++++++++++

Akane sniffed as she wiped away her tears. Why was he always such a jerk?! He was always insensitive and uncaring. She didn't know why she cared so much for that jerk. She had wanted to be more caring to him, more kind so that he may notice her. So that he may admit that he liked her and tell her those three little words she wanted to hear. Why did everything always end up wrong?

[Flashback]

She steamed as she saw Ranma and Meiko walk outside. Her angry expression faded into one of sadness. Glumly changing her clothes she noticed that she had Ranma's bentos. Poor Ranma, she thought. He had given me my bentos and I accidentally took his too. He's probably starving, too. Ignoring the fact that she had been mad at her fiancé a moment ago she set out to find him.

When she finally found him, he was sitting under a tree with Meiko and talking to her. When she got close enough to hear what they were saying, her heart broke.

"She...she deserves it. Besides, she IS an uncute tomboy. Always hitting people with that stupid mallet of hers and getting jealous at everything and anything I d-"

A moment after hearing what he was saying her heart felt like it was breaking into millions of pieces. She felt sadness and then she covered up her hurt feelings with the one emotion that she was good at. The one emotion that she could rely on to hide her hurt. The one emotion that always protected her. She became angry.

"ARGHHH!! RANMA YOU JERK!!" Holding his bentos in her hand tightly she ran away trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

[End Flashback]

Why? She thought morosely. Why Ranma? Why can't you ever be kind to me? Why can't you stop insulting me? I l-l-love you b-but...you keep hurting me. Why?

+++++++++++++

"Ranchan." A female voice called out, it was not Meiko's. "Who is this girl?"

"Airen." Another female voice said with a Chinese accent. "Who girl?"

Meiko blinked as she paused in her eating. Interesting, she thought.

Ranma sighed inwardly. "Hey Ucchan, Shampoo." He smiled hoping in vain that the two would drop the topic of Meiko. One look at their frowns was enough to let him know that they would not drop it. "This is my friend, Meiko Tsuki."

"Nice to meet you." She smiled at them feeling the tension in the air.

Ukyou frowned. "Ranchan, this isn't another fiancee right?" She had said it very sweetly but her actions were quite the opposite. In fact, she was holding her giant spatula very threatening.

"Yes." Shampoo said pretending to polish her two bonboris. "No fiancee right?"

"No! No! No!" He shouted, his hands waving in a warding gesture. "She's just a friend!"

"Fiancee? Another?" She turned to look at him. "Ranchan, are you stringing along these girls?" He seemed like such a nice person and she knew that he couldn't have changed that much over the years. She knew that he was very handsome and probably had dated several girls already but...more than one fiancee?

"Uhh.." Darn, he thought. Shampoo and Ucchan didn't look like they believed that Meiko was just a friend and Mei-chan...she was getting suspicious. Was he stringing along these girls?

++++++++++

Gritting her teeth, she ignored the angry voice in the back of her mind yelling at her to forget about him. 'I can't,' she yelled back. She couldn't just forget about him. No matter how bad he treated her she wouldn't forget about him.

'He's a jerk and you know it. He strung along you and several other girls long enough already. He doesn't love you, if he did then he wouldn't treat you like that. Forget him. He's just a pervert and a big mouth jerk.' The voice was taunting her. Persuading her to give him up. But she wouldn't. Never.

She shook her head. I'm not giving him up yet, she thought. No matter what. The voice in her mind sighed and went quiet.

Akane bit back her pride as she went to find Ranma again. She would give him his bentos even if he treated her like dirt. She wouldn't abandon him even if he didn't love her. Even if he wanted her dead. Even if he loved another.

As soon as she saw Ranma she gasped. Oh no. Shampoo and Ukyou were standing with their weapons drawn, as they demanded to know who Meiko was. They think that Meiko is another fiancee! She doesn't know how to fight though, she thought worried for the blonde girl.

I've got to go help Meiko.

