Second Chances

Chapter 11 - Reflections

By Lord Archive

Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Video, and several other
companies and are used without consent. I'll return them... I don't want
to keep Akane here long enough for her to get any ideas about
cook...>WHAM<...ing. !THUD!

--------------------

Ranma was sitting upside down in the lotus position. His weight balance
on his head and his folded legs set firmly in the air. <It's been almost
a month, and Pop isn't showin' any signs of gettin' ta move. In fact...
it seems... he's settling in. It's almost like he doesn't expect to ever
leave here. He's got a job, a respectable one even. He even bought a
piece of furniture for himself. Sure its just a mini-dresser an' mirror
and he put all that 'age-defying' crap in it. He actually expects to
gain some of his 'youthful looks' with that gunk. But you don't buy
stuff like that if don't plan ta stay since you can't take it with you.>

Ranma sighed. <Mr. Tendo wasn't kidding about knowin' Pop. Watchin' them
play shogi and gettin' drunk off their ass like they do. They're the
best o' friends. Mr. Tendo even helped Pop when he got caught after
runnin' out on a bill, first by coverin' for him and then payin' the
bill. They
even joked about it being like 'old times' except Mr. Tendo didn't pay
the bills back then.

<Pop ain't goin' to leave. He's actually gonna stick this out.

<I can't believe Pop is actually sticking to a promise, 'specially one
this big. Maybe it's because he's not the one who has ta deal with it. I
do. I'm the one who has to marry Akane and spend the rest of my life
with her, and Pop'll just freeload off us.>

Ranma flipped and was now sitting in the lotus position, right side up.
<Pop may want to stick this out, but do I?>

--------------------

Akane looked at the journal in front of her with tears in her eyes. She
had been avoiding reading this part of it as it brought back a lot of
bad memories. There were other parts she was avoiding, particularly the
entries concerning Jusendo.

The problem though was she wanted to understand this Ranma better and
that meant she had to read everything her Ranma had written in his
journal. She wished her Ranma hadn't died and that she didn't have to
relive her life, but she wasn't going to pass up the chance to correct
her past mistakes.

One passage particularly bothered her.

        I can't stand her! That bitch manipulated me at every step. 
	There is no way in hell I'd ever want to marry her. I'd sooner 
	be with Kodachi than that money grubbing mercenary.

The following passage Akane could smile at since it was about Ranma
making up with her. He even called himself a coward for how he reacted
after saying, "I love you." But, whatever chance Nabiki had to marry
Ranma before their engagement became nil after that.

Akane knew why it bothered her. Because she was manipulating the new
Ranma. She was changing things to how she thought things should be. If
he ever found out, how would Ranma react. Would this Ranma hate her as
much as her Ranma hated Nabiki. Would it kill any chance for her to
marry Ranma.

Akane closed the journal, her eyes set with determination. She stormed
out of her room and into Nabiki's. "I won't manipulate him anymore."

Nabiki blinked and looked at her sister like she grew a second head.
"Excuse me."

"I won't try to manipulate him. You know damn well he hates that. You
read this journal too."

Nabiki nodded. "And what brought this on?"

"I just read about the time he was engaged to you."

Nabiki glanced up to the ceiling. "So? You've manipulated him. You did
that in your past life. How does this change anything this time around."

Akane scowled. "I never went as far as I've done here."

"True. However, tell me how can you not change and manipulate things.
You know what is going to happen."

"But if Ranma finds out how I've changed things he might hate me."

Nabiki shook her head. "In case you've forgotten, oneechan, your Ranma
was never attracted to 'me' in the first place. By doing those things,
Ranma's opinion of that Nabiki lowered. Besides, he didn't hate 'her'
for long, after all he did state much later that he saw that Nabiki as
an annoying older sister."

Akane nodded, remembering he did write that.

"One other thing, the only way I can see you keeping Ranma from being
upset about your little secret, you would have to tell him everything.
How would he react to that?"

Akane paled. "If I knew who I really was it'd scare him away."

"Exactly. Ranma is the type of guy who likes to take relationships
slowly. If you tell him you're his love from a future where he died,
he'd be in China before you know it."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

Nabiki thought for a second. "Well, you can't stop minor manipulations
of events, you know too damn much. Just be careful to avoid giving him
any reason to be suspicious of you."

"I guess." Akane walked out of the room.

Nabiki smirked. While Akane might not want to manipulate things, it
didn't mean the new youngest Tendo couldn't.

Nabiki liked the idea of being the youngest daughter. After all Akane
had the mind of an eighteen-year-old. Too bad she couldn't tell anybody
about that.

--------------------

Ranma kicked and punched his imaginary foe. <Do I want to get married?
Akane is a nice enough girl and she has some martial arts skill. And she
is cute. However, there are times she seems... well... cold. I don't
know how to place it. It just seems like part of her is dead. I don't
see much fire in her except when she gets upset.>

Ranma increased the difficulty of his kata. <Aw, why am I even thinking
about getting married. I'm sixteen and that's way too young to consider
settling down for the rest of my life. I'll just have to give this time.
Maybe in two years I will want to marry Akane, but if not, I would at
least know what it was like to have a home.>

--------------------

"Saotome-kun, why don't we..." Soun's brow crinkled in thought. "...ah,
go out to dinner. I know a great place."

