Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma and Co. and there are many aspects in this story that belongs to the series Gods of Honour. Some of the aspects also belong to Anywhere but Here.

Chapter Six: Merry Christmas!

+++++

"I don't need protection." She told him darkly.

He smirked at her. "You're gonna need it."

She bristled slightly. "I doubt it." Ryo just shrugged as the dragon transformed into a handsome silver-haired man.

"RYO!" The man in question turned to the dragon-man. "What now? I'm tired of your womanizing ways and I don't want to have anything to do with you. So why don't you just swim back into the ocean?"

The dragon-man growled. "I'M tired of you interfering! You are a disrespectful weakling who doesn't know royalty when one is standing right in front of you!" The prince stepped forward advancing towards Ryo when a shoe hit him in the head. "Who?!" He yelled indignant. Both Ryo and the prince glanced at the source of the 'disrespectful offense.'

"Me." Ryo blinked as he saw Reiko, now no longer standing behind him, with an irritated visage and her right hand raised.

The dragon prince bit back his automatic response as he took in the beauty before him. "And who are you my beautiful goddess?"

Reiko shook in anger as Ryo growled. The womanizing pervert is at it again! Before he could do anything Reiko stepped forward.

"You were the one who almost blasted me huh? You have no sense of responsibility for those who could have gotten hurt!" The pervert wasn't even listening to her. He was ogling her! "..." She steamed. "DIE!"

Ryo stared in shock as Reiko plummeled the dragon and raised her hand to throw an energy blast at him. "Don't let me see the either of you again or I will be sure to blast the two of you without a moment of hesitation." The furious redhead then jumped on the nearest roof and hopped away. Literally. Before Ryo could ask for her name she had disappeared.

"Odd." He said quietly before turning around and disappearing into thin air. Literally.

++++++

"It can't be." A beautiful woman said quietly as she observed the one sided fight Reiko had with the dragon prince. "Can it?"

"She is her." The woman snapped her head to face her male companion.

"How?"

"I don't know."

"How do you know?" She asked urgently. He pointed behind her. She turned and nodded her head.

The evidence was a white marble statue of a beautiful goddess who disappeared thousands of years ago. The face on the statue was that of a smiling Reiko.

++++++++

"Reiko." She looked up from inspecting Ling Ling's paperwork.

"Yeah boss?"

He coughed slightly and shuffled for a bit. This was going to be hard. "I've hired another employee." She nodded her head shrugging. Here came the hard part. "And his job is to be your bodyguard."

Several minutes of silence and then a barely controlled angry voice, "W.h.a.t?"

He gulped. "Well, Reiko you have only girls under your wing and they are all pretty. Someday or later some of our clients may make a move on you girls. It would be safer to have someone protect you girls."

Reiko stepped up to him. "Are you saying that I, the strongest fighter in all of Japan, need a bodyguard?" He shivered slightly at her icy tone.

"No, no. I'm just saying that it's better to be safe than sorry."

She nodded her head reluctantly. "So where is Bodyguard-san?"

"Sakazi-san, come in please." She turned her head and frowned immediately.

"You." Her new bodyguard turned out to be the man, Ryo Sazaki, which she met a week ago.

"He's so gorgeous!" All her female co-workers nodded their heads in unison while the male half fumed.

She heard someone whisper not-so-quietly, "Now that's what I call buns of steel!" Her cheeks got slightly red, from both anger and embarrassment.

"Girls." She snapped softly. They all quieted.

"Sazaki-san." She said stiffly. He brushed aside her glare as he grinned handsomely at her.

"It's Reiko. Reiko Sakura, isn't it?" She nodded her head. "Beautiful name." She frowned as all the other females sighed.

"He fancies Reiko." A female said.

"Who wouldn't?" Another replied.

"Brave though he is, flirting with Reiko like that." A male said with awe clear in his tone.

"No kidding."

Her left eyebrow twitched again as she turned to stomp (elegantly) into her office. Ryo just grinned. "Hey, do any of you know a place where I can live? I've been staying at the hotel this past week."

Alex grinned. "You can stay at my place!"

He smiled. "Thanks."

Suddenly Alex felt a slight shiver go up her spine as Reiko's icy voice asked her, "What do you think you are doing letting him stay at MY home, AYUMI?"

Alex frowned. "My name isn't Ayumi! It's Alex."

