amazement. Then a softer look came into them, one that spoke of love and trust. He couldn't help leaning a little closer and kissing her.

When Ranma had kissed Akane in the ambulance she had been in such bad shape that she hadn't even tried to respond. He�d been so worried at the time that he was going to lose her and that it would be their first and last kiss that he�d taken no joy from it.

After that she'd been on the respirator so he had kissed her on the cheek or forehead. Now her lips were available, and the look in her eyes was an open invitation to take advantage of that availability.

This was definitely different. Better. More than that--it was wonderful, because Akane was kissing him back.

*****

Nabiki made it home just in time. Her father and Ranma's parents were getting ready to go to the hospital.

"Akane's really worn out right now, Daddy. The doctor just took her off the respirator. I hope you're not going to upset her."

Soun looked very guilty.

"Upset her?"

"You were going to tell her about the new arrangements, weren't you?"

Soun looked at Genma, who looked at Nodoka. None of the three said a word.

"Don't you think you're rushing things? This isn't the right time to tell either of them!"

"Nabiki dear, this isn't something you should decide. As Ranma's mother, I feel that he should be told--"

"Pardon me, Mother-In-Law, but you forget who I am. Since I AM Ranma's fiancee, I should have the right to speak my mind. If you tell Akane that she isn't Ranma's fiancee anymore she's going to get upset. If you upset Akane, you'll upset Ranma. Then you'll have to answer to their doctor. Mind you, I'm not telling you what to do, but I suggest you think about it."

Nabiki had the satisfaction of seeing her words strike home. At first Nodoka looked very annoyed at Nabiki, and then she nodded. Genma's expression made her a little bit nervous. He knew her better than Nodoka did, and it appeared to Nabiki as if Ranma's father was suspicious of her. Soun, however, agreed with her immediately.

"M-maybe we should wait. I don't want to upset my little girl if I don't have to."

"Daddy, please take my advice and stay home today and let them rest. They really need it."

Nodoka nodded. "That is what the doctor said. Let's go home, Dearest."

As the door closed behind them, Nabiki suppressed a satisfied smile. It was a good thing her father and Ranma�s parents were so easy to manipulate. She was tired of the tangled mess their lives had been since Ranma and Genma had arrived on their doorstep, and it was time to take steps to change that. Permanently.

*****

[Oh Ranma,] thought Akane. [Don't stop. Don't ever stop.]

As Akane lifted her hand to Ranma's cheek, he reached over to draw her closer. When he touched her she gasped with pain and drew back.

"Akane?"

"Hurts," she whispered, trying hard not to cry.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think!"

Akane shook her head violently as she brushed away the tears.

"No," she whispered. "I--I wanted you to hold me. I wish you could!"

Akane turned away in frustration. It just wasn't fair.

Ranma felt incredibly guilty. He should have known that touching Akane would hurt her, but he'd allowed himself to get carried away by the sweetness of her kiss. He looked at Akane's shaking shoulders, listened to her soft sobs, and came to a decision. From now on she would have to make the first move. He would wait until she was ready.

"Look at me, Akane."

When he didn't get a response, Ranma touched his fingertips to Akane's.

"C'mon, Akane. Look at me."

Akane pulled herself together. She brushed away her tears again and turned around.

"I'm sorry, Ranma. I--"

Ranma cut her off. "You're apologizing to me? I'm the one who hurt you! Look, it'll be okay. I won't try that again until you tell me to. You want some more ice?"

Akane was a little surprised at Ranma�s statement and sudden change of subject. Then she took a good look at him. The concern he felt for her was so obvious she could almost touch it.

�Sure,� she whispered.

He was still feeding her when the nurse came in to hook up their IVs to pumps and show them how they worked. Akane immediately pushed the button on hers. The effect of Cologne's magic on her pain had long worn off, and she needed relief. Ranma looked at the pump suspiciously for a minute before he reluctantly pressed the button.

"I bet we fall asleep again."

Akane shrugged. "Maybe," she whispered, "but I was hoping somebody would bring me something to eat first."

Their nurse returned, carrying a couple of trays. One was the usual hospital meal tray, which she put on Ranma�s table.

