Dr. Tofu looked Akane over. "You seem to be healing well. You’ve been resting."
          "Kasumi and Mousse make sure I stay in bed. I’ve been sitting up a little and doing some stretches."
          "Well, at this rate, you should be back on your feet within the week."
          "Really? That’s half the time I expected."
          "Don’t get too excited. I don’t need you having a relapse. You can start walking around any time, but don’t try the stairs just yet." He placed a sheet of paper on the desk. "Have Ranma help you with these exercises."
          "Ranma won’t even look at me. And he can’t touch me." Her voice was as sad as her eyes.
          "Mousse then. And don’t worry about Ranma. He’ll come around."
          "Thank you Dr. Tofu."
          "And tell Nabiki I may have found the rest of the things she’ll need for her experiment."
          "Okay." Akane sighed as he left the room. Life had been so much simpler when all she had was a crush on the man in love with her sister. Fiancées were too much trouble.
          "What did Dr. Tofu say?" Mousse poked his head into the room.
          "I should be going strong by the end of the week."
          "That’s great!" He came into the room and sat at her desk. "What’s this?"
          "They’re exercises for me to do. Do you think you could help me with them?"
          He lowered his glasses to read through the list. He’d only gotten through a couple of lines when he started to blush.
          "What’s wrong?"
          "I think Ranma or one of your sisters should help you with these Akane. They need to be done in the bath."
          "Please Mousse?" She struggled to sit up. "I have to get better. Until I do, Ranma won’t look at me. Nabiki’s at school all day and Kasumi has so much to take care of. Please? We’ll wear bathing suits."
          "I don’t know. I’ve never really been around a girl in a bathing suit without Shampoo around to distract me."
          "Is that what you’re worried about? That you’ll think I’m cute?" Akane blushed. "Compared to Shampoo? I don’t think you have to worry too much about that."
          "You’re quite beautiful Akane."
          "Thank you. But your heart belongs to Shampoo and mine to Ranma. Although," she bit her lower lip. "No. No. Never mind."
          "What?"
          "If they thought…no."
          "You aren’t suggesting they get the wrong idea?"
          "No. Not they. If Ranma found out I was in the bath with you and misunderstood…No. Ranma needs to know the truth. But I don’t see why Shampoo does. Do you?"

          Ranma walked into the house, heading straight for the kitchen. Kasumi handed the kettle to him. "We’re about to start dinner. Would you like to join us?"
          "Is it ramen?"
          "No."
          "Sure." He entered the dining area and sat next to his father. "Thanks for waiting for me Kasumi."
          "Of course Ranma. So, Mousse, what did Dr. Tofu say about Akane?"
          "Well, he said she’s healing very quickly. She should be up and around by the end of the week. She’ll start walking tomorrow."
          Kasumi clapped her hands in excitement. "That’s wonderful. Just in time for my party."
          "We’re going to start some exercises tomorrow. Which I need to talk to everyone about."
          Ranma tried very hard to look like he wasn’t interested, while Nabiki perked up.
          "They are aquatic exercises. Akane has explained to me that she can’t swim and since cold water turns me into a duck, we will need to use the bath."
          "No."
          Everyone looked at Ranma, who looked as surprised as they did that he’d spoken.
          "Why Ranma, don’t you want Akane to get better?" Kasumi’s voice was filled with disappointment.
          "Of course I do, but I don’t think they should be alone in the bath together. What about Pop or Mr. Tendo?"
          "You want to trust them with Akane’s rehabilitation?" Nabiki laughed. "I thought you liked my sister."
          "You could do them, couldn’t you?" Kasumi nodded as though the matter were settled.
          "I can’t. With school and the job and…"
          "Then Mousse it is." Nabiki slapped the table "I’m assuming there will be bathing suits involved, but I’d still be interested in some photos."
          "You would have to talk to Akane." He got up from the table. "I think you for the meal. Please excuse me, I have my own exercises to do."
          Ranma watched him leave, unsure of what to do. Nabiki leaned across the table. "You know Ranma, that’s an awful lot of exposed flesh and skin contact. All that hot water to make temperatures rise…"
          He sprang up from the table and headed for the dojo. He stood in the doorway watching Mousse. He was almost back to his form. "So, thanks for all the help you’ve given Akane."
          "She helped me. Not only heal but stand up to Shampoo. I owe her."
          "You still love Shampoo?"
          "I’ll always love her. But I accept now that I’ll never have her. She is an amazon. I am weak."
          "So you’re just givin’ up?"
          "I think seventeen years of beating my head against a wall is enough, don’t you?"
          "You can’t have Akane. She’s mine." Ranma finally entered the dojo, facing off against the Chinese boy. "I won’t let you take her."
          "You can’t even face her. How long will you make her wait Saotome?"
          "Don’t lay a hand on her."
          "I’m taking care of her. That’s my job."
          "If you do this, I’ll take it as a challenge."
          "And when will you fight it? Between your school and your job and your dates with Shampoo? I never blamed your fiancée situation on you, but now it seems one woman isn’t enough for you." He pulled himself up to his full height. "I will do what is necessary to help Akane get better. If I have to fight you to do it, I will."
          Ranma sighed, "I want her to get better. I do. More than anything."
          "Can you keep a secret Ranma?"           He nodded.
          "She wanted me to make sure that you understand that she wants to get better so that she can challenge you. I’m supposed to tell you that the location wasn’t her choice."
          "Okay."
          "Do you understand Saotome?"
          "I don’t understand why this all happened. I’m gonna go check on the ghoul."
          "Ranma!" Mousse watched him run away. "Damn."

