Repairing the Damage by John Morales Based on the characters and situations so well created by Rumiko Takahashi and owned by Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications and others I have no doubt. Please don't sue me! Let me know what you think at john@compqna.com, and visit my webpage at http://www.compqna.com/fanfics **** It had been three days, and while Nabiki knew they had been difficult days for her sister, she was a little surprised that Akane had not yet thanked her. Nabiki was used to her normal efforts for the family being taken for granted, but she had gone above and beyond in this case. School had been tense for everyone. Nabiki had worked to make it as easy as possible for both Ranma and Akane, but to some extent she was working against herself. The attempted wedding had been a spectacular disaster. That had been necessary to get the parents to ease up for a while, and had taken a fair amount of planning and arranging. Now she worked to minimize the resulting rumors and gossip to give Akane back some semblance of her life. Instead of being relieved after everything had calmed down, as Nabiki had expected, Akane seemed depressed. It was almost like she had wanted the wedding to go through. Nabiki knew that was not the case. Not that Akane hated Ranma, but Akane was still too young, and even if she eventually decided to marry Ranma, it should be their plans, their date, their invitations. Had Akane not said all of this herself time and time again? So then, why was she not relieved, or at least something other than depressed? Nabiki had no answers, so she followed her over-active curiosity to go looking for some. Kasumi and the parents were all out at the moment, so now might be a good time to talk to Akane about it. She found Akane in the living room, looking out at the yard. P-chan was snuggled down in her lap. Nabiki had thought Akane was just staring off into space, but as she approached, she realized her sister was watching Ranma perform another of his katas in the yard. Ranma gave no sign that he noticed either of the Tendo girls, but at the same time, Nabiki could almost feel his eyes following her. The whole scene just added to her self-doubt. She sat for a while, trying to decide how best to word her questions. Years before she had learned that some people could be caught off guard by straightforward questions, and could give away more than they intended trying to answer off the cuff. "Akane, what's going on? Why are you so depressed lately?" Akane did not seem to notice the questions. She continued to sit quietly, and watch the outside world, absently stroking P-chan every so often. "You have hardly spoken since Sunday. What's going on?" The words seemed to break through to Akane. "Going on?" she repeated, but then she slipped into silence again. Akane, for her part, could not believe Nabiki even had the nerve to speak to her. She had studiously avoided talking to her sister since her failed wedding day. And what a failure it had been. Akane quietly got up and went up to her room, taking P-chan with her. Ranma seemed to freeze for a moment as he listened to Akane move about the house. After a moment, he continued his exercises as though nothing had happened. Nabiki thought to herself. Pausing for a moment, she thought about talking to Ranma. While not at all insightful, Ranma had one advantage over Nabiki, information - pure raw data. She shook her head. **** While Nabiki had spent her last few days working the rumor mill, Ranma had spent the last few days watching over Akane constantly. In the aftermath of the violent wedding, Ranma's concern for Akane's safety had gone to a new level, and he had taken his role as her protector to a matching new level. He no longer stayed close to Akane outside the house, but stood back a short distance, his eyes constantly scanning the area. At home, Ranma slept little and spent his waking hours in one of two places: at Akane's side or working-out in the yard where he could see most of the house and was within earshot of the rest. While Akane had slipped into depression, Ranma carefully maintained a simmering rage. Kuno had been the first victim. He was on his way to the local emergency room before finishing the second line of the sonnet he had written for the still unwed Akane. There was none of Ranma's usual taunts however. Also, the fight did not end with the almost casual kick to the face everyone had come to expect. The severe wounds Ranma inflicted on Kuno, and the silent and serious approach he used had a chilling effect on all witnesses. The only other of their enemies who had even attempted to come close to either of them was Shampoo. Instead of his usual dodge, Ranma had caught her bicycle which seemed about to flatten him, and quickly tossed the rider into the