"I heard that." The nurse handed Akane a tall paper cup with a straw in it. "Vanilla milkshake." Ranma looked envious and the nurse grinned as she handed him a cup. "I knew you'd want one too."

She placed a smaller tray on Akane�s table. "I know it's not the most interesting lunch in the world, but this should be soft enough for you to eat."

On investigation, Akane discovered an egg salad sandwich. She'd devoured it and drained the shake by the time the medication took effect, and settled down to sleep with a satisfied smile. Ranma lay down as close to her as he could and watched her until he too drifted off.

*****

For the hundredth time Nabiki regretted not having a phone in her bedroom. She needed to make some calls that required privacy. After a few fruitless attempts to get her father out of the way she decided that it would be better to do what was needed directly. In fact, a personal visit might make things move a little bit faster.

[I took the day off from school to get things done. I'm not going to waste it. First stop is City Hall, I guess...]

The clerk stiffened as he saw Nabiki approach. She wouldn't be there if she didn't want something, and he was in no position to say no.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Nakazawa. How is your wife?"

"Miki is doing well, Miss Tendo. Thank you for asking."

"I wasn't referring to Miki."

Nakazawa paled. Miss Tendo most definitely wanted something from him.

*****

The flames surrounded Akane. She screamed for help, but none came.

Akane flew into a sitting position and opened her eyes. She wasn't at home, she wasn't wearing a flaming wedding dress, and Ranma wasn't missing. He was right next to her, sound asleep. She trembled with reaction to the nightmare and firmly resisted the urge to wake Ranma up so that he could comfort her. He needed his rest too.

[How long have I been sleeping?] she wondered. She glanced up at the clock and realized it was late afternoon. The painkillers were very effective. Then she noticed the note on her tray table.


Akane,

I brought the salve for you and Ranma. I sat with you
for a while but your nurse said that the medicine was
making you sleep and that you needed to rest. Shampoo
will be here tomorrow, so I will see you the day after.

Thank you for being so kind to me yesterday. May we
start over as friends?

Ukyo


Akane read the note several times before she put it down. Although she had indicated to Ranma the night before that she wanted to forgive Ukyo and Shampoo, she still felt anger toward both of them. Did she want to be friends with either? That was a question she wasn't prepared to answer yet.

Instead of dwelling on it, Akane reached for a jar of ointment and opened it up. She pulled up her top and applied it to the burns on her breasts and stomach, sighing with relief as it soothed the itching. Whatever was in the IV was effective against the pain, but it didn't seem to help the itching which was beginning to plague her. Ranma began to stir as she moved down from her stomach to her legs.

Ranma opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Akane attempting to put ointment on her legs.

"Why didn't you call the nurse?"

Akane shook her head. "I wanted to do it myself," she whispered.

"You can't reach, can you?"

"No. It hurts to lean over."

Ranma sat up, took the jar, and finished Akane's legs for her. He tried not to allow himself to be affected by the fact that he was touching her, but he couldn't help it. Then Akane turned around and presented her back to him.

"Please, Ranma?"

Ranma didn't know how to say no. To be truthful, he didn't want to. He undid the ties on the back of Akane's top and scooped some more ointment out of the jar. Akane's back looked a lot better than it had a few hours earlier. Whatever Cologne's magic was, it had worked to shrink the blisters. He wondered if what he was about to do would hurt her, and tried to be very gentle.

Akane gasped when Ranma's fingers first came in contact with her back. He immediately snatched his hand away.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No. Don't stop. It's cold, that's all."

Ranma took another dollop of ointment out of the jar and warmed it in his hand before using it on Akane. This time she didn't jump. He worked his way across her back in little circles, enjoying the little sighs of relief from Akane as he did so. One of the circles went a bit farther than he'd intended and he brushed her breast. He pulled it away, but Akane caught his hand and put it back where it had been.

"Akane?"

"It's okay. Hold me."

"Are you sure? Won't it hurt?"

"I don't know and I don't care. I need you to hold me."

