Personal thanks:

FusionBlaster: Interesting as in good or bad? Not quite sure about the sequel. Read author's notes for more information.

Briguy, The Writer: I'm glad that you won't murder me. We recently watched all the Star Wars movies at school, but I missed the last part with softball tryouts. Which I didn't make anyway. Should have just gone and watched the movie. Chewie rocks. Did you know that in the books Luke turns to the dark side at the end? My teacher told me that. Interesting stuff they teach now. Clue was a really good movie. My mom says I watch it too much, because I must tune in every time it is on TV. I'm pretty good at the game as well.

The Cat Café is also referred to as the Nekohanten in some places.

Disclaimer: Insert a disclaimer here and pretend I wrote it.

Thoughts are in 'quotations'.

Ranma and Akane moved back into the Tendo dojo the next day, fever finally broken. It seemed that Cologne had had a talk with Shampoo about her claim over Ranma. The young Amazon girl no longer glomped him, or asked him for dates. In fact, she avoided him altogether, consumed with a bad case of hurt pride.

Needless to say, the fathers were overjoyed with their children's new found love for each other. Luckily Nodoka was there. If not, there would have been a wedding the day after Ranma got better. His mother wouldn't stand for that, and said that she was going to start carry her katana again if the men decided to interfere. After that announcement, they decided to return to the suddenly very interesting game of shogi.

Kasumi was happy that everyone was well again and stopped the frantic cleaning spree that had been going on ever since Dr. Tofu's frightening announcement. No one quite knew why Ranma and Akane decided to be together all of a sudden, yet no one questioned their good fortune. Fights were less frequent and the house had lost a lot of tension since the incident. It was a calmer lifestyle for everyone, especially with Ukyo and Shampoo giving up on trying to marry Ranma.

Ryoga explained to his new friend what had happened between him and the girls. The entire situation baffled Ranma, but he was contented with Ryoga's choice and congratulated him on his new relationship.

Ever since their declaration of love, Ranma and Akane were more at ease with each other. Everyone at school had heard about it, but it didn't seem to bother them. Both seemed to be in their own dream world, where only each other existed. Akane even got in trouble in school for fantasizing instead of paying attention. Though her teachers got angry, each and every time Ranma had a huge grin on his face. He knew who she was dreaming about and it wasn't Ryoga or Kuno.

Kuno was sinking further and further into depression with each passing day. No one was sure if it was because of the new campus relationship, or the fact that he had been seen taking his sister's 'medication' several times. He even tried to attack Nabiki after she refused to sell him photos.

"Where are my photos, Nabiki Tendo?" Kuno asked one day before school.

"Kuno, I'm not selling photos of my sister or her fiance anymore." She went back to the schoolwork she was doing on her laptop.

He took her arm in his hand roughly. "I am prepared to pay double, give me the pictures."

"Let go of me. I don't have any pictures to give you. Now let me finish my English paper." She tried to pull out of his grasp, but he wasn't letting go.

"Give me the pictures!"

"Stop it. Even if I had any, I wouldn't sell them to you for all the yen in Japan." The surrounding crowd gasped. The changes in her life had really made a difference in her.

"Nabiki Tendo, give them to me or else." He squeezed her arm tighter in his hand.

She winced. "You are hurting me. Let go!"

Half of the schools population was watching on bated breath. They wanted to help her, but they were all scared of what Kuno would do in his current circumstances.

"Tatewaki Kuno, what do you think you are doing to my sister?!" The crowd parted as an angry navy-haired girl marched to the bokken wielding junior.

"Ah, Akane Tendo, my love! You have found me. I was just in the middle of a business deal with Nabiki Tendo." He twisted his captives arm harshly, making pain surge through her arm.

"Let go of her before I break your hand off!" Akane was serious as her eyes flamed with anger.

"As you wish, my love." He released her, and moved to hug Akane, who punched him harder then she ever had before.

The crowd had departed, leaving the two sisters to themselves. "Nabiki, are you ok? He didn't hurt you too bad, did he?"

The older sister surveyed the red marks on her arm. "It isn't too bad. I should be alright." She hesitated. "He scared me though. I wasn't sure what he would do." She allowed her younger sister to hug her, and squeezed back.

That night both Kuno siblings were admitted to a rehab clinic, courtesy of Nabiki Tendo.