+++++++++

Ranma was in a tight spot between the rock and the ground. Those two just wouldn't listen to him. "I'm telling you. Meiko is just a FRIEND." He wished that someone was here to help him convince them that Meiko wasn't another fiancee.

"He's not lying."

"Huh?" Ukyou turned around at the voice. "Akane?"

Shampoo eyed Akane suspiciously. "Violent girl sure not fiancee?"

"Yes I am." Her voice was slightly irritated. Akane frowned as she walked in-between the two fiancees standing protectively in front of Meiko. "Why don't you guys leave Meiko alone. She's just a friend and she doesn't know how to fight."

Ranma stared at Akane. She was actually helping. He thought that she was going to side with Ucchan and Shampoo but...she didn't.

Ukyou looked apologetic as she smiled slightly at the blonde girl. "Sorry, hon. I'm Ukyou Kounji, Ranma's 'cute' fiancee."

Seeing that Meiko was not a threat to her plan of getting Ranma Shampoo smiled. Not wanting to be ignored she spoke as cutely as she could to Ranma's friend. "Hiya! Shampoo of Joketsuzoku. Shampoo Ranma Airen's wife."

Ukyou glared at the violet haired girl. "What do you mean, wife?! Ranma-honey is mine!"

"Shampoo's!"

"Mine!"

"Shampoo's! Not Ugly Spatula Girl!"

"ARGH!!! WHY YOU-!!!"

Akane dropped her head. "Idiots."

Meiko blinked as the two girls started fighting. She glanced at Ranma, one of her eyebrows raised. "Ranchan would you like to explain to your good old friend just why you have one fiancee and wife?"

"Uh.." First it was 'stringing along these girls' now it's 'fiancee' and 'wife.' How to explain this..hmm.. I know! He hit his fist to his palm as he figured out how to explain his situation. "It was Pop's fault!"

"Ah huh."

Akane smirked. Now this is interesting.

"REALLY!"

++++++++++

As the three teenagers were walking to the Tendo dojo, Ranma's mind wandered back to several hours ago...

"Ranchan."

Ranma paused in his eating as he looked at Meiko. "Yeah?"

Meiko had a thoughtful look on her face as she bit her lower lip slightly. "How should I say this? Hmm...why did you hold back?"

"Huh?" He choked and Meiko frantically slapped him on his back to help him. Coughing a bit he tried to look confused. "What makes you say that? I didn't hold back."

"Saotome Ranma, don't you lie to me."

Gulp. "Uh..." Another glare. "Fine! I admit it! I held back when we were in P.E.! I...I just didn't want you to get embarrassed and I didn't want the girls to blame you for losing."

"I know...thanks, Ranchan." Meiko smiled at him...

He grinned slightly as he thought of how Meiko never seemed to miss anything. Although, he added after a while, sometimes I wish she wasn't so perceptive.

+++++++++

Meiko was happy. She met her long time buddy Ranchan and she made a new friend. Although there was some misunderstanding in the beginning she could tell that Akane-chan was a sweet girl.

Her assumptions were confirmed when she stood up for her and assured Ranchan's other fiancees that she was just a friend. "Akane-chan..I'm glad I have a friend like you."

Akane smiled sweetly. "Me too, Meiko-chan." She thought back to their misunderstanding and frowned inwardly. It's all Ranma's fault. It must be, she thought a bit darkly. Ranma was the one who insulted her. He was the one who was being perverted. He was also the one who saved her too, a small voice said. She ignored the voice.

They stopped. Smiling, Akane opened the gate to her home. Meiko smiled thanking her.

Once inside, Meiko admired the traditional Japanese home. It was quite large and very orderly. There was a garden and a beautiful koi pond. A dojo was attached to the two-story house. "Very nice." She commented and Akane beamed.

"It is, ain't it?" Ranma smiled as he saw how Meiko was reacting to the Tendo home. It was exactly the way he had felt after he had moved in.

