Update and Revision: I apologize for the screw-up that anime kaz caught. I never mentioned Ranma's curse in this chapter. I don't know how that got overlooked and I hope you all don't hate me for it! =( I tried then, to make it work, as it were, with Ranma Chan and Akane. I'm not adverse to that. However, it just didn't seem true to the characters and the integrity of the manga/anime. So, that being said I have altered the chapters a bit. I hope you don't mind so much. 3 3 3 you guys!

I frantically searched for her. I had to find her before she could further injure herself. I spotted a tiny huddled mass of purple under a tree. As I spied her, guilt, frustration and helplessness overwhelmed me, and my shoulders sagged beneath their pressing weight. She looked up at me, remnants of embarrassment still lingering.

"I'm such an idiot!" She exclaimed as I closed in the distance between us. Her words were spoken so vehemently and abruptly that it startled me. "Why do you say that?" I asked, utterly baffled. Surely she couldn't believe this mishap was her fault. I instantly realized that was exactly the way Akane would feel.

"I thought I could be something different. I was tired of being just a "lackluster" martial artist. I wanted there to be more to me than that. Apparently there isn't anything more. I have nothing. If only I could be more like Shampoo...she's always been stronger. She's strong enough to be your...to be your..." She paused. "She's beautiful. I look like a box. I could never be a ballroom dancer. I'm a klutz. You've said so yourself; I've never been blessed with "feminine grace". I can't cook without poisoning people. I can't swim..." I cringed as each insult I'd ever hurled at her came back to haunt me. "What have I got? You tell me, what have I got?" Though her tone was harsh, her eyes were pleading. I swallowed hard before speaking. Could she be serious? I wanted to tell her she'd had me since the moment we'd met, but the time couldn't be more wrong. I'd just dashed her dreams of participating in the dance contest we'd spent all this time practicing for.

"First of all," I began, breaking the silence. "If I'd have found Shampoo remotely attractive, I would have stayed in China and married her. Lord knows it's closer to a cure. Secondly, you're incredibly strong. Both emotionally and physically. I was a nervous wreck in there. But not you. You performed like a pro. You never let the small stuff bother you. You're a wonderful dancer, though I don't have much experience in this area, I'd never want to dance with anyone else.

You are a wonderfully talented martial artist. And yes, Shampoo is strong. The only reason either of us has any skill at all is because for most of our lives we ate and slept martial arts. I would never wish that on you. You enjoyed a nice home, a loving family. You went to school and you were happy. All of those things I craved while I was training with Pop. I used to dream about the kind of life you lived. And I can't believe I'm going to say this. So help me Akane, you are the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes on....and anything I've said to suggest otherwise is complete bullshit!"

Somewhere along the line, my voice had raised considerably, which made the last half of that sentence sound louder than I had attended. I attempted to soften my voice. "Geez, after living under the same roof for two years, I thought you'd be pretty good at seeing through it." A half-smile appeared and it pushed me forward.

"What happened in there was my fault. I lost my balance and I let go of you. I am really sorry."

She was silent for a moment. She seemed to be taking it all in. Finally she broke the silence. "Don't apologize Ranma...it wasn't your fault to begin with. Someone tried to sabotage us. I saw it. You did what you could. I am willing to accept what happens mow." She smiled at me, her eyes flickering with determination. Some expression on her face, however, made me think that she had been somehow left unsatisfied. Then it happened. Two years worth of hidden feelings and unspoken sentiments came tumbling out like an avalanche. "You have weaknesses...we all do. But they are part of who you are and they are endearing. If you want to be a martial artist, be a martial artist. If you want to be a dancer, be a dancer. I know you to be a kind, thoughtful, generous, brave, intelligent, hard-working albeit stubborn girl. There are so many different sides of you...so many different sides of you..." I repeated the last sentence...hesitating before letting out what was bound to come next. "And damned if I haven't fallen in love with every single one of them."

She stared up at me, wide-eyed and tear-streaked. "Ranma, I love you too." She offered back. I kissed her then, but it did not last as long as I had intended. She tried to shift and she cried out in pain as she moved her ankle. I snapped my eyes to the neglected ankle and noticed it was twice its previous size and was turning a deep shade of purple.

"We've got to get you somewhere to get it looked at. I think you know who's closest and available at this hour." She nodded once. "Dr. Tofu." She confirmed. She tried to stand on her own and I stopped her with my hand on her shoulder. I wanted to laugh out of sheer disbelief. She was just too damn cute for words. I sighed and slung one of her arms around my shoulders and scooped her up into my arms. Then, I began to trudge in the direction of the clinic. "You don't have to do this you know..." She chided, her pride getting the better of her. I couldn't suppress the laughter this time and she bristled . "Right. You could always hobble there on your own. At your pace you'd probably make it by...oh...Tuesday." She smirked at me. "Akane," I spoke sincerely.
"I need to do this for you." She accepted that answer with a simple nod. We smiled at each other as we walked toward the clinic, feeling for the first time a strange and extraordinary peace.