Merry Christmas, Akane A Ranma ½ Story Written by M. Clark Standard disclaimer: All characters in the Ranma ½ universe were created by Rumiko Takahashi, and all rights are owned by her and Viz Video, Shogakukan, Kitty Films, Fuji,etc. This story is not written for profit, and I make no claim to any ownership or copyrights in any form. The snow was falling lightly now, having already covered the Nerima Ward in a blanket of white. As early morning came to the residents of the Tendo Dojo, they were all still asleep, with thoughts of Christmas Day in their minds. While Christmas was indeed a Western holiday, they fondly remembered the holiday party Kasumi had organized last year and decided that they would continue the tradition. As he normally did, the panda snored on, turning over to his side and pulling the covers with him. This would have brought a tug back on the covers, and a battle between Genma and his son, but that didn't happen this morning. Briefly arching a furry eyebrow, Genma wondered why not, but then a wide grin broke out across his face as he remembered the reason...Ranma didn't live in his room anymore! Down the hall, the door closed tightly, was Akane's room. If you looked closely, you could see the outline of the wooden duck, reading "Akane", that used to hang there. Now, your eyes would fall on a slightly larger duck, reading "Ranma and Akane." Inside, a drowsy Akane awakened with a start, feeling the warm and rather large lump beside her on her futon. she thought, suddenly seeing a decidedly dark pigtail on her pillow. Sitting bolt upright, Akane pulled her trusty mallet from its invisible hiding place and prepared to soundly bash Ranma on his thick head. Just as she brought the mallet into striking position, Ranma rolled over and she saw the glint of gold on his hand. His left-hand third finger, to be precise. There, shining in the early dawn, was a perfectly round...wedding band! Stopping before striking, she looked at her own finger, and saw an identical ring. Tossing the mallet back into hiding, she rearranged the covers and snuggled back down next to him, warm, wonderful Ranma...her anata, she reminded herself. Old habits die hard, but thankfully, Ranma never knew how close he had come to being whacked out of the second floor window and into the pond that morning. Then again, it wasn't like that had ever happened before! Akane soon fell back to sleep, never seeing Ranma's right eye opening, checking to ensure she was indeed returning to her rest. thought Ranma. he thought. Smiling, Ranma snuggled back against Akane, and tried to get a bit more sleep before the morning began. An hour later, Akane yawned and stretched, noticing that the futon was once again empty. Wondering where Ranma was, she saw a small note pinned to his side of the pillow. It read, "Akane, my love. Please join me in the furo when you awaken, I'd love to give you a back rub! Ranma." Smiling, Akane threw off the covers and headed for the bathroom, fully intending to take her husband up on his offer. Nabiki Tendo had chosen that moment to exit her room also, turning towards the bathroom, but on seeing her sister headed that way decided to refrain. "Let them have their fun," she mused, chuckling at the thought of her sister and her brother-in-law celebrating Christmas early. "My love, not even Kami-sama himself could resist you like that!" Ranma exclaimed. "The heavens themselves would weep at such beauty, that only the fair Akane could ever possess! A mere mortal such as I could nevOOOmph!" Ranma was unable to finish his poetry, as Akane had hit him square in the face with a towel. When he finally pulled it off, she was kneeling over the tub, eyes locked with his. "Listen, loverboy" she drawled, tracing the curve of his face with one finger, "If I wanted poetry, I would have stayed with Kuno. I married you, remember? Leave the poetry to bokken-boy and come kiss your wife instead!" With that, Akane climbed into the furo and pulled her husband into a deep kiss, placing her arms around him and drawing him to her. A lovely romantic interlude, which we shall not intrude upon, followed. As they exited the bath, Ranma's nose was suddenly filled with the smell of breakfast wafting up from the kitchen. That meant that Kasumi was up, and taking care of the family as usual. If she was up, that meant... Akane reached over to hug him, and said "I know what you're thinking, Ranma. Even if Kasumi did hear us, you know she won't say anything. She's happy that we're happy together, and I think she just ignores certain things!" Ranma took that as