Akane took off her shoes and left it by the doorway, Meiko and Ranma following her movements. "Tadaima!" She yelled out happily.

Meiko smiled at Akane's actions. It was nice how she had someone to meet her at home...too bad her family was so far away...

A young lady, several years older than her, walked in smiling brightly. She was wearing a yellow dress with a white apron on. Her long brown hair was tied with a bow and there was something about her that just made her feel calm. She sure has a strong calm aura, Meiko thought.

"Welcome back, Akane-chan, Ranma-kun. Oh my, we have a guest." The brunette turned to look at her smiling in greeting. "Nice to meet you, I am Kasumi Tendo and you must be Tsuki-san?"

Meiko nodded. "Yes, but please just call me Meiko, Kasumi-san." Nabiki must have told her sister she thought.

Kasumi nodded. "Would you like me to show you your room, Meiko?"

"Yes, would you?"

Kasumi and Meiko left Akane and Ranma as they went up the stairs to the guestroom.

Ranma glanced at Akane nervously. "Akane?"

She turned to look at him. "Yes?" She wondered just what he wanted to tell her. She hoped that he wasn't going to insult her more. Her heart couldn't handle anymore of them.

"I'm..uh..I-I..." He looked at his hands. Taking a deep breath he blurted out. "I'msorry!"

The youngest Tendo girl smiled. "Forgiven." It must have been hard on him, she thought. She was glad that he hadn't insulted her. The little wounds that his insults made in her heart started to mend and heal. Maybe..just maybe..they could be together.

+++++++++

Oblivious to the exchange below, Kasumi walked ahead to show thier guest her room.

Meiko glanced at the rooms in the hallway and saw that there was a duck nameplate on three of the doors. They had the three Tendo girls' names.

One door had a panda and horse plate. She smiled as she saw that it read, 'Ranma and the Panda, although she did not know why they had written the panda. How odd.

They stopped in front of a door without a nameplate. It was next to the Saotomes' room and across from the bathroom.

As they entered the room she noticed that it was very bare. Definitely needs some decorating she thought. Other than a desk, a drawer, and a twin size bed inside of the room, there was nothing else.

"We can go shopping together tomorrow for some things you would like in your bedroom, Meiko-chan."

Kasumi's voice snapped her out her reverie. Smiling she nodded. "Thanks."

The eldest Tendo girl stared at the window by her bed and gasped slightly. "Oh, my. I need to get dinner ready now."

Meiko's face got excited. "If you don't mind, Kasumi, but can I help?" It had been a while since she had the opportunity to cook. Darn them, she thought, if it weren't for them always interjecting about me getting hurt then I wouldn't have to stay away from cooking.

Kasumi smiled. "Of course I don't mind, Meiko-chan. I'm actually glad that you would help since I am quite late."

"It's really all my pleasure."

+++++++++

Two middle-aged men entered the Tendo dojo walking into the living room. Sitting down on opposite ends of a shogi board the two sighed in content. One of the men wore a brown gi and had long hair up to his shoulders. Setting up the pieces to their game he commented to his bald and quite overweight companion, "So, Saotome. What should we do about Akane-chan and Ranma?"

Genma Saotome, his baldness covered with a white bandanna, answered not looking up from his work arranging the shogi pieces, "Like we always do, Tendo. We get the two married."

"Ah, yes. Of course!" Soun laughed as the two began to play.

Kasumi, hearing her father and Uncle Saotome return from their walk, entered the room to hand them a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Kasumi-chan." Soun smiled at his eldest daughter. She was so much like her mother.

"You're welcome father." She said, sighing slightly as her father started bursting into tears. He always did that when he thought about mother.

"Yes, thank you Kasumi." Genma commented while sipping his cup of tea.

Kasumi nodded.

Soun remembered the pair of shoes outside of his home and quickly turned to ask his daughter about it. "Kasumi, there is a pair of shoes outside that I swear do not belong to either Akane or Nabiki. Who's is it?"