Ranma left his hand where it was, marveling that he wasn't being sent through the roof. He put his other arm around Akane's waist, cradling her against him as gently as he could. Akane leaned back and closed her eyes. They remained that way for several minutes, content in their closeness. Then Ranma gave in to temptation, leaned down, and softly kissed Akane's neck. To his complete amazement she turned, wrapped her arms around his neck, and brought her lips to his.

"Well, it looks like I'd better get the two of you married, and fast!"

They pulled apart, and in the process got their IV lines tangled. Nabiki laughed as she helped disentangle them.

*****

The news of the disaster hadn�t taken long to spread through the entire student body at Furinkan High School. The students who had been present were all telling their versions of what they had seen, which kept evolving as the stories went from person to person. The only thing that stayed consistent and accurate was that Ranma and Akane had been hospitalized with severe burns.

One person who had been present was uncharacteristically silent. Tatewaki Kuno had woken to his alarm clock and gone to school because it was where he was expected to be. It wasn�t where he wanted to be.

He wanted to be at home, in bed, with the blankets pulled over his head.

Kuno hadn�t slept all night. He�d gone to the Tendo home to prevent the marriage of Ranma and Akane. Instead of being able to implement his plan--heroically rescuing Akane from a fate worse than death--he�d had to stand by helplessly when the wedding ornaments fell on her and set her gown ablaze. Unable to get through the crowd, he�d watched Ranma break through the wall with Akane in his arms.

When he�d finally fought his way through the crowd and out of the house his other beloved--the pigtailed one--was sitting with Akane in her arms. Then Kasumi had brought out a kettle of hot water. Seconds later, the pigtailed one was Ranma.

All of the evidence he�d refused to acknowledge came home to roost on Kuno�s head. Both of the girls he wanted were beyond his reach, because one of them was really Ranma, and they belonged to each other. It was impossible to ignore the love on Ranma�s face as he looked at Akane, or the desperate way Akane reached for him.

His sister Kodachi had been caught in the mass of people inside the house and hadn�t been able to make her way outside until the ambulance had taken Ranma and Akane to the hospital. He had forced her to go home with him, then sat her down and told her the truth. She�d laughed at him.

�You must be mad, brother dear. How could I possibly believe such a ridiculous tale!�

�I saw him change with my own eyes. He and the pig-tailed one are the same person.�

Kodachi continued to laugh.

�Then you need to get your eyes checked. I don�t believe you.�

She�d laughed again, but a laughter that spoke more of cunning than glee.

�He won�t want her now, you know. She�s not beautiful anymore. I�ll make him mine.�

Kuno winced as he recalled that statement. Perhaps he should warn Saotome. It was the honorable thing to do, after all.

*****

�I managed to keep the parents away today, but I doubt if I�ll be able to keep them away for long. They wanted to tell you about the change of fiancees and I talked them out of it.�

Ranma winced. The last thing he or Akane needed was a screaming match with their parents.

�What if we just get married and tell them it�s too late?�

�I wouldn�t advise it. They�re likely to try to get it annulled. I�ve got to keep stalling them until the two of you are well enough to deal with this.�

Akane looked thoroughly confused.

�But I thought you wanted to get us married quickly!�

�I do, and I will. But no one is going to know about it but you two, me, and Kasumi.�

Nabiki chuckled before she continued. �You should have seen her yesterday. She had a huge argument with Auntie Nodoka about what a mistake she was making.�

Ranma couldn�t believe his ears.

�You�ve gotta be kidding!�

�I�m perfectly serious! I�ve never seen her so angry. She kept telling your mother that it should be obvious to anyone with eyes that you love Akane and that Akane loves you. Then she told her that it would be criminal to separate you.�

�Mom didn�t listen, did she?�

�I�m afraid not.�

�I don�t understand. Did she give any kind of explanation? Anything that would make sense?�

Akane spoke up.

�You forget what Nabiki told us yesterday. I�m damaged. She wants you to have a �perfect� wife.�

Just saying the words aloud was enough to start Akane crying. Ranma put an arm around her and she wept into his shoulder for a couple of minutes. Then she pulled away and reached for the pump.

