Ranma ½
When It Happens To You!
'Chapter IV: A Child's Nightmare and Cruel Intentions'
A fanfiction based on Ranma ½
By Kris Thompson

This is a work of fiction based on Rumiko Takahashi's 'Ranma Nibun no Ichi' a.k.a. 
Ranma ½ and was created for the author's personal enjoyment.
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Ranma and Akane were walking back from their second date when Akane suddenly 
turned a corner.

"Hey!"  Ranma called to her.  "Where you going?"

She turned and smiled.  "Come on!  I want to show you something!"

"What is it?"  he asked, following her.

"You'll find out!"

They walked down the street a bit further and Akane stopped in front of a large building 
and started up the stairs.

"Akane!  What are you doing?!"  Ranma called to her.

She turned to give him a puzzled look.  "Going in, of course!"

Only when he looked up again at the building did he realize that it was the orphanage.

She opened the doors to the Home and went on ahead of him.  He followed her down 
one of the many corridors in the place.  She reached a door and turned to hold up her 
finger to her lips, motioning for him to be quiet.  When he nodded his understandment, 
she opened the door and let them both in.

Ranma looked about the large room.  It housed several beds.  In almost every bed there 
was a small form of a child lying asleep.  The moonlight filtered through three large 
windows on one side of the room, bathing the room in a pale colour of whiteness, 
making the room seem a room in an ancient castle.

A sound of a quiet whimpering broke Ranma's thoughts and he turned to see Akane 
sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a little dark haired girl and rocking her.

"Junko, what's wrong?"  Akane asked the little girl who was still crying.

"Miss Akane, I-I had a bad dream!"  Junko cried harder.

Akane held the little girl.  "Oh Junko, it'll be okay.  It was just a dream-"

"Akane?"

Ranma and Akane both looked up to see a figure standing in the doorway, peering in.

"Sakura, it's okay."  Akane said as the secretary walked over to them.  "Junko just had a 
bad dream, that's all."

Sakura smiled a bit and reached for the three-year-old girl.  "Oh, is that all.  Here, let me 
take care of her.  You two go on, I can handle this."

"Are you sure, Sakura?"  Akane stood up to let Sakura take over.

"Sure.  Now go on!  The night's young, you know."  Sakura said, and waved them out.

Ranma and Akane stepped out of the building and walked down the street.

"Isn't it a beautiful night?"  Akane asked, turning to look at Ranma.

"Yep,"  He answered.  "But not a beautiful as some things that are right here."  He 
looked down at her.

Akane turned away, blushing.  Before they knew it, they were in front of Akane's 
apartment building.

"Well, thank you for the lovely evening, Ranma.  I had a wonderful time."  Akane said, 
smiling.

"I'm very glad you did."  Ranma told her.

"Well, I don't care what Sakura says; the night may be young, but I'm exhausted."  She 
said.

Ranma laughed.  "I understand.  I feel the same way.  I'll talk to you later?"

She smiled a quiet smile.  "That would be nice."

"Then I must say goodnight, then."

"Goodnight, Ranma."  But before she turned to open the door, she turned and gave him 
a kiss on the lips, a quick touch of lips and nothing more and then she was gone.

He stood there for a moment, surprised at her boldness and yet, not surprised as well.  
"Goodnight, Akane."
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'We would like to be granted permission to keep the Nermia District Children's Home 
open for "  Akane looked up from her writing to see Ranma about to knock on her office 
door.

 "Akane!  You have visitor!"  A high pitched Chinese voice called from outside her office.

"Thanks for the early warning, Shampoo!"  She turned and smiled, putting up her 
request form.  "Hi,"

"Hello.  And how are you?"  Ranma asked.

"I'm… just fine."  She answered, fumbling for a moment before continuing.  "Won't you 
have a seat, Ranma?"

"Thanks, but I won't be staying long.  I came to ask you when I might see you again."  
He said, leaning against the doorframe.

"But you're seeing me now."  Akane told him with a playful smile.

Ranma laughed quietly then spoke in a tone of seriousness.  "Really.  When can I see 
you again?"

"Mr. Saotome, are you asking me on a date?"  Akane asked him, still smiling.

A small look of… guilt?, perhaps, ran across his face then went back to normal.  "Yeah, 
I guess I am."

"Hmmm… well, night after tomorrow I'm having some people over at my apartment.  If 
you want, you can come over."

"You're in luck: I'm free that night."  Ranma said cheerily.

"Good.  It starts at seven o'clock."  Akane said.

"Alright, I'll be there."  He said, pushing against the doorframe to stand in the door way 
then.

"Okay then."

"Well, I need to go.  Business calls."  He said, turning to leave.

"Oh!  And dress is casual!"  Akane called after him.