"Oh, father. It is Meiko-chan's. She is the guest Nabiki talked about." Kasumi answered cheerfully.

"Ah, yes." He said, looking thoughtful.

"Meiko?" Genma mumbled. Musing outloud he said, "I wonder where have I heard that name? It sounds familiar..hmm.."

"It should, Uncle Saotome."

Genma blinked. That wasn't Kasumi's voice. He turned his head sharply to the person slightly behind Kasumi. It was a blonde girl wearing the Furinkan High's uniform.

"Huh?"

Meiko frowned. "I'm disappointed that you don't remember me, Uncle Saotome."

Genma stared at her as he went through his memories. Meiko, Meiko, hmm... "Ah huh! I remember now!"

Meiko and, surprisingly, Kasumi sighed. About time they both thought.

Soun frowned through the whole exchange. Out of experience something bothered him about what the conversation was going. He thought back at what happened during the past year and mentally went over a list.

New girl, check.

New beautiful girl, check.

New beautiful girl that Saotome knows, check.

New beautiful girl knows Saotome means she knows Ranma, check.

Beautiful girl and Ranma equals...

Soun growled. "Saotome..."

Genma shivered slightly as he cautiously turned to face his friend. "Yes?"

"She better not be who I think she is..." His voice started to sound threatening.

Genma (unknowingly acting much like his son) started moving his hands in a warding gesture. "NO! NO! It's not what you think! She's NOT a fiancee!" Genma yelled. And this time, he added silently, I'm sure about it too.

"Oh, okay!" Soun smiled brightly as he resumed staring at the shogi board.

Genma sighed in relief.

"Phew."

He snapped his head and found that during the commotion his son and Akane had came into the room wondering what was going on.

Ranma smiled. "That's nice to hear." Somehow, his heart was just a bit, just a BIT disappointed that his father hadn't goofed off for once.

Akane stared at her fiancé happiness clear in her eyes. His words had renewed hope that she never knew could come back.

His very same words broke another's heart although the certain person refused to acknowledge what her heart felt. She pushed it in the back of her mind.

"I'm sure that Uncle Saotome wouldn't have engaged us, Ranchan." Meiko commented.

"Maybe, yeah." He agreed.

Genma looked slightly indignant. "Of course not! I know it and it's a fact. I didn't try to engage you to Meiko."

Genma started to do a ritual that his son did very often. Open mouth, stick foot in.

"Especially after her father threatened to send his men after me when I asked him what he thought. Man is Meiko's father scary!"

Meiko glared at the man before her. How could he? She thought back to what Ranchan had told her. He had told her about how Uncle Saotome had tricked him and ruined Ukyou's life. How he had abandoned her after taking her dowry. How he had been, even indirectly, the cause of Shampoo's engagement with him.

Another thought struck her. Would Uncle Saotome have abandoned her after taking her from her father?

The others were busy staring at Genma in various emotions to see what was happening to Meiko. Her eyes flashed as she felt something well up in her.

No! She screamed in her mind. She couldn't do that. No..but she was so mad at Uncle Saotome! She didn't want to but- Her expression calmed down as she saw how Akane-chan was reacting.

Perfect.

Akane was glowing a dangerous red as she growled. Uncle Saotome was such a jerk! She reached into her hammerspace as her hands grasped her trusty mallet.

Pulling it out she was about to slam it onto her father's friend's face when someone stopped her, well not really.

"Akane."

She turned to look at Meiko.

Meiko was smiling a bit less pleasantly then what she saw at school. "Would you mind if I..?"

She was about to ask what when she realized what Meiko was indicating. She nodded, smirking evilly. "Sure."

Ranma smiled as the two girls both raised two vicious looking mallets in the air. Kasumi and Soun moved away while Genma was still oblivious to his current danger.