"Why? Kasumi is a great cook."

Soun whispered to Genma. "But she's not the one going to be cooking.
Akane is, and she hasn't exactly learned how."

"How bad could it be?"

"I'm paying."

Genma stood up. "Lead the way."

Nabiki nodded and walked into the laundry room. "Hey, Sis."

"Yes, Nabiki?" Kasumi expertly folded a towel.

"I was thinking it would be a good idea to give Akane and Ranma a little
private time. They can't let down their guard with anybody here."

"Well, that would be a good idea. But what if they try to do anything...
inappropriate."

Nabiki shook her head. "I really doubt that. Ranma isn't that type of
guy." Akane was a different matter entirely, but she knew better than to
try anything.

"Are you sure? He did sneak into Akane's room before."

"Positive. You have nothing to worry about from Ranma. He was only
trying to protect Akane from Ryoga."

"Well...."

"Akane has already decided that she wants to cook tonight."

Kasumi paled. "M-my k-kitchen...."

"Your kitchen will be fine. Let's go out to eat. Okay?"

"I have to stay, to teach Akane...."

Nabiki waved her off. "Ranma knows how to cook, and he can help her."

"He does? He can?"

Nabiki nodded. "It'll help them get together. Wouldn't it be nice to
fulfill Daddy agreement with a love marriage."

"Well, yes."

"Then let's go." Nabiki grabbed Kasumi's arm and dragged her out of the
house.

--------------------

Akane read the note again and blinked.

        Akane,

        Everybody is out of the house except you and lover boy. So 
	guess who's going to have to cook. Don't try anything you 
	haven't mastered yet and try to involve Ranma. We'll be back 
	before you get any ideas of doing anything 'inappropriate.'

                                                See ya
                                                little Sis.

Akane shook her head. After talking about manipulating things, Nabiki
went and did it anyway. Somehow she couldn't get upset about this.

Akane couldn't help but laugh a little about how Nabiki signed the
note.

Now to make dinner. Curry, Akane decided quickly. It was the first meal
she mastered. She walked down stairs and into the kitchen and began.

--------------------

Ranma walked into the house and took one whiff of the air. His taste
buds drooled. He peeked into the kitchen. "How long before dinner,
Kasumi?"

"Wrong Tendo, Ranma." Akane smirked at her fiance. "It won't be much
longer."

Ranma scratched the back of his head nervously. "Sorry. How come you're
cooking tonight?"

"Well, we're the only ones home now, and someone had to cook."

"Oh."

"Can you do me a favor and set the table?" Akane smiled sweetly.

"Ah, yeah, sure." Ranma shook his head and started to get some plates.

Akane added a couple spices and then tested the curry. Her eyes bulged
and quickly grabbed got herself a glass of water and downed it.

"Something wrong?"

"Put too much spices in it. Sorry."

Ranma shrugged. "I like it hot. Do we have any bread?"

Akane nodded.

"Good it'll help better than water would."

--------------------

Akane and Ranma were laughing about something when the patriarchs
returned home.

Even after a large meal, the panda eyed the curry on the table hungrily.
He reached down and took a ladle full of it. The panda breathed fire
into Soun's face. [Good stuff.] He plopped down and began eating
heartily.

Soun sweat dropped. "Did you make dinner?"

Akane nodded. "Yes. It came out a lot spicier than I wanted it to,
though."

Soun carefully took a spoonful of the curry to see for himself. His eyes
watered and then tears streamed out. "Oh, the power of love! It almost
cured my daughter's cooking!"

Ranma blinked. "What did he mean by that?"

Akane blushed. "Well, my earlier attempts at cooking failed miserably.
But I've been improving with my home-economics class."

--------------------

Kasumi looked at her kitchen. It was a mess, but it wasn't the disaster
she had expected. But what surprised her the most was that her father
was cleaning it. "Father, why are you cleaning?"

Soun chuckled. "Lost a bet to Nabiki. Akane made something edible, so I
have to clean. But it was worth it, to taste what my little girl made
for her fiance out of love. The family lines will be joined!"

Kasumi looked down in dismay at the increasing large puddle of tears on
the floor. She then smiled. Ranma and Akane seemed to be made for each
other. "I can finish for you."

"No, Sis," Nabiki said flatly. "He made the bet and lost, so he has to
pay."

"It's all right, Kasumi."

"If you say so." Kasumi knew she would have to spend time tomorrow
correct what her father did to her kitchen, but she doubted she could
convince them to let her finish the cleaning.

--------------------

Author's Notes:

Well, here it is, FINALLY, chapter 11 of Second Chances. I apologize for
the wait.

Coming in chapter 12: The Black Rose.