Ranma looked over at her.  She was bright red, blushing deeper than
he'd ever seen her blush before.  He decided to subtlely lure her
into telling him why by saying, "Hey!  What's with you?  You didn't
even blush that much when you were still doing your kawaii routine
for Doctor Tofu."

In a way she welcomed the distraction, "I'm NOT blushing, and I don't
have a 'kawaii routine'!"

Ranma falsettoed, "Oh Doctor Tofu, I wouldn't...hurt myself," as he
shuffled his feet and looked down at the pavement.  "I'm a sweet
little girl who never pounds people into the ground.  I never get mad
at _anyone_!"  He looked back up at her with a silly little smile.

"I never acted like that!"

"Hey, I was there.  I saw it all.  That was exactly how you acted the
first time I met Doctor Tofu," Ranma blandly assured her.

"Oh yeah, sure I did.  Liar."  Akane grinned in spite of herself, and
then was surprised to see Ranma start to look a little uneasy for a
moment before he grinned back.

While she was doing that, a little old lady tossed a ladlefull of
water at Ranma, who automatically stepped to the side.  "This joke is
getting old, _so fast_!"  Akane could barely get the complaint out
through her clenched teeth, as yet more water splashed off her.

"You know, she doesn't usually do it this late in the day..."  Ranma
mused, as he evaded a second ladlefull, which seemed suspiciously
purposeful in it's aim.

*And she doesn't wear running shoes*  "Mizu!", Akane snarled,
reaching out to grab a handy mail box and lofting it over her head.

*Uh oh* Kouchi thought.  He dived out of the way of the unsubtle
assault.  *It seems this guy doesn't like water.  I really should be
going now*  Shedding his old lady disguise instantly, he tossed it in
his attacker's face and ran for it.

"Miiizuuu!"  Akane tossed the shabby dress aside, glowing with rage.

Ranma thought he smelled scorched cotton, as he took hold of her
shoulder, "Calm down, I don't think that was Mizu.  He moved like
Kouchi.  We'll have a long 'talk' with him tomorrow, OK?"  Akane
nodded reluctantly, and Ranma let go.

The rest of the walk home was uninterrupted by further dousings, but
Kasumi still greeted them with a startled, "Gracious!  What happened
to Kaneda?"  Still soaking from four water attacks, the white t-shirt
Akane had borrowed was virtually transparent and clinging closely to
the musculature her transformation had endowed her with, and her
shorts were similarly adhesive.

Ranma non-explained, "He had a little accident, or three.  Could you
get a towel for him?"

"Oh of course," Kasumi turned to get the towel, then glanced back for
a moment, as she suggested, "Perhaps you could lend him some dry
clothing, Ranma?  It wouldn't be healthy to stay in those things."

A chill ran down Akane's spine.  No, she had to be imagining it.
Kasumi would never look her like that.  Kasumi would never look at
anyone like that.  Kasumi was Kasumi.

Kasumi leaned back against a wall for a moment and took a deep
breath.  Kaneda's body was just so incredible, even better than
Ranma's.  He was nicer than Ranma as well.  She thought that Ranma
was a good-hearted boy, but he was still rather immature and could be
quite mannerless.  Of course Kasumi had no intention of cradle
robbing.  She shook her head ruefully and went to get the towel for
Kaneda.

When Kasumi returned to the kitchen, Kouchi was in quiet conference
with Nabiki.  Kasumi frowned.  The androgynous boy's ancestry was
rather obscure, but what Kasumi knew about it she didn't like.  His
mother didn't sound very nice, and his father was mysteriously
absent, and might not even be Japanese.  As Nabiki looked up, Kasumi
was once again smiling as she asked, "Nabiki?  Could you please take
this tea to Kaneda?  He's with Ranma in the Saotome's room, and he
looked rather chilled."