fact, and began to refill the furo with hot water. "You're right, my love, guess I worried over nothing. Anyway, I'll finish this, you go on and get dressed. As Akane reached their bedroom, she caught sight of Nabiki's finger motioning her to come and talk. "Morning, Nabiki! I just got out of the bath, let me get dressed first and then HEY!" Nabiki suddenly grabbed her sister and pulled her into her room, shutting the door afterwards. "Okay, I'm here, now what?" asked Akane. "So tell me, sis, is Ranma everything you hoped for in the romance department?" asked Nabiki, that evil grin spreading across her face. "Nabiki! You should know that I don't kiss and tell!" replied Akane, turning away from Nabiki and pouting. "But let's just say that I'm glad I married him! I'll see you downstairs, and stop thinking evil thoughts!" Ranma had been sitting in the living room, watching Genma and Soun playing an early game of Shogi, waiting for Akane and Nabiki to join them. He thought he might know what was keeping them for so long, but there would be time later to ask Akane about that. His thoughts were interrupted by Akane's arrival, full of smiles and cheer. Just at that moment, Kasumi brought breakfast in, and the family settled down at the table. "Ranma my boy, it's almost Christmas! Have you got something special for your dear father this year? And something even more special for your new wife?" asked Genma, gently slapping Ranma on the back. "As a matter of fact, Pop, I do...got a nice present for you this year, and a very special gift for Akane. Which reminds me, Nabiki, what time does that special store open?" "Ranma, the store opens precisely at ten, but will not be open long today. If we're going to go together, to save time, we need to leave in about half an hour. Don't forget the book!" Akane looked at them both with some confusion. "Ranma, I thought you were helping me decorate the tree this morning? What's this about a shopping trip with Nabiki? And what book is she referring to?" Ranma leaned over and gave Akane a kiss, turning her slightly red in the process. "Not to worry, my love, just a little planned errand that Nabiki and I have to run. I'll explain it all when we get back. You can start on the tree, we'll finish on my return. Thanks for breakfast, Kasumi, it was delicious! I've just got time to practice a couple of katas, then I'll be ready to go, Nabiki. Bye!" With that, Ranma bolted from the table and headed for the Dojo, leaving Akane shaking her head in the sheer wonder of it all. A short time later, as Nabiki waited by the door, Ranma sped down the stairs and headed outside. "C'mon, Nabiki, we gotta go!" he yelled as he flew past her. Shrugging her shoulders, Nabiki exited the house and followed Ranma down the street, yelling at him to wait for her. She caught up to him at the bus stop and asked him what the big hurry was all about. "Huh? Oh, I had to get out fast, before Akane asked me about...this!" he replied, pulling a bankbook from his pocket. Nabiki recognized it at once, as she had helped Ranma set up a small bank account for himself several months ago. The two of them were the only ones who knew about it, and Nabiki had honored her promise to Ranma to keep it a secret. They were on their way to the bank, to withdraw the funds Ranma had set aside for today's special shopping mission. As they rode on to the bank, Nabiki was thinking about Ranma's efforts on Akane's behalf. . The bus stopped at the corner of the Tokyo Bank branch, and Nabiki and Ranma exited and headed inside. After a few moments, Ranma withdrew some 30,000 Yen from his account. Nabiki briefly wondered where he got it, then remembered that he had worked at the Nekohanten for Cologne several months back, and done a special calendar for her as onna-Ranma (for which she generously gave him 30% of the profits), and had been very thrifty with his yen lately. Pocketing the money, Ranma and Nabiki headed back out the bank door, then began the walk to the shops. Suddenly, Nabiki yelped in pain and slid to the sidewalk. "Nabiki, are you okay? What happened?" asked Ranma. "I must have tripped on a rock or something, feels like my ankle is ow! Twisted!" she replied. Looking around, Ranma saw a small abandoned vendor's kiosk in a nearby alley and picked Nabiki up to carry her over to it. Taking her inside and setting her down on the counter, he began to examine her ankle. What he didn't see was Nabiki wearing her sly grin, gears turning inside her pretty head. "Careful, Ranma, that Ouch! Hurts! I'm not sure I can walk on it, at least not for a little