It was a week or so later when Akane and Ranma were treated to lunch by Nabiki. "You haven't been out in a while. You two can show off the fact that you are now a couple." They both knew what she really meant. She wanted to show off her new boyfriend.

They decided that some okonomiyaki would be the perfect thing to get. Nabiki's boyfriend met them at the restaurant, and they sat themselves among the other patrons.

"Hey everyone." Ukyo greeted them, minus her usually cheer. "Ranchan, Akane, Nabiki...Ryoga."

"Hiya, Ucchan! Smells great in here! I'm starved." Ranma bounced in his seat enthusiastically.

Akane rolled her eyes. "By the way he is acting, you would think we never fed him."

"Well, with what you think is cooking, I'm surprised that I ain't dead already!" After seeing the hurt look on her face, he quickly added, "Joke! It was a joke!"

"Don't kid around with things like that! You forget that you almost did die. I'm not trying to poison you or anything." She crossed her arms defensively as everyone prepared for either a mallet or a bokken to appear and connect with Ranma's skull after a stupid remark on the boy's part.

Instead, he handled it nicely. "Aw, sorry Akane." He put his arm around her shoulders. "I'm not gonna die. If I can handle living with the Amazon's while handling 104 degree fevers, I can handle anything."

She smiled as she leaned against her fiance. "Ok, then."

Ryoga's jaw fell open, Ukyo dropped her order pad, and Nabiki's eyebrows rose way higher then should have been humanly possible. "You'd think living with them would have me used to this by now. I guess almost dying makes you want to eat finer things in life, other then feet."

Ukyo blinked rapidly. "Um, yeah. What'll you have?"

"I think I'll have the squid please." Ryoga said politely.

"That sounds good. I'll have the same." Nabiki held Ryoga's hand as Ukyo wrote it down.

The chef bit her lip, looking at the happy pair. She knew that they were together, though she had never seen them out as a couple. Akane had explained it all to her, telling exactly what Nabiki said, word for word:

"Akane, you love Ranma. I'm not sure, but I may love Ryoga. It isn't for his money! I promise you that. I really hope that isn't how you think of me. As my little sister, you should know better. I've always liked sweet, humble guys. That is why Ranma and Kuno turned me off so much. Ryoga and I may be different, but it works for us. Opposites attract. We complete and compliment each other. He wants someone to protect. I will gladly let him protect me. I have friends everywhere. I just let them know when he gets lost. One of them is bound to find him and return him to me. I am handling his finances, which gives us something to talk about, a connection that goes further then just our attraction to each other. I'm not sure why he likes me. I know I gave him his first kiss. Why do I like him? Well, he is sweet and romantic. He sees me for more then my connections or money. Ryoga is probably the only guy who won't use me. He likes me for my personality. The one I keep hidden from the rest of the world. Like the one I use when it is just you, me, and Kasumi. I feel like I can really open up to him and he won't laugh. It is just a strange attraction that we can't help."

Ukyo was trying to get over the second guy she had lost. She also wasn't sure why she felt such feelings for the Lost Boy, but couldn't help herself. She felt her stomach tie in knots as she watched the two happy couples, and just left to fulfill their order.

Konatsu was waiting by the grill, preparing more batter. Ukyo looked over the ninja carefully. Sure, he crossdressed, but she did that herself for years and still did it now. He was always nice to her, and helped her out whether she needed it or not. He looked up and caught her eye. "Do you need something, Ukyo-sama?"

She shook her head. "Just need to make a couple okonomiyaki for Ranchan and the gang." He handed her the ingredients she would need. 'Maybe I should be nicer to the guy. Give him a break. He is just as kind as any other boys around here. Kinder, in fact. Maybe...' She put the okonomiyakis on the grill. "Say, Konatsu, how would you like the close the shop on Sunday and do something? We could go to the park, or maybe the zoo."

Konatsu probably could have passed for the happiest person on Earth at that moment. "Really? Won't it be too much trouble? What will the customers think?"

"We'll let them know beforehand. Don't you think we deserve a break?" She flipped the grilled batter with a spatula.

"Of course! I would love too! This is going to be great!" For the rest of the day Konatsu walked with a skip in his step and she could hear him humming lightly at times.

'This could work out.' She thought with a smile.