Nabiki looked startled and answered, "Ah, sure."  Popular myth at
Furiinkan High was that Nabiki did nothing for anyone without
expecting payment.  Absurd of course.  Nabiki would no more shake
down Kasumi, than Akane would hit her.  But Kasumi rarely asked
anyone to do more than move their feet anyway.

With Nabiki gone, Kasumi turned to Kouchi, politely greeting him,
"It's so nice to see you again Yamazaki-san.  I didn't hear you come
in."

He smiled back at her, "I'm easily overlooked, I fear."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that.  You are really very notable.  I look
forward to seeing you again."  As Kasumi spoke, she escorted Kouchi
to the front door and let him out, closing the door gently, but
firmly behind him.  Quite apart from her doubts concerning his
ancestry, the boy himself bothered her.  Nabiki could surely do
better and make a safer choice, one less likely to take advantage of
her trust.

Kaneda, for example, was a fine boy, with the kind of masculine
physical attractiveness that Nabiki had vocally admired more than
once, a good fighter to protect her and so honest and trustworthy.  A
boy like Kaneda would make a wonderful addition to the family, if
Nabiki actually noticed him as more than a financial opportunity.

Nabiki didn't knock, she just walked on in.  It was a good way to
catch people off guard, and that was exactly what she did, catching
"Kaneda" in nothing but a pair of boxers as he pulled out Ranma's
favorite outfit from a foot locker.  Nabiki was amused to see
"Kaneda" trying to hold up Ranma's shirt to conceal his modesty from
Nabiki, while Ranma stood with his back turned to him.

"Why so shy, Kaneda?  I've seen girls with less modesty," she asked
with a malicious twist to her lips.

"Nabiki, he's trying to change here," Ranma said.

"Into what?" Nabiki jabbed.  "From where I stand, he looks pretty
good as is.  Don't mind me, I'm just here to bring some tea-"  As she
made sure to trip over the foot locker, the tea went flying toward
Kaneda, but splashed over Ranma's chest as he desperately lept into
the way.

"Ite!  That's my favourite shirt you nearly splashed, Nabiki!"

"Clumsy me.  Sorry Ranma...say, that is your favourite shirt, isn't
it?  Gee, you must really be close friends with Kaneda, if you're
lending him your most prized possession."

"Well...yeah."  Ranma supposed you could call a fiancee a close
friend.

Akane couldn't help but smile, unaware that even as a boy her smile
transformed her whole face.  Her smile dimmed again as she wondered
why Nabiki was staring at her.  Nabiki continued to watch "Kaneda"
carefully as she continued, "Funny that you were such close friends,
but you've never mentioned him before now."

"Uh...not really.  I never talk much about the past unless it
actually comes up in the present."

"Oh, that's right isn't it?  For such an open guy, you certainly have
a lot of secrets and surprises for us, don't you?"  Nabiki looked
away then and her eye caught something else.  "Say, Ranma, have you
taken to stealing Akane's underwear again?"  She was now looking at
Akane's panties, still soaked from Kouichi's multiple waterbombing
efforts, discarded on the floor in Akane's haste to change into dry
clothing.

"What!?  I never stole Akane's underwear!  Why would I do something
like that?"

"If you're going to steal underwear, you could at least have the
decency to steal your fiancee's underwear.  Wait!  It couldn't be
that Akane herself left them here, could it?"  Nabiki clasped her
hands together in simulated bliss, "Oh wait until I tell father.
He'll be so happy!"

"NO!"  Ranma and Akane's voice rang out as one.

"Why, Kaneda, what's your interest in Ranma's engagement?"

"Aaah..."  Akane looked desperately for Ranma for an idea.  Of course
she had to be desperate to look to Ranma for ideas.

"I...uh...forgot to give back the underwear from the time you talked
me into dressing like a girl for a day."  Which didn't answer
Nabiki's question, but might distract her.