          Nabiki walked into Ucchan’s and sat at the counter. She smiled at Ukyou. "I have a business proposition for you."
          "I don’t do business with you anymore."
          "All right. I have an invitation for you. Kasumi has become obsessed with western traditions, so she’s having a Valentine’s day party. We’d like you to come and if you could help with the food, that would be great."
          "Why should I come? I gave up on Ranma, remember?
          "Because you’re our friend? We don’t invite you to things because you’re Ranma’s fiancée. We invite you because we like you."
          "Ah, Nabiki the humanitarian. I’d forgotten." Ukyou smirked. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?"
          Nabiki set the invitation on the counter. "Don’t come then. I’ll just give Ryouga his and be on my way."
          She walked away from the other girl toward Ryouga who was cleaning a back table. "Hey Nabiki! It says here I can bring a date. Does it matter who it is?"
          "No." She saw Ryouga tense and wondered what was going on.
          "Great. I’ll just go call Kunou then."
          Nabiki was sure her face matched Ryouga’s. He looked devastated. "What’s going on Ryouga?"
          "She thinks that something else went on between Akane and me and refuses to believe otherwise."
          "She’s jealous."
          "Of me?"
          "I think so. She won’t admit it?"
          "She’s still in love with Ranma."
          "I’m not so sure. I think she feels she can’t justify getting over Ranma so quickly, so she acts like she’s just using you."
          "Hey Hibiki! Are you going to do some work here?" Ukyou stood beside the grill, furious.
          "I’ve got to get back to work."
          "Well, here." She handed him the invitation. She leaned close to him, her voice barely a whisper. "I’ll prove it to you." Raising her voice, she smiled at him. "So Ryouga, since Ukyou’s going to the party with Kunou, would you like to go with me?"
          "Uh, ha ha, sure."
          "That’s it!" Ukyou’s spatula rang as she slammed it against the hot grill. "I brought you back here, I fed you and I let you stay in my house. If you want to play around, you do it on your own time."
          Nabiki raised her eyebrows and spoke in whisper again. "Nope, she doesn’t care at all." She squeezed Ryouga’s hand. "See ya this weekend."

          Kunou stared at his phone as though it had sprouted wings. Ukyou Kuonji, one of the foul Saotome’s fiancées had asked him to the Tendo Valentine’s day party. "Sasuke!"
          "Yes Master Kunou?" The ninja stood in the doorway wearing a short pink apron.
          "This Ukyou. What do you know of her?"
          "She has known Saotome since they were very young. She has her own restaurant and lately appears to be dating another young man."
          "Two loves and yet she spurns both for the pleasure of the company of the great Tatewaki Kunou. She is truly a beauty of great taste and style."
          "You accepted Master?" Sasuke asked. "But what of Akane Tendo and the pig-tailed girl? Surely you will be cured by then?"
          "Sasuke, I have many questions I must resolve before I venture near the Tendo household. I feared that only the lively Akane and the vibrant pig-tailed girl…" he paused, gritting his teeth against the burning pain. "would cause me pain, but the subtle Nabiki Tendo has found her way into my heart."
          "Miss Nabiki?"
          "Yes Sasuke. Her betrayal and rejection of me hath endeared her to my most noble heart."
          "Yes Master Kunou." He turned away, thoroughly confused. "So, you are going with Miss Ukyou?"
          "Yes Sasuke. I think I will."

          Ryouga swept the floor of Ucchan’s, ignoring the glares Ukyou was giving him. "I’m finished. Was there anything else?"
          "No." She wiped off the grill and turned off the lights.
          He stood in the darkness, staring at her, lit by the moonlight. "What did I do Ukyou?"
          "You won’t tell me. I know there’s more. I can tell!"
          "Why must there be more?" He slowly made his way over to her. "I care for you."
          "I don’t believe you. We’ve gone out twice and both times you’ve ended up fighting Ranma about how he’s treating Akane."
          "I don’t think she deserves to be hurt anymore, do you?
          "But you’re with me!" She glared at him again.
          He put his hand on her shoulders, staring into her eyes. "I’m sorry Ukyou."
          "And if Akane weren’t bad enough, now you’re going after Nabiki."
          "I’m not! I would never have agreed to go out with her if you hadn’t asked Kunou out."
          "You kissed her last night."
          "She kissed me."
          "That’s just as bad!" She pushed him away. "How can you do this to me?"
          "I thought you were just trying to make Ranma jealous!"
          "That’s right. That’s what I’m doing! And you aren’t doing the job, so I’ll piss him off with Kunou’s help."
          "Fine!" He picked up his pack from it’s space by the door. "I’ll get out of you way then. Good-bye."

          Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo house, wondering what to do. He’d gotten to the café just as Nabiki was delivering the invitations to the party. Naturally the old ghoul and Shampoo had decided that would be an excellent date for him and Shampoo. His luck couldn’t get any worse.
          "So Ranma, how’s it going?"
          "P-chan."
          "Must you call me that?" Ryouga sat down next to him. "How’s Akane?"
          "How’s Ukyou?"
          "She kicked me out. She doesn’t believe that nothing happened between me and Akane."
          "Something did happen."
          "And would you like me to explain what that was to her?"
          "No, of course not. I’m sorry." He stared at the moon. "Did you really like her?"
          "Yeah. I did."
          Ranma’s fists clenched. "All over Akane?"
          "I’ll never be over Akane. She’s my first love. But Ukyou cared for me. She made me forget Akane for a little while."
          "So now what will you do?"
          "Well, I have to be here for the party, so I was hoping I could crash here."
          "Here? With Akane?" Ranma laughed maniacally. "You’ve got to be kidding. It’s bad enough Mousse has his hands all over her, I’m not about to give you another shot."
          "Mousse? I give her up for you and you let someone else touch her?" Ryouga felt his anger and depression come to a head. "Ranma! Prepare to die!"
          Ranma jumped down to the backyard, ready to fight. "All right! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!"

          Ranma-chan pulled P-chan from the koi pond and set him down on a rock. "Thanks Ryouga. I needed that."
          "Are you two quite finished?" Nabiki stood on the back porch, her hands on her hips. "You realize what time it is?"
          "Sorry Nabiki." Ranma-chan picked up the piglet and walked toward the house.
          "Hey Ryouga, you didn’t come to call off our date, did you?"
          "Date? Ryouga, you sly dog." Ranma-chan laughed. "Making Kunou jealous Nabiki?"
          "He’s going with Ukyou."
          "Boy, you two really managed to get mixed up, didn’t you?"
          Nabiki laughed. "And who are you going with, Ranma?"
          "You know who I’m going with."
                    "Who?" Akane stood in the doorway of her bedroom leaning on Mousse.
          His eyes swept over her. The bruises had almost faded. Her blue-black hair was tousled with sleep and she looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. She was wearing her favorite pajamas, and he had the overwhelming urge to curl up beside her. Even Ryouga seemed to sigh. He tried not to notice how she leaned on Mousse’s bare chest so casually or that the Chinese boy was dressed only in his black silk pants. "What?"
          "Who are you going to the party with?" Her hazel eyes were filled with hope. She’d be fully healed by then.
          Ranma hated himself. "Shampoo."
          "I see." The hope died in her eyes. She hung her head. "Ranma! You jerk!" She pulled the mallet from it’s hyper-dimensional pocket and swung it viciously.
          "Akane NO!" Nabiki grabbed Ranma-chan and pulled the redhead out of the way just in time.
          Akane collapsed to the floor, tears running unbidden down her cheeks. "Damn you, damn you," she whispered.
          Nabiki knelt by her sister, "Ssh, it’s okay Akane. Nobody got hurt."
          Akane stared directly at her fiancé. "No Nabiki. You’re wrong." She turned to Mousse. "Can you help me?"
          He refused to look at Ranma as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to bed.

          Ryouga sat in the bath across from Ranma. He hadn’t said a word since he’d left Akane’s room. Akane. He couldn’t help but think about her. Of all the places for Ranma to want to relax and think.
          "What are you thinking about Hibiki?"
          "I’d really rather not say."
          "She’d be better off with you. Or Mousse. Or anybody."
          "But she wouldn’t be happy."
          "You seemed to make her pretty happy."
          "There’s a lot more to it than that."           "Ryouga Hibiki, relationship expert? C’mon man, you can barely talk to girls."
          "I’m a little more self-confident these days."
          "What am I gonna do?"
          "Get out of the date with Shampoo and take Akane?"
          The bathroom door slid open and Mousse sat on the side of the tub. "She’s asleep."
          "This is so messed up." Ryouga got out of the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. "I just want to be with Ukyou."
          "And I miss Shampoo."
          "Well, I can’t even go near Akane. If that mallet had connected….whoo! I don’t even want to think about it." Ranma got out also. "All I can say is that both of you better stay the hell away from her too. And P-chan?"
          Ryouga narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"
          "Stay the hell out of her bed."