Reiko dropped her icy tone as she questioned her friend confused, "What is wrong with your Japanese name?"

"It's not cool! It makes me sound... not me with the name Ayumi."

"Oh." Her icy tone returned. "He's a lecher! Of all the people to let live in MY house you let the LETCHER live in it!"

Ryo frowned indignant. "Hey!"

Alex smirked. "He's a flirter." She pouted. "Besides I need the protection when you are away."

Reiko frowned. "But he's a lecher."

"Flirter, he seems nice." Reiko's frown deepened.

"Fine."

"YATTA!" The redhead sighed.

+++++++

Reiko frowned. "Fine, I admit it. He's been... helpful with the 'well-behaved' clients."

Alex smirked. "Hah! Told ya!"

+++ Flashback 1 +++

"So Mikado-san, is this menu fine for your party?" Reiko asked her client showing him the menu for his party.

He nodded his head while his lecherous eyes ogled her body. Her fake smile cracked slightly along with her female co-workers' as one of his hands began to stray towards her thigh.

She was about to slam the menu on his head and break his hand when a hand stopped the lecher's.

"Mikado-san," Ryo's falsely cheerful voice started, "looks like I found your directionally challenged hand before it got too lost."

Mikado nodded his head while all present snickered none too softly.

+++ Flashback 2 +++

"C'mon Reiko, drink at least two of these 'small' glasses of wine!" Said 'small' glasses of wine were two LARGE glasses of wine.

Reiko smiled faintly at the client who was trying to get her drunk. Bastard, was all she thought about him. How could she get out of this situation without blowing the thousand-dollar deal with perverted client?

"No, it's my duty to drink this." The fat man glared at Ryo.

"Why is that?"

Ryo smirked evilly at Reiko. She felt dread overcome her. "She's my girl." Reiko frowned slightly while her co-workers swooned.

Jerk, she thought.

+++ Flashback 3 +++

"Yes, yes. Fifty tables twenty desserts. Okay." Reiko nodded her head as Alex wrote the order down.

In the background several men in black were busy counting the little birdies flying around that Ryo had given them. Ryo smirked as he crushed several arrows drugged with sleeping powder.

Ryo smacked his hands as if dusting off some dirt. "Mission accomplished."

+++ End +++

"Ok, so maybe he was a lot of help." She added reluctantly. Alex still had her 'told ya so' smirk on her face. "Still, he's a jerk."

"If I recall correctly I remember one occasion where you both were jerks."

+++ Flashback +++

"Nice dojo." Ryo commented as he looked around the dojo. Reiko hadn't opened her dojo yet nor did she start accepting students she her dojo was still clean and tidy.

"Thanks, I guess."

"I'm not sure you qualify as a sensei though. You're a uncute, tomboyish, and unskillful martial artist."

She growled. "Why you... perverted, ugly, stupid, weak lecher!"

They both growled in unison and lunged at each other.

Alex sighed as she watched them punch, slap, and pull each other's hair as if they were two five-year-olds having a brawl.

Two hours later...

Her hair in disarray and clothes torn slightly, Reiko breathed heavily from where she sat on top of an equally messy Ryo. "Jerk!" She gasped out. Her insult filled Ryo with renewed energy as he flipped her over and got on top of her with his hands pinning her arms down. "Hah! Uncute tomboy!" He waited for an angry retort from the redhead but didn't get any.

"Huh?" He looked down and saw Reiko sleeping quietly. Ryo snorted and rolled over to lie next to her. Minutes later, a tired Ryo fell asleep and Reiko unconsciously turned on her side to hug his arm.

+++ End +++

"Remind me to never do that again, that was one tiring fight!"

Alex snorted. "Tell me about it. I got tired just watching you guys go at it."

"Reiko." She looked at her boss. "Yeah?"

He smiled. "Christmas is coming up and we are going to have a five star party!"

She grinned. "It'll be fun."

"This time some of the richest and most influential businessmen/women will be present. I trust you all to make the part a world class beauty and dress appropriately?" They all nodded. "Good!"

When he left, excited whispers circulated the office. Alex clasped her hands dreamily. "The richest men will be there! We are all going to definitely dress sexily and look drop dead gorgeous!" All the females nodded, Reiko following uncertainly. She didn't get what the big deal was all about.