while...does it look bad?" she asked. "Well, no, I can't see any skin damage or bruise," he replied, "but maybe we'll rest for a few minutes anyway, just to take your weight off the ankle." With that, Ranma sat cross-legged in front of Nabiki, looking up at her and noticing her grin. He began to feel decidedly uneasy at that, knowing that when Nabiki grins, things usually happen. "Ranma, I just wanted to ask you about something, and this is about the only non-suspicious way we could be alone together! Akane seems very happy since the wedding, and much less violent as well. I just wanted you to know that I'm glad about that, and that being your wife seems to be doing her a lot of good. I think it's good for you too, you seem a lot more relaxed around her now. Guess that's what happens when you give up a life of multiple fiancées, kidnappings and general mayhem!" Ranma face-faulted and collapsed as Nabiki chuckled and grinned at him. "Just kidding, Ranma! Let's go then, shall we?" Taking him by the arm, Nabiki led Ranma back out of the alley and down to the shops, where a certain jewelry store was just opening. Seeing Ranma and Nabiki, the store owner waved to them. "Ohayo gozaimas!" said Ranma, bowing to Mr. Han, the owner. "Ohayo gozaimas, Saotome-san!" he replied. "Are you here to pick up your surprise?" Ushering them into the store, he steered them towards the back counter and asked them to sit down while he brought the gift to them. Appearing a moment later, he looked at Nabiki, then back to Ranma. "Is this the lovely lady for whom the gift is intended, Saotome-san?" he asked. Blushing, Ranma replied, "No, Han-san, this is my sister-in-law, Nabiki Tendo." "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Tendo," he replied, bowing towards her. "Thank you, Mr. Han, I'm glad to meet you as well. I trust the price my brother-in-law negotiated with you was satisfactory then?" "Yes, indeed it was. But how is it that you know of our business arrangement?" "Well, you might say that I am Ranma's business manager, as well as his sister-in-law. I just want to make sure that he gets full value for his yen, I'm sure you understand." "Ah yes, yes I do. Well then, shall we unveil the present?" Han placed a small blue box on the counter in front of them, then opened the box. Inside was a small ring, it appeared to be a wedding band, dangling from a beautiful gold chain. Han picked it up, then brought over a small lighted magnifying glass, so they could see the characters that had been engraved inside the band. Nabiki read them out loud. "One...Love...Forever! Oh Ranma, that's the sweetest thing I've ever seen! Akane will go absolutely crazy over this!" Ranma beamed at Nabiki's enthusiasm, feeling that he had finally gotten something right. "It's big enough to fit her finger, but I didn't want her to think that the wedding rings weren't already perfect. This is something she can wear close to her heart, and she'll always have a reminder of how I feel about her." Nabiki reached over to Ranma and hugged him. "This is absolutely perfect, Ranma. I can't wait to hear what she has to say about it!" Han placed the necklace back in the box, and told Ranma that if he waited just a moment longer he could gift-wrap it for him. Agreeing to wait, he and Nabiki looked around the jewelry shop. Nabiki eyed several expensive pieces of jewelry, telling Ranma what she thought might be a good birthday gift for Akane. Ranma silently wondered just where he would get the multitudes of yen required for such wonderful gifts. Imagining himself suddenly wealthy, Ranma drifted off to a dreamworld for a few minutes. Ranma recovered just as Han brought his gift box to him. "Thank you very much, Saotome-san, it was a pleasure doing business with you. I wish you good fortune, and hope that I may serve you again. Miss Tendo, you have advised your brother-in-law well, and I hope I may be of assistance to you someday as well. Merry Christmas!" Ranma and Nabiki returned the greeting, bowed, and exited the jewelry store, heading back for the bus stop. On the way, Ranma thanked Nabiki for her help, and told her how pleased he was about her kindness to him lately. "Well Ranma, you're family now, aren't you? I really should be nice to my brother-in-law...but there was no requirement to be nice to a mere fiancée, now was there? C'mon, we'll miss our bus if we don't hurry! I can't wait to see how the tree looks and all the decorations! By the way, Ranma, Akane will be hanging mistletoe in the Dojo, did you know that? You do know what to do with a pretty girl under the