Just one i thought of last night.  Mail me with your C&C's.. but TRY
to be nice.


Wind whispered, ever so faintly, through the tall trees that
surrounded the court yard.  The leaves turned under, a sign of rain. 
If that wasn't enough the sky had become a dingy grey and the sun had
taken shelter from the upcoming storm.  The mood was somewhat fitting
to the day.

Akane took another reluctant step towards her destination.  It was
getting harder ever year.  She sat down on the doujo floor and tucked
her skirt  neatly under her legs.  She drew her head nervously up
towards the woman's face, "It's been a whole other year hasn't it?  I
should visit more often but, sometimes it's hard to get a hold of
you."  
The woman's face just stayed blank and motionless.

"It seems like a whole life time since I talked to you last."  Akane
forced a smile, "I hope you don't mind my lateness."  The woman's
seemed to shake it's head.

Akane nodded, "I'm glad.  The last thing I would want to do is upset
you or make you mad at me, considering we don't get to talk much
anymore."  The woman's smile seemed to ease Akane's fears.

"Well, maybe I should update you on some things in my life.  Maybe
about my sisters and my father.  Kasumi is doing great.  She's always
getting better at cooking.  She tries to teach me but sometimes I
think I'm hopeless.  Well, Ranma does anyway."  She laughed half
heartedly,  "I think that Dr. Toufu might get up the nerve to ask her
out now any day.  I think she deserves someone as nice as him.  Don't
worry though, I still don't feel the way I 
used to around him.  He's just a friend."  Akane smiled.

"Oh Nabiki, let's see.  She's good too.  Her business is growing
steadily and always getting in new customers, 
much to Ranma's disapproval, since she mostly sells pictures of him." 
Akane giggled.  The woman still wore her smile.

"Father is, well, father.  He always cries still and you should have
seen the stunt he and Mr. Saotome tried to pull to get me and Ranma
together!  The wedding was a complete disaster, of course.  Nabiki
even tried to sell tickets 
to it!  Quite the scene.  Well, you were watching part of it weren't
you?"  Akane's smile saddened.

"Sometimes, I wonder what really would have happened if the wedding
went through without all those people destroying it."  Akane said
thoughtfully, "I wonder what it would have been like to be married to
Ranma sometimes.  It's funny to think about it.  I mean, we fight so
much and always say we never wanted the engagement.  But then, he'll
do something for me or he'll protects me, and it makes my stomach do
flips.  I wish I knew what he thought of me, really.  But you've seen
him before though, haven't you?"  Akane looked away wistfully. 
"Kasumi onee-chan or Nabiki onee-chan might come to see you later on. 
I just though I wanted to come to talk to you first."  Akane's eyes
welled up, "I just don't know what to do anymore.  I think I like
Ranma.  Maybe even...even... l-love him.  It's so confusing.  I just
need someone to talk to.  Sometimes, I get so lonely, like right now."
 Akane took up her sleeve and wiped her tear stained face.

"A-Akane?"  Ranma called softly for her from the door of the doujo. 
Akane quickly regained herself and turned 
to face him.

"Yes, Ranma?"  Akane tried to act cheerful.

Ranma looked to her with sympathetic eyes.  It was quite visible that
she had been crying, "You okay?"

Akane laughed nervously, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Ranma approached and put a hand on her shoulder to offer comfort. 
Akane managed a weak smile.  "Kasumi told me to get you for dinner." 
He said gently.

Akane nodded, "Okay, I just want to say goodbye.  You can go eat if
you want.  I'll only be a minute."

Ranma shook his head, "It's okay I can wait."

Akane nodded gratefully and turned her gaze back to the woman, "Well
anyway, it looks like my time is up for now.  Until next year right?" 
She stood up and smiled sadly to Ranma who smiled back to her
uncomfortably.  The two started back to the house when Akane turned
around and whispered something to the woman, "Before I 
forget, I just wanted to say... Happy Birthday Mom...."  And with that
the couple left the doujo.

As almost in response, the light from a single candle flickered beside
the picture on the family alter of Tendou Kimiko.










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