He waved his hand to acknowledge her.
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When Ranma entered the apartment, the party seemed to be in full swing.  Shampoo 
and Mousse were serving up drinks, as was Akane.  It seemed everyone that had been 
crowded into the tiny apartment were either drunk or tipsy or getting to one or the other. 
Some of the partygoers sat on the sofa while others danced to the latest Megumi 
Hayashibara hit blasting on the stereo.

"Hey Ranma!"  He turned to see Akane strolling over to him.  "How are you?" she asked, 
handing him a drink.

He accepted it and smiled.  "I'm fine.  You?"

"Better than ever!"  she laughed.  It was then that Ranma realized that she was just a bit 
tipsy.

"Hey, Akane!"  Shampoo called over to her.  Both Ranma and Akane turned towards 
them.  Shampoo walked over to them.  "Ranma!  When you get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago."  He replied.

"Come on!  Join fun!  It too fun!"  Shampoo said.

"Yeah!  Come on Akane!"  Mousse called.

Ranma sat back and watched as the party-seekers danced and got drunk.
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It was two hours after Ranma had enter Akane's apartment door and only the two were 
left now.  Ranma sat on the sofa, his arm around a very drunk Akane.

Akane leaned into him.  "I'm leaving tomorrow."  She said, her voice quiet, but her 
speech slightly slurred.  The apartment was still and empty except for them and the 
lulling murmur of the television.

"What for?"  Ranma asked, leaning back with her into the couch a bit more, enjoying the 
feel of her being near him.

"For the Home.  I'll be there for a half a week…" she answered soberly, then giggled and 
sat up to look at him.

Ranma felt his heart pound as she looked at him, her eyes sparkling and the wine 
making her cheeks flushed.

She hiccuped then, putting her into gales of laughter.  Akane fell over onto the other side 
of the sofa, pulling Ranma with her.  She composed herself and looked up at him.  A 
serene smile played over her lips.  "Will you do something for me?"  she asked him.

Suddenly, he found it hard to breathe properly.  "Sure…"  he managed.

"Hold me."  she asked simply.

He didn't recall how, but he found himself lying on his side, her back against his chest, 
with his arms around her, holding her.

He thought he heard Akane give a peaceful sigh as they lay there.  Ranma sighed 
internally.  The warmth that they shared here was something he'd never imagined.  The 
light weight of her against him was comfortable.  He could tell by her even breathing that 
she had already fallen asleep, or passed out.

Ranma wanted to stay there all night with her on this sofa, holding her until the morning, 
so that he could see her eyes again.

But his brain won over his heart.  He unwrapped his arms from her and stood.  He 
picked her up and carried her to her room and laid her on the bed and watched as she 
snuggled into her pillow.

He left the apartment then.  He had a job to finish, after all.  Genma's word kept coming 
back to him.  'Do not get romantically involved.'  He had to do this.  He stepped onto the 
dark city streets and took out his cell phone and dialed quickly.

"Hello?"  came the sleepy voice of Ranma's business advisor.

"Harumi?  This is Ranma."

"Mr. Saotome?  Do you know-"

"Yes, I know what time it is.  Now, listen.  You know that new building on Okayama 
street?"

"Uh, yes sir?"

"I'm changing the building plan."

"What?!  But the Okayama Business Building is almost done!"

"Yes, I know!  Now, I want you to get a hold of the contractor and anyone else who had 
anything to do with that building.  Now, I'm holding a meeting tomorrow morning."

"But sir, it *is* tomorrow morning."  Harumi told him.

"Whatever!  Tell them it's a matter of great importance.  I don't care if they hammered 
only one nail into it, I want them there as well.  Now, I'm having this meeting with them - 
and you - tomorrow at eight o'clock."

"Mr. Saotome, would you like Nabiki there as well?"

Hmmmmm… Nabiki Kuno, his overpriced, but very intelligent lawyer… she might be 
good to have there…

"Yeah, get Nabiki up and tell her to get down there."  Ranma told him.

"Sir,"  Harumi said cautiously.  "What will your father think?"

Ranma was silent for a moment before answering.  "He'd be glad I'm taking charge for 
once."  And he hung up.
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Author's Notes

Okay, well, now that I've graduated from high school *waves fans that say 'yay!' on 
them* and it's the summer, I *should* be able to wirte on this, right?  *looks hopeful*
Well, one can dream.

Actually, this is the first series that I've gotten off of and then back on, so I think I can do 
this.  Besides, I had a kinda 'writer's block' only it wasn't that I couldn't write on this; I 
could, ist's just that I didn't really hace the motivation.

But, I've started on a totally original story this week about these high school kids in 1989 
and all the junk they do... anyway, I hope to get that published or something.  Who 
knows.

But I hope you've enjoyed this chapter.  It really was a lot of fun to write, even after a 
writing lag of over approx. 2 months.  o_0;;

Signin' off!

-Krissy
cartoonpaperclips@email.com
www.geocities.com/kuroi_hoshi