"Goodness, Ranma, that was a long time ago.  Don't tell me that
you've kept them all this time as a...souvenir? Whatever would Akane
think?  Oh well, at least I know Kaneda here isn't a pervert.  Which
is good, because I was thinking that if Kaneda is free on Saturday
night, maybe we could do something together; maybe double with you
and Akane.  Kaneda's really cute, after all, and so masculine!"  The
look of utter horror on Ranma and Akane's face was definitely worth
the price of admission for Nabiki.  She quickly made her exit while
she could keep a straight face.

Outside, she covered her mouth to muffle her giggles.  When she'd
recovered, she said to herself, "Serves them right.  Trying to treat
_me_ like a mark.  Good thing I figured it out though.  Akane does
make a pretty impressive guy.  For that matter, it's a good thing
Kasumi doesn't notice that sort of thing."

Most people would say this was a date that was going well.
Uncomfortably well for Akane, who found herself enjoying it at times.
While she wasn't actually attracted to Bie-Deh, no, not at all, the
little Amazon had an infectiously bubbly personality and had firmly
insisted "No talk serious, until finish show good time!  Is fun time
now!"

Akane was a little surprised that the restaurant hadn't been the
Nekohanten.  Instead, the one Bie-Deh picked was close to the movie
theatre and expensive enough that Akane was reluctantly grateful that
Bie-Deh had been comically stern as she insisted, "Is for girl to
pay, is for boy to have good time!"

The movie was an action movie with a romance subplot that Akane found
appealing, her favourite viewing material, really.  If Bie-deh hadn't
insisted on putting her arm around Akane and leaning her head against
Akane's shoulder it would have been perfect.  Akane just hoped that
Ranma wasn't spying on her.  He might get the idea she liked it.  Of
course it was kind of cosy, sort of like cuddling P-Chan, except
P-Chan didn't want to marry her.

"...and Joketsuzo has dish for watch outside teevee so Airen see show
he like, and Elders know fight secret no outsider know but after
marry NOT outsider and..."  Akane put her finger to Bie-Deh's lips,
cutting off Bie-Deh's torrential hard sell.  The blue-haired Amazon
made Shampoo sound taciturn by comparison, and her Japanese was even
worse, although practise making perfect, it seemed to be improving.
Apparently now that the movie was over, Bie-Deh was ready for
"serious talk"

"Bie-Deh, could you listen to me for a bit?"  Bie-Deh nodded
cheerfully, Akane's finger moving up and down with her lips, "You
can't expect me to live under your law any more than I expect you to
stay in Japan and...uh become a Japanese housewife and never fight
again.  We-we come from such different ways of life that I could
never be happy living as an Amazon husband."

"That OK.  Bie-Deh not expect Kaneda know how cook."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"  The subject of her greatest frustration rarely
failed to agitate Akane.

Bie-Deh backed away, looking nervous.  "Sorry-sorry!  Bie-Deh say
wrong.  Bie-Deh eat anything Kaneda want cook, honest!  Not be mad
Bie-Deh, please?"  She looked up at Akane's male face in a pleading,
almost tearful way.

Akane looked at her date's hopeful expression and sighed.  This
wasn't going well.  It was hard having to hurt the cute little
monster.  She almost wished Bie-Deh was a guy.  Or that Ranma was a
fraction so affectionate and considerate.  Not that she could have a
date like this with Ranma anyway as long as Ranma insisted on keeping
all those other girls panting after him.  They'd be sure to ruin it
if Ranma even tried to get romantic.

It is a little known fact that Kuno Kodachi is somewhat nearsighted.
Not a lot, of course.  She can read normal sized print with only
moderate effort even without the glasses she keeps in a secret room
on the Kuno estate.  But at a distance of a couple of blocks, things
look a little blurry to her. She never wears glasses or contact
lenses in public of course, since those might mar the beauty of her
eyes.  So when she saw Ranma's trademark outfit, and a new girl
latched onto it's owner in barnacle-like fashion; what happened was
an honest mistake.  Allowing, that is, for her intent being assault
and harassment in the first place.