mistletoe, don't you?" Walking from the bus stop, they reached the outer doors to the Tendo family compound. They could see the Christmas lights and decorations twinkling against the curtains, and heard soft carols echoing in the background. Just as he was about to push the door open, Nabiki stopped him. "Ranma, I know tonight will be a special evening for us all. I just want you to know that I'm proud of everything you've become in the last few weeks, and I...well, don't tell anybody I said this, but I think you're the best husband Akane could ever have. I'm proud to be your sister-in-law!" Stunned, Ranma opened the door and ushered them inside. Kasumi noticed them as they entered the hallway, and called out "Hey everyone! Ranma and Nabiki are back!" Akane came around the corner and greeted them, giving Ranma a hug and kiss. "You're just in time, Ranma, we need someone tall to put the star on top of the tree! Did your shopping trip go okay?" Blushing slightly, Ranma nodded. "Yeah, we, ah, had a great time, lotsa fun. Let's go finish the tree!" Grabbing Akane's hand, Ranma pulled her down the hallway to the Dojo, leaving Nabiki to finish putting their coats away. As Akane and Ranma finished the tree, they could smell the delicious scents of Kasumi's dinner preparations and realized they were famished. Heading back toward the family room, Akane stopped Ranma at the entrance to the Dojo. Pointing above her head, Akane directed his gaze upwards. Ranma saw a small sprig of green and white, and knew that Akane had indeed hung the mistletoe. Grinning at him, Akane cocked an eyebrow and said "You know what you're supposed to do now Ranma?" Returning her grin, Ranma gathered her in his arms and hugged her to him, his lips locking on to hers in a tight grip. Slightly surprised, Akane melted into the kiss, and wrapped her arms around her husband. she thought, never wanting the kiss to end. They stood there for a few moments, enjoying the warmth of each other. She smiled and took his hand, leading him down the hall to the family room. When they returned to the living room, they were awed by the feast Kasumi had prepared. She normally served excellent meals, but this was a Christmas dinner that no one could turn down. Turkey and all the trimmings, full plates as far as the table could hold them. Ranma looked and saw his father and father-in-law eagerly awaiting the meal, chopsticks at the ready. Nabiki was sitting in her usual spot, and she looked up and winked at Ranma as he and Akane took their seats. As dinner was served, the family ate heartily and enjoyed a lively discussion of the Western tradition of Christmas. Soun and Genma related how things were in Japan before Western holidays were even noticed, and the family all had a good time. Ranma enjoyed his dinner, and thanked Kasumi, saying that he was going to have a quick workout before the family began opening presents. After a quick workout, Ranma headed to the Dojo to await the family. He didn't have long to wait, as the family pushed inside the Dojo as soon as the doors were opened. Presents of all shapes and sizes came trundling in, as Kasumi brought the popcorn tree trimmings and the dessert and began to set things up on the table near the tree. Akane immediately went to help, while Ranma watched things happen and tried to stay out of the way. He was startled when he heard a throat clearing behind him, and saw Nabiki standing in the doorway, grinning at him and beckoning him closer. Curious, he went to her. "Hi Nabiki, you're not helping set things up?" he asked. "Not yet Ranma, got a couple of things to do first. Ahem!" she replied, then began pointing up to the upper part of the door. Ranma cast his eyes to where she was pointing, then saw the mistletoe above her. "You don't want to disappoint a family member, do you Ranma? Shouldn't a gallant Samurai kiss a beautiful lady under the mistletoe?" Blushing, Ranma reached over to kiss her, and Nabiki took the opportunity to give him a serious kiss. "Merry Christmas Ranma!" Winking at Ranma, Nabiki thanked him for the kiss, and went to help her sisters. Ranma could only shrug his shoulders, muttering that he would never understand women even if he lived to be as old as Cologne. The evening began a few moments later, as Christmas music played in the background and everyone began to open presents. It seemed that everyone had been generous in their giving this year, and smiles radiated around the room. Ranma received a beautiful hand-knit sweater from Akane (yes, she had learned to knit since the scarf incident!) and noticed that it