�You�re hurting again?�

Akane just nodded and sat there looking miserable. Ranma pushed the button on his own pump and thought for a minute before speaking. It hurt terribly to see Akane cry, and there had to be a way to cheer her up. Ranma�s problem was that he wasn�t very good at doing that kind of thing, and he was afraid of tripping over his own tongue.

�Akane, did the doctor say anything to you about permanent problems?�

�No.�

�Well he didn�t say anything to me, either. I think he�s not sure yet. So Mom shouldn�t be jumping to conclusions.�

�But what if she�s right?�

Ranma got angry.

�You think I care? You�re MY Akane, and I don�t give a damn what Mom thinks!�

Akane�s eyes shone and the two of them smiled at each other, totally oblivious to Nabiki�s presence. Only her applause made them look at her.

�Well done, Ranma! Didn�t think you had it in you.�

She was about to continue speaking when the phone rang.

*****

Kodachi stood at the desk in the hospital lobby, glaring at the receptionist.

�What did you say?�

The woman sighed.

�I said, you are not on the list of approved visitors for Mr. Saotome. You�ll have to leave.�

For just a moment the woman thought Kodachi was going to attack her. Then she shrugged and walked away.

[Nobody told me this was a dangerous job,] thought the receptionist.

*****

Akane and Nabiki watched Ranma curiously. Once he�d said hello the conversation seemed to become completely one-sided. Ranma just sat there with the receiver to his ear looking more and more amazed.

�Thank you. Yes, I understand. Good bye.�

Ranma put the receiver back in its cradle and sat there in shock.

�Who was that?�

�You won�t believe me.�

�Ranma!�

�Okay, okay! It was Kuno!�

Akane�s jaw dropped. �You�re right. I don�t believe you.�

Nabiki got right to the point. �What did he want?�

�He wanted to warn us that Kodachi might show up. How much of a chance is there that she can get up here?�

�Not much, Ranma. I gave the reception desk a list of who is allowed here, and they have to stick to it.�

Akane looked troubled. �She�s good at climbing in through windows. Remember how I met her? She was in my bedroom!�

Ranma nodded. �Yeah, but I won�t let her near you. Don�t worry.� He paused as if thinking, then turned to Nabiki.

�I�m getting a little stiff. Want to take a walk with me? We can warn the nurses that we might be expecting some unwelcome company.�

Nabiki walked beside Ranma, watching him push the pole with the IV and its pump. He seemed to be moving more slowly than usual.

�Are you okay, Ranma?�

�I�ve been worse. The medicine makes me sleepy.�

�So what did you want to tell me that you didn�t want Akane to hear?�

�Damn, you�re too smart for me.�

Nabiki grinned. �I always was.�

�We have to keep Kodachi away from Akane. She told her brother that I wouldn�t want her because �she�s not beautiful anymore.� What a rotten thing to say!�

Nabiki thought about her sister�s baldness, about the burns and blisters, and wondered.

�You don�t feel that way, do you?�

�No. The burns are going to go away. Cologne said her medicine would work. Akane�s hair is going to grow back. But I�m scared, Nabiki.�

Nabiki nearly fell over. Ranma Saotome admitting to fear?

�Of what?�

�I�ve been watching her. She�s been looking at herself, and I can tell that she thinks she�s ugly. What happens the first time she sees her face?�

�You�ll support her, that�s what!�

Ranma gulped audibly.

�I�ll try. I never say the right thing, Nabiki. You know that! What if I mess up?�

�You didn�t a few minutes ago. You said exactly the right thing.�

�I did?�

�Sure, Ranma. When you told Akane that she was yours, and that you didn�t care what your mother thought.�

Ranma blushed.

�It was the first thing I thought of.�

�Well it was the right thing.�

Ranma was still blushing when the service elevator opened, and a hospital employee came out pushing a cart full of dinner trays.

�Food!�

Nabiki laughed.

�Some things never change. Come on, I�ll walk you back.�

At first, neither of them remembered that they�d intended to talk to the nurses. Then Nabiki tugged on Ranma�s sleeve.

�Shouldn�t we talk to the nurses first?�

Ranma never got to reply. A cry of despair from the room he shared with Akane grabbed his total attention. He would have ripped the IV from his vein trying to run down the hallway had not Nabiki grabbed the pole with both hands and run behind him, trying desperately to keep up.