Ranma held up three fingers with the girls focused on them. Bringing one finger down one by one he was silently counting for the girls. When there was no fingers left he jumped aside to observe the most amusing show he was ever going to see.

"UNCLE GENMA NO BAKA!!!"

"PANDA NO BAKA!!!"

Two stimulus shouts rang through the neighborhood as two sounds of wood hitting flesh resounded shortly afterwards.

Meiko idly thought about asking Akane-chan what she meant by Panda no Baka.

+++++++++

The next day... (Which was a Sunday..)

"Thanks, Ranchan. It was nice of you to take me to that restaurant. The food was delicious!"

Ranma blushed slightly at Meiko's compliment. "Yeah, it was nothing."

Meiko smiled. Ranchan was a sweet guy even though he was rough in the edges. Still he had volunteered to show her around the town and even bought her lunch. From the expression Nabiki showed at the prospect of him paying, she figured that it was quite an honor.

Still...that look she gave them afterwards was kind of suspicious.

+++++++++++

Ryouga growled as he walked down the streets of yet another unfamiliar town. Damn him, Saotome. It was all his fault! He's probably cheating on Akane-san right now or even taking advantage of her!

Don't worry Akane-san, he thought to himself. I'll get revenge for you and for my sufferings!

"Blast it! Where is the Tendo Dojo?" He glanced around looking for a familiar landmark.

His dark brown eyes landed on two figures walking down the street across from him. It was Ranma and an unfamiliar girl.

That Casanova!

+++++++++++

Ranma was walking down the street when his danger sense flared...

"RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!!!"

..and then dropped. "Ryouga no baka."

"Huh?" Meiko jumped as she turned to see a boy wearing a yellow and brown outfit fighting Ranma.

They exchanged blows and it was obvious that Ranma was the stronger of the two. Her eyes widened as the concrete under them started cracking and the surrounding area rapidly becoming a war zone.

When the boy started glowing green and throwing energy blasts she knew that this was no normal person. She was surprised when Ranma had also started glowing and counter attacking all of the boy's moves.

"Ah!" She dropped to the ground as a stray blast flew above her. Oh my god! she thought.

Ranma growled as he paused in his fighting. "Ryouga you idiot! Look where you are throwing those damn things!"

"You dare call me an idiot?! Ranma you fiend. Die!" Their fight continued.

Meiko blinked as Ranma just rolled his eyes.

"Ranchan...where did that boy go?"

"It's nothing, he just got lost."

"Oh..."

++++++++++

When the two got home Meiko finally realized why Nabiki had looked at them evilly when they left.

"Ranchan! I figured that you were hungry so I brought over some okanomiyaki!"

"No! Airen eat Shampoo's ramen!"

"He is not!"

"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!! Ranma-sama! Come here!"

The two girls stopped fighting to glare at the crazy gymnast. Barking out in unison they shouted, "He is not going anywhere with you!!!"

"Saotome, you fiend! How dare you corrupt the mind of the fair Akane? I shall smite you immediately!"

"Son in law, it is about time you came back to China with us and be Shampoo's husband."

"You old mummy! Shampoo is my wife!"

*WHAM!* The girl snorted. "Shampoo not Stupid Mousse's wife!"

Akane growled as Kuno started to get hentai with her. "BUZZ OFF!!"

The wall crashed as a figure stepped in. "RANMA, you coward! There you are! Come here and fight man to man with me! This is for cheating on Akane-san!"

Ranma groaned. "This can not be happening to me."

Meiko stared at the chaos in front of her. Three girls were fighting to get to Ranma while Akane was keeping some Kendo boy away from her. The very same boy that had just attacked Ranma hours ago was attacking him again. A new Chinese boy wearing thick glasses was unconscious due to Shampoo hitting him unconscious. A very old woman was cackling *shiver* as she watched amused.

One thought crossed her mind.

Ranchan sure has an interesting life.

End Chapter Two.