nearby river. He then bent the wheels into figure-eights and threw the bicycle after the rider as he continued to follow Akane. Nabiki liked to think that if Akane had been standing still, giving Ranma more time, Shampoo would be sharing Kuno's hospital room, but she was pretty sure he had not abandoned his practice of not hitting girls. At least not entirely. **** she reasoned. Going to Ranma would be a mistake however. While he had said nothing to her in the past few days, she knew he held her solely responsible for the violence that he believed could easily have killed several members of the family. He would not help her anytime soon. She headed up to her room to plan a new course of action, but stopped in the hall as she heard voices, Nabiki stopped to listen quietly at Akane's door. "Damn her! How can she... After ruining my wedding day!" Akane sobbed. What was left of Nabiki's cool confidence shattered. Her assumptions fell to the ground around her. Nabiki forced herself to listen more closely. "Oh what does it matter. He couldn't even say it! On our wedding day... He couldn't... Then again, I guess it wasn't our wedding day after all." "And me! I'm the fool.. I'm the one that had hoped.. I thought maybe.. Maybe some good could come out of it, even if they were still forcing us. Maybe, we could be together.. Finally.. Happy.. He could be cured.. I should have known better." It echoed in Nabiki's mind "I'm the one that had hoped ... Maybe, we could be together.. Finally.. Happy.." She felt sick. Each time she heard it in her mind, the pain was worse. How had she misjudged the situation so badly? She suddenly realized she was as much to blame as the idiotic parents. She had made a significant decision for Akane without so much as talking to her about it. Nabiki quickly resolved that she would not leave things as they were, she could not. That would make her even more like her father and Saotome-san. No, she would fix things, but how? **** It took her several hours in her room to decide not just what to fix but how to start. In the process she had come to some pretty painful conclusions about herself. Some were truths she would have to be open about if she was to try and repair some of what she had done. If she could... Her plan worried her. It was simple and straight forward - seemingly too simple. First things first, she had to talk to Ranma. She admitted to herself that she was more than a little afraid of speaking to him in his current state of mind. She decided her best chance was to say two things before he could even respond. "Ranma" she called out to him from the porch. He was not surprised by her presence, though he did not expect her to speak him. He should have realized she would by the fact that she stayed quietly on the porch watching him for some time. As usual, he was too caught up thinking about Akane. "Nabiki, I don't..." "Hold it" she quickly interrupted him. "I have two things you need to hear. After that, I will stand still for whatever you want to say to me. I do deserve it after all." She watched him closely as this last part caught him obviously off guard, as she had hoped. She felt guilty manipulating him, especially in light of what she had to say, but she had to make sure he would listen. She quickly continued. "First, I have to say I am sorry. I screwed up. I was wrong to sell information about the wedding. I thought I had good reasons at the time, but the fact is, I was wrong." She let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "Second, if you will let me, I would like to try and make it up to you. I can never correct what I did, but I think I can help make things better than they are now." Ranma paused for a moment. Normally, he did not think much before responding - one of his biggest faults - but in this case everything he wanted to say had already been said. His immediate response to her last statement would normally have been to tell her off. Maybe say that she could not repair what she had done. Whatever excuses she had could not possibly be good enough. That she had screwed up big this time. he thought. This was not the arrogant, stoic bitch he was accustomed to dealing with. His pause gave way to a single word. "Why?" "Listen, I know you probably do not believe me, but like I said, I thought I had good reasons at the time. I know Akane likes you, but even when she is not denying that she will marry you, she is complaining about the way you are being forced into it. How you are too young. She wants to make her own plans. I was trying to give you time to do that. I thought I was helping you. I did not think things would get out of hand they way they did. I expected the others to be disruptive, but murderous? They were never like that before. And I did not think Aka..." She stopped. She was not used to