had little hearts running down the sleeves. Akane seemed to be waiting for something special, and Ranma was teasing her by making her wait for it. Soon, the pile of presents wound down to just a few remaining ones, and Ranma felt it was time to give her the surprise. Gathering the family around the tree, Ranma presented Akane with the gift, but asked her to wait a moment before opening it. "Akane, before you open this present, I have something to say to you. We've only been married a few weeks, but those weeks have been the happiest of my life. I don't have to worry anymore about my other fiancées, because they're gone now. I don't see Kuno spouting poetry and wanting to 'date with thee', and the Dojo is in one piece because crazy Chinese Amazons aren't putting holes in it every other day! I don't have to worry that someone you like as a friend is going to come and steal you away from me. We're both beyond that now, and we've grown together in the last weeks, more than I thought was possible. You asked me a question the other day, remember? You wanted to know when I fell in love with you, and I had a hard time answering it, because the answer was so obvious. I didn't admit it, because I thought it'd make me look weak, but you want to know the real answer? The night Pops and I first arrived at the Dojo, that's when. I was too dumb and angry to realize it, but when we touched, something electric passed between us. I don't know how to explain it, and it's really strange, but it's the honest truth." Akane blushed, remembering that evening all too well. It got started with a bang, and ended with one too, as Akane crashed the table over onna-Ranma's head. They had come so far since that night, hadn't they, she mused. She looked deep into her husband's eyes as he continued. "Anyway, what I want to tell you, is that I could have had my choice of any of the fiancées, as could you. The fact that I didn't, that we didn't, and that we chose each other is the best thing in the whole world! I love you, Akane, and only you...now and forever! Take this as a symbol of my love for you." Ranma handed Akane the box, and she nervously tore the wrapping paper from it. Seeing it was hinged, she rotated it towards her and carefully opened the box. The twinkling lights on the tree reflected on something extremely shiny in the box, and Akane could scarcely breathe as her fingers pulled the chain from the box. There, dangling in the light, was a small gold ring. As she examined it, she saw there were characters on the inside. Holding it to the light, Akane read them. "One...Love...Forever! Oh, Ranma, it's beyond beautiful! I love it! I love YOU!" Akane dropped the box and flung herself at Ranma, locking her lips to hers and kissing him fiercely. They could barely hear the family's claps of support as the emotions washed over them and they hugged and kissed each other. Finally, after a few moments, they heard Nabiki's voice saying "Gee, you two, get a room!" and reluctantly broke apart. Akane passed the chain around the room, giving everyone a chance to see it before she put it around her neck. Nabiki winked at her, telling Akane that she had been a part of the gift, which Akane already knew. The rest of the evening passed by in a blur, as Akane's soaring heart lifted her beyond anything she had ever felt. The celebration finally ended, and the family members padded off to bed, leaving Ranma, Akane and Nabiki to finish the cleaning up. Exhausted, the three sat down on the Dojo floor to talk for a minute. Nabiki looked at her sister, still grinning a goofy smile. "Well, sis, were you truly surprised? Ranma picked this out himself, came up with the phrase, and struck a great bargain with the jeweler. And you'll be happy to know he paid for it himself, not one yen came from me! I did give him some advice on the deal, though, and went with him to ensure he got what he paid for. You should be very proud of him!" Akane smiled at Ranma and Nabiki. "Oh yes, I certainly was surprised! I never expected anything like this, I just love it! This is the ending to the best Christmas ever! Thank you so much for your help Nabiki, I appreciate it a great deal. And thank you, my anata!" As they headed back to their room, Ranma held Akane's hand and squeezed gently, his signal for "I Love You". Akane squeezed back, answering in reply. Wearily, they collapsed into bed, waiting to see what tomorrow would bring. Hope you enjoyed this, my first attempt at a Ranma fanfic. Positive comments may be sent to kyranmafan@yahoo.com, and flames will be fed to Midorigame. Thank you!