*****
Akane watched her sister and fiance leave the room and waited for a minute before she pushed her sheets aside. It was time to try to get up.

She hadn�t counted on how weak she was or how stiff, but Akane was too stubborn to quit. She was going to get to the bathroom on her own instead of calling the nurse for a bedpan again. Akane clenched her teeth and kept going. Her steps were shaky and pushing an IV made her progress slower but she got there--just in time.

Afterwards, Akane grabbed the rail and pulled herself back to her feet. She turned to the sink and washed her hands, avoiding the mirror. When she�d finally worked up enough courage, she looked up.

The face that looked back at her wasn�t as bad as she had thought it would be. She had red burns on her cheeks and forehead, and her eyebrows and eyelashes were missing. The burns weren�t as severe as the ones on her body, and she had a vivid memory of Ranma pressing her face into his chest. He had protected her face.

What completely devastated her was the fact that she was bald. There were only a couple of wisps of hair here and there on her burned scalp. Akane closed her eyes, unable to bear looking at herself. She had been devastated when Ryoga had accidentally cut her hair short, but this was infinitely worse. Akane hadn�t used her vocal cords since the removal of the respirator, and what emerged from them now was a wail of pure misery.

*****

Ranma, Nabiki, and three nurses flew into the room. Akane�s bed was empty. Nabiki found her sister on the floor of the bathroom, sobbing. The nurses helped her back into bed and Ranma got into his. He tried to take her into his arms but she cringed away from him, protesting in a raspy voice quite unlike her usual one.

�Don�t look at me! I�m UGLY! I�m UGLY!�

�No you�re NOT!!�

�LIAR!�

One of the nurses rushed out of the room while the other two tried to soothe Akane. She continued sobbing. Ranma looked at Nabiki helplessly. He had absolutely no idea what to do.

�Akane, I...�

�Don�t. Don�t try to think up a lie to make me feel better.�

Ranma lost his temper.

�Damn it, Akane! I haven�t been lying to you, and I�m not going to start now!�

He was interrupted by the return of the third nurse, who was carrying a syringe. She inserted it into the IV tubing.

�What�s that stuff?�

�A sedative.�

Akane�s head came up.

�NO!!�

Nabiki took both of her sister�s hands. �You need it, Sis. Calm down.�

Despite the pain, Akane held onto her sister�s hands hard, and tried to stop crying. She succeeded after a couple of minutes, and had subsided to soft hiccups by the time the nurses left the room, and the meal trays were delivered. She was still avoiding Ranma�s eyes, and he was getting very worried.

�Akane, please look at me.�

�No.�

�Akane, do you believe that I love you?�

There was a long silence before Ranma got his answer. �I don�t know. I thought I did...� She trailed off and looked at Ranma. He couldn�t miss the fear on her face.

�Believe it. You think you look bad? You didn�t see yourself when we first got here. Cologne�s magic did a lot for you. It�s going to be okay.�

Ranma had forgotten Nabiki�s presence.

�Magic?�

�Oh damn...�

Nabiki was very impressed with Ranma�s explanation of Cologne�s magic sand. �I couldn�t figure out why the two of you looked so much better today. Does she have any more of that stuff?�

�No, and we�re not allowed to talk about it! I shouldn�t have told you.�

Akane actually chuckled when she heard Ranma�s words. Her eyes were half closed from the sedatives, but she managed to smile at him.

�You never could keep your mouth shut, baka.�

�Neither could you, tomboy!�

*****

Kodachi scanned the walls of the hospital. Most of the windows were impossible to open from the outside, but there were a few that were in staff areas that lifted from the bottom rather than sliding from the side. She climbed up to one on the second floor, and let herself. in.

She�d taken note of Ranma�s room number when the receptionist had refused to let her in. He was three floors above her. She peeked out into the hallway, located the stairs, and started to climb.

*****

Between the painkiller and the sedative, Akane was so sleepy by the time her dinner tray was brought in that her sister had to feed her.

"I don't suppose this is a good time to tell you what I got done this afternoon."