being this open, and she had started to ramble. "I just did not think it would happen this way. I did not think Akane wanted this yet, and I was wrong." Ranma thought about it some more. He had to admit, he had thought much the same. He had tried to think of a way to stop the ceremony himself, thinking that Akane would not want this. Watching her the last few days had given him reason to question that, but... "Then she did want to get married?" "Before I answer that, will you let me help? I want to make it up to the two of you. Will you let me?" Conditions... This was more like the Nabiki he was used to, but she still seemed different somehow. "How?" "Well, I guess, by getting you what you want. That seems to be the ability to make some of your own decisions." Ranma laughed. "So, you going to kill our parents?" Nabiki was quiet for a moment. "Actually, they aren't your problem." Ranma cut off his laugh, "What do you mean?" "Listen, Ranma. You and Akane are the two most stubborn people I know. Your mother is pretty strong-willed, but my father is an emotional wreak, yours is lazy and they both kowtow to almost anyone. If you and Akane would actually talk to one another, and make some decisions together, for yourselves, no one would be *able* to stop you. But first you have to talk to one another." "That may stop you right there, Nabiki. Akane ain't said nothing to me in days." "And that is part of what I hope to correct. Will you let me help?" Ranma did not have to think long about this. Akane's silence had hurt him deeply. If that was what Nabiki was going to work on, he was all for it. Funny, a few hours ago, getting help from Nabiki would have seemed like making a pact with the devil, but not now. "Okay" he said simply. "Thank you, Ranma. Then let's get started before everyone gets home." "What do you need from me?" "Well, part of the reason Akane has been so quiet is that she is very insecure about something. So... first I have to ask you a direct question, and you need to be very honest with me..." **** Akane woke to a tapping at her door. She quietly moved to open the door. That Ranma was outside her door was a bit of a surprise. That he had Nabiki with him was nothing short of amazing. She simply stared at them. "Can we talk?" Ranma said. Nabiki had assured him it would be better if he started things off. Akane turned and sat on her bed without a word. Nabiki's plan here was much the same as her earlier plan with Ranma, knock her off her feet with the big stuff right away, then get the rest in while she recovers from the shock. It had worked quite well with Ranma. Luckily, a depressed Akane would give Ranma more time to get the words out than an angry Ranma would have given her. "Akane..." Ranma was sweating heavily, but he gathered himself and moved forward. "Akane, I have to say something. It is something I should have said a long time ago." He paused. Why was this so difficult? He looked into her eyes, and saw life for the first time in days. "I.." "Iloveyou" he exhaled. Akane could not believe what she heard. "What did you say?" He took her hands in his as he repeated "I love you." It was easier the second time. In fact the expression on her face made him want to say it again, several times. Akane squeezed his hands. Her smile was unmistakable, even through her tears. "I.. I love you too, Ranma. But, what.. Why.. Why are you saying this now?" "Well, like I said, I have wanted to for a while. I should have... But I wasn't sure you..." His voice seemed to fade into the distance. His fiance leaned forward and literally squeezed the breath out of him. "You baka." she nearly sobbed into his shoulder. From the corner of the room a small black pig watched the events unfold with a great sadness. He quietly left the room with no one taking any notice. Nabiki watched, not the least bit self-conscious. Seemed as though this might actually work. Sometimes the simple things worked the best. But she still had something to do herself. "Akane, can you forgive me?" she started. **** Ranma had been a little uncomfortable sitting through the conversation between the two sisters, but he held Akane the entire time, offering his strength as she went from joy to rage to depression to sympathy. As Nabiki had pointed out, Akane would not likely have listened to her without Ranma's presence. In the end, Nabiki had been forgiven. Ranma was fairly sure Akane could not stay upset much longer, As the two sisters hugged finally, Ranma hesitantly broke the silence. "I know you wanted to do this before oyaji and your dad got home, Nabiki, but I am pretty sure they are already downstairs." "Okay. Now, Akane, I have to make this up to you both, but not with them in the house. Let's all get together after school tomorrow to discuss this in private." "How about under the