"Maybe all of you ladies are going to be sexy at the party but one particular female is just going to look uncute the whole evening. She is going to be dateless and lonely with no one to give her a present on Christmas Eve. Isn't that right, kawaiikune Reiko?"

The office was all quiet as all their co-workers stared at Ryo as if he had a death wish. Ryo smirked arrogantly as he said, "Too bad Reiko, maybe you shouldn't attend. You are way too unsexy to be there."

Reiko growled. "Take that back."

He raised one of his eyebrows. "It's true though. You can't ever be sexy."

"I can."

He smirked. "Then prove it at the Christmas Eve party. If you can be sexy then I'll sacrifice myself by kissing you and being your 'date' for the night."

She frowned. "I don't want a lecher like you smooching me."

His smirk widened. "Ah... excuses, excuses, huh Reiko? If you can't do it then just say you can't."

"Fine, your bet is on." His smirk widened even more, as impossible as it may seem. As soon as she saw his expression she mentally slapped her head. She fell for it again!

+++ Christmas Eve +++

Ryo stifled a yawn as he stood by the refreshment stand waiting for a 'sexy' Reiko to appear. The party had started an hour ago. He grumbled softly. "Where is Reiko? Is she too ashamed to attend?"

"I don't think so."

"Huh?" He looked at Alex confused. The green-haired girl just smirked and pointed at the entrance. He turned to look and his mouth fell open.

Several men whistled while others just plain stared gaping at the sexy woman- no 'goddess' who had just arrived at the no longer boring party. Several weak-hearted men fainted and numerous developed nosebleeds.

Said goddess was Reiko. She wore a tight spaghetti strap dress that had two high slits on the side. Her hair had been tied in a high ponytail and as she walked her hair swayed exposing her bare back, telling everyone that her dress was indeed backless. With white high heels, sparkling jewelry, and a tad of good taste make up as a finishing touch, Reiko looked like a fallen goddess.

Reiko sauntered over to the gaping Ryo. In a sultry voice she asked him amused, "Sexy enough for you Ryo-kun?"

Even having seen many beautiful women before didn't prepare him for the sexy Reiko. Combined with her sultry voice he was forced to do something that he had never done before. He developed a nosebleed.

Reiko giggled her laughter sounding like a dozen little bells. How on earth did she change so quickly? Her beauty could not be from this Earth. He closed his eyes and went through all the meditation techniques he knew.

He smiled at her and handed her a small box that he had in his pocket. She blinked at having received a present from Ryo.

"T-thanks." He nodded as she neatly unwrapped it.

Her left eyebrow twitched ever so slightly as she held up a No-more-Wrinkles cream.

Ryo smirked. "Well, I decided you needed all the help you can get with all those billions of wrinkles you have on your face." She was about to throw the cream at him when she noticed something else in the box. It was a white gold ring with a diamond rose. Around her the other women gasped out in unison, "Pretty."

She looked at him and said mildly, "I guess you're forgiven." He smirked and pointed above them. Her eyes widened while all present grinned.

"A-a-a m-m-mistle-t-toe..." She shook her head. "No."

He nodded. "Yes."

"No!"

"Yes, it's time for me to fulfill my other half of the dare."

The words he said on the previous days played over again in her mind. 'Then prove it at the Christmas Eve party. If you can be sexy then I'll sacrifice myself by kissing you and being your 'date' for the night."

"Nononononono..."

All around them her co-workers chanted. "KisskisskissKissKISSKISSKISS!"

She shook her head as Ryo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Her eyes widened as he pressed his lips against hers. Everywhere loud whistles were heard along with the sound of hooting.

Ryo stepped away from the flush Reiko grinning. She hadn't slapped him and called him a pervert yet so he guessed that she was so flustered to mind him having slipped his tongue during their passionate kiss.

The glazed look in her eyes disappeared as her face reddened and she ran out of the room. "Aww..." Sounds of disappointment circulated the room.

"Well?" He blinked turning towards Alex and the other co-workers.

"Huh?"

Alex sighed and pushed him towards the door. "Go after her silly!"

"Oh."

+++++++

Reiko walked dazed back to her home while holding her present from Ryo. She slipped the ring on her hand and blinked as she saw her present for Ryo in her purse. She had been about to give it to him when he had...kissed her. She touched her lips. She could still feel his lips pressed against hers and his tongue entering...that..that..pervert! He had tongued her! She fumed for several minutes before a realization dawned her