Ranma shrugged. "Go ahead. If Akane doesn't remember in the morning I'll just tell her again."

"I went downtown. You two can get married any time you want. The clerk will come to you and get all the paperwork done. I just have a question."

"What's that?"

"What name are the two of you going to use? Saotome or Tendo?"

Ranma looked at Akane.

"I don't know, Nabiki. I always assumed I'd be Akane Saotome."

"Sounds good to me," responded her fiance.

Nabiki nodded. "Okay." She got up, took some packages that she had left sitting in the corner of the room, and handed one to Ranma.

"This is for you. Consider it a wedding present."

Ranma opened the package and took out a silk shirt.

"Nice, but why?

"Come on, Ranma! Do you expect to get married in your pajamas?"

"Right. Thanks."

Nabiki put the rest of the packages on her sister�s bed. "Ranma, would you excuse the two of us for a little while? And while you're out there, send in one of the nurses."

*****

Nabiki waited for Ranma to leave before she spoke to Akane.

�I�m going to ask you something, and I want you try to answer me calmly, okay?�

Akane looked uncertain, but nodded anyway.

�Okay.�

�What upset you so much when you looked in the mirror? Was it the burns or the hair?�

�The-the burns weren�t so bad. But the hair--�

Akane stopped short and tried hard not to cry. Her sister nodded sympathetically.

�I was afraid you�d react that way when you saw yourself. To be honest, Akane, I think you�d look better if you let the nurses shave off those little pieces that are left. Then it will grow back evenly.�

When she didn�t get a reply, Nabiki opened one of the packages.

�I got these for you to wear. I sort of figured you might feel better with something pretty on your head.�

�Not a wig! I won�t wear a wig!�

Nabiki laughed. �I KNEW you�d say that. That�s why I got you these.�

Soon a small collection of pretty scarves and hats sat in Akane�s lap. She examined each one, then looked up at her sister with a smile.

�You always know what I like. Thank you!�

Akane�s nurse walked in. �Ranma said you wanted to see me. I thought you were going to sleep.�

�Soon. But there�s something I�d like you to do for me if it�s okay.�

�What�s that?�

�Could you shave off these bits of hair? They look dumb.�

The nurse�s expression softened. �Sure, I�ll be right back with a razor. But then your sister goes home and YOU go to sleep!�

�Yes, ma�am.�

The nurse left, and Nabiki opened the other package.

�I didn�t want Ranma to see this. That�s one of the reasons I made him leave.�

Akane just stared at the embroidered jacket in her sister�s hands.

�It�s beautiful!�

Nabiki laughed. �You and Ranma will be dressy from the waist up, and in pajamas from the waist down. With the sheets pulled up, no one will know the difference. When do you want to get married?�

�I don�t know. Ask Ranma.�

That answer made Nabiki realize just how exhausted her sister was, and how much the medication was affecting her. Akane could barely sit up, and by the time the nurse came back to shave her head Nabiki suggested putting it off until the morning.

�No. Do it now, before I lose my nerve.�

*****

Ranma made another circuit of the floor. He wanted to get back into the room and into bed, but Nabiki had told him to stay out until she called him. He was passing the elevator when the doors opened and his doctor appeared. At the same time the door to the stairway opened, Kodachi emerged, and she headed toward Ranma�s room.

�Good to see you walking around, Ranma. How do you feel?�

�Better.� Ranma yawned. �Sorry, the stuff for the pain makes me tired.�

�It�s supposed to. You and Akane need rest.�

�Ha! Tell her that. She got out of bed a little while ago.�

The doctor�s eyes opened as wide as they could. �She shouldn�t have been able to try that for a week!�

�Ha. You don�t know Akane.� Ranma paused and looked down. When he looked back at the doctor his expression was serious.

�She looked at herself in the mirror and got really upset. She kept insisting that she was ugly.�

The doctor nodded. �That�s a normal reaction.�

�Normal? They had to sedate her!�

�Hmmm. I was considering this, but now I think it�s necessary. I�ll send in a counselor tomorrow. It sounds like Akane needs to have her self-confidence boosted. Let�s go see her.�

*****

The nurse finished shaving Akane�s head and gave her a hand mirror. She looked at herself for a long time.