bridge? Ranma and I can usually get some privacy there when we need it." Nabiki thought automatically, then pushed that thought away. "Good. Right after school then." **** Kasumi wondered to herself while cleaning the last of the dishes. Her sisters and Ranma were all silent this evening, as they had been since the wedding, but it was different. There was no tension to it. Akane sought Ranma's eyes several times during dinner. And he returned her looks with remarkable calm. The two old men sat quietly at the ever-present shogi board. She turned from the sink to find Ranma quietly watching her. "Oh! I am sorry Ranma, I did not realize you were waiting there. Did you need something?" "Yes." Ranma wondered how much he could trust Kasumi. Sure, she was like a mother to him, even more so than his own mother, but she was not sure if she would deceive her family for him. "I need to talk to you and ask a favor." He hesitated, but this would be important to Akane. "I was hoping -" "Is this about you and Akane admitting your feelings for one- another?" Kasumi interrupted. "You knew?" "She may be a good actress on stage, but I have known my sister for her entire life. And you can only hide your feelings well behind anger and you were not very angry tonight. Besides, I like to think I am more observant than most people give me credit for." In a rare moment of wisdom, Ranma kept the thought from reaching his mouth. Instead he said "Well, anyways. You're right. I want to propose to her tomorrow. I was hoping you could be there." "I would be happy to, but can I ask why?" Ranma began to sweat again. He had never been good at talking about stuff like this, but this was important to Akane, and he had to do it. "I don't know how long we will keep things a secret between us, but I do know that it hurts her to keep it a secret from you and her dad. That her mom is not here to talk to has to hurt as well. But she sees you as her mother, and to keep it a secret from you also is too much to ask." Kasumi was stunned. It had been obvious for a while that Ranma loved Akane, but he also seemed clueless most of the time. Obviously, he was not clueless about Akane. "Of course I will be there. Now, I have a question for you..." **** "Okay you two. Now if I am to help, I need to know what you want." "Wait a sec." Ranma stopped things for a moment. "We have to wait for Kasumi." Akane and Nabiki just blinked in response. "I asked her to come. I'll tell you why later." Ranma was very nervous, but with Kasumi's suggestion, he knew he had made the right choice. He just hoped his courage would still be there when the time came. It was not far off. "Sorry I'm late." Kasumi smiled at her sisters before leaning toward Ranma and handing him a small package. "I wanted to get it cleaned first" she whispered. Ranma looked at Akane and steeled himself for what he had to say. "Akane, I guess this is the first decision." He held the small box for a moment. Taking a deep breath he continued. "Will.." his voice croaked. He tried to steel himself. He took another deep breath, and looked into her eyes. This time his voice was calm, but somehow still full of emotion. "Will you marry me?" He opened the box and held it forward offering her the ring her own mother had worn. Akane felt the tears streaming down her face. Even through the tears, she had no trouble recognizing the ring, but could only smile her appreciation at Kasumi. Then she turned to Ranma and in answer kissed him. Nabiki stared at the sight. She was honest enough with herself to admit she was a little jealous. Not that she would want Akane's life. She preferred a bit more control of the events around her, something a life with Ranma would not be likely to provide. On the other hand, the rewards for such a life were at the moment quite obvious. Akane leaned back to look into Ranma's eyes, noticing he was still recovering. "Need I say more?" she giggled. All four of them laughed for a moment. Finally Nabiki brought them back to the meeting at hand. "Well, I guess that is one decision cleared up. Now, you do not have to set a date or anything, but a timeframe would be nice. When did you want to do this?" **** Epilogue Akane looked out at a good morning - climax to a good week. She had graduated just five days ago. The day before yesterday, Nodoka- obaasan had arrived to help with the student registration. These were the first students the dojo had seen in years, and their classes were already full. Nabiki had come home from the university in Kyoto just yesterday. She had tried to be back for the graduation, but could not get the schedules changed for her finals. It was good to see her nonetheless, and at least she was here for the important ceremony. Of course, that was no surprise. They had scheduled the wedding so everyone could be here.