Everything was going well in Nerima. A lot of the crazies had either left or calmed down. Ranma was getting to be good friends with Ryoga when Nabiki wasn't occupying his time or he was lost. Even he and Mousse would spar together on friendly terms every once in a while.

He was learning to be better with Akane, and she was as patient as possible with him. He got hit a few times, but only after saying something really bad, that anyone would get hit from. Unfortunately, when regular guys are hit, they don't fly through the window and into a pond, being turned into a girl from contact with the water.

Shampoo still had feelings for Ranma, though she kept them bottled inside herself, not wanting the wrath of her grandmother. She had no idea what was hidden in her certain cabinets that the old woman possessed. Returning to China wasn't an option until either Shampoo or Ranma got married. If Shampoo married someone else, then her bond with Ranma was broken, yet she was to be outcaste for three years, due to the fact that she wasn't married to the man assigned to her. If Ranma got married, there was no connection whatsoever left between them, and she was welcomed back with open arms. Being the leader's strongest heir, they didn't want her away for long or to anger Cologne.

In fact, life was going pretty smoothly from then on. Until one day...

Akane let out a blood-curdling scream that awoke Ranma from his sleep. He raced out of bed, quickly followed by his father. The rest of the Tendo's were also headed for her bedroom, which Ranma reached first. "Akane, what's wrong?"

She glared at him. "What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG? You gave me the chicken pox!"

She was standing there in her night clothes, covered in little red bumps. She crossed her arms, and tapped her foot in rage.

"I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault! Blame your father; he was the one who said you already had it!" Everyone looked to Soun, who had been standing sheepishly in the corner.

"Well, I'm sorry! It was so long ago, how was I supposed to remember?" The man started to cry as his family and guest rolled their eyes.

"Oh, daddy, I forgive you. But I've already missed so much school. Now what?" She sat on her bed and placed her head in her hand.

"I'll get someone to take notes for you. Wouldn't want you falling farther behind." Nabiki offered.

"And I'll stay home and take care of you." Ranma suggested. "You did the same for me, and I am the only other person in this house who has had them." He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him and smiled.

"I love you." She whispered so only he could hear.

"I love you too." He kissed the top of her head and smoothed her hair.

Soun clapped his hands together. "Now that that is over, when is breakfast, Kasumi?"

"Oh, my! It is still on the stove!" She hurried downstairs, hoping that it didn't burn.

"How about a game of Go before we eat, Tendo?" Genma offered.

"Sounds good, Saotome." The two men left.

"I'm going to get ready for school. See you lovebirds later. If Ryoga shows up while I'm gone, make sure you keep him around. Thanks." Nabiki missed the Lost Boy, who had been gone longer then she expected.

Downstairs, Soun and Genma were involved in their game. On Mr. Tendo's turn, Mr. Saotome said, "You knew Akane never had the chicken pox the whole time, Tendo. Admit it."

"That is right. She had sea lice." He moved. "But you must admit, my plan to get them together did work."

Genma shook his head in disbelief. "You are a brave man, Tendo. Dead, if Akane ever finds out, but brave nonetheless."

"Why, thank you, Saotome."

THE END

A/N: Wow. I can't believe I just wrote that. This is really the end. Not a fake ending, but the real thing. It has been amazing writing this, and knowing that you all love it so much. Thank you to everyone who has helped me with ideas, and especially my reviewers. You all rock and made me want to get the chapters out faster. Give yourselves a pat on the back.

I was originally thinking of having a sequel to this, but I am not sure. I will have to think about it. I personally think that it has run it's course, and I will have to think of a new plot if a sequel is written. I'll think about it, but don't worry; I have ideas for another fic or two up my sleeve. I will probably be starting a new one later today.

For all of you who liked this, I am so glad. This is my first attempt at published Ranma fanfiction. I began to write another one, but it isn't nearly in this league. If I ever decide to post it, it will need a major rewrite that I'm not sure if I'm up to or not.

I hope none of you are too upset with who I put Ryoga with at the end. I hope I gave sufficient reasons for my decision and you will respect it. Ukyo/Ryoga work sometimes, but I don't feel it was right with what happened here.

So, now I must say good-bye. It has been a lot of fun, and I hope that you read anything I may write in the future. I love all you guys and I hope that I may have perked up your day a bit with this. My job is to entertain, and wish that I have fulfilled my purpose. As always, questions, comments, reactions, and reviews are greatly appreciated.