�It looks better this way. Thank you.� She picked up one of the scarves and tried it on. �Not bad.�

�I agree, but I think it�s time you got some sleep. Should I tell Ranma he can come back in now?�

The girls nodded, and the nurse gathered the shaving supplies together and walked to the door. She reached it just as Kodachi got there.

�I�m sorry, visiting hours are over.�

Kodachi walked past her as if she didn�t exist. Then she stopped short, staring. Akane and Nabiki stared right back. Kodachi�s mind began to race as she took in the implications.

This was supposed to be Ranma�s room. Akane was in it. There was a second bed, pushed right next to it, which must mean...

�What have you done to my Ranma!�

�What?�

�You must have done something horrible to him! How else could he bear to be in the same room with you!�

Akane recoiled as if she had been slapped. Nabiki instantly jumped to her feet and stood between Kodachi and Akane while the nurse backed out of the room, intent on getting assistance. She was very relieved to find the doctor and Ranma a few feet away, and sent them running to the room. Then she ran for the nearest phone and called hospital security.

�What do you mean?�

Kodachi laughed. �Don�t pretend to be ignorant, Nabiki Tendo. Look at your sister. Why would my darling Ranma want to be anywhere near her?�

Akane burst into tears. The sound of pounding footsteps announced Ranma�s arrival.

�Get out!�

�Ranma, darling! Let me help you break whatever spell that horrible girl has put upon you!�

�I ain�t under a spell, and I said to get out!�

It was evident to everyone in the room that Ranma was having a very difficult time controlling his temper. That is, it was evident to everyone but Kodachi, who simply laughed again.

�You do need my help, Ranma dear! We will break the spell together, so that you can be with me, instead of her. When you can see clearly again, you�ll realize how beautiful I am and how horribly ugly she is!�

That was more than Ranma could take. Akane watched in amazement as her fiance�s expression changed from that of mere anger to cold fury, and he slapped Kodachi so hard that she reeled.

�Ranma darling. Why?�

�Get out, Kodachi, and NEVER come near my fiancee again!�

Kodachi paled. �But, but!!�

Kodachi stepped toward Ranma again, and once again he raised his hand. Fortunately, two security men arrived before he could do any more damage. They carried Kodachi off while Ranma rushed to Akane�s side.

�Did she hurt you?�

Akane was crying too hard to answer. Ranma put his arms around her and she wept into his shoulder. Nabiki shook her head at Ranma and answered for her sister.

�With words only, Ranma. You heard.�

�Yeah. I heard.�

Nabiki leaned down, wrapped her arms around both Ranma and Akane, hugging them gently.

�Nice job, Ranma. It�s about time somebody slapped that girl.�

Ranma waited patiently until Akane calmed down and stopped crying. When she lifted her head the expression on her face had gone from miserable to radiant.

�You hit her? You hit her for ME?�

�Damn right I did! And I�ll do it again if I have to!�

The doctor had followed the security guards out of the room, and returned in time to hear Ranma�s remark.

�That won�t be necessary. The young lady is being escorted out of the building.�

Akane managed a tired smile, and sank down onto her pillows. Nabiki took that as a hint to leave, and picked up her purse.

�I�ll see you after school tomorrow. Kasumi said she�ll be here in the morning.�

The doctor watched her leave and turned back to Ranma.

�Do you expect any more unwelcome guests, or should I post someone at the door?�

�I don�t think so.�

�Then get some rest.�

He turned off the lights as he left. Ranma gathered Akane into his arms. Akane gazed at him with wonder.

�You really mean it, don�t you?�

�Mean what?�

�That you don�t care how I look. That you really love me.�

Ranma�s temper started to flare up again, but he held it in check.

�What do I have to do to convince you?�

Akane chuckled softly, and kissed him. �You did. You slapped Kodachi.�

Within minutes she was asleep. Ranma remained awake a while longer, trying to understand just exactly what he�d done right.

[She�s happy with me �cause I slapped Kodachi? Or �cause I said I love her?]

He yawned, and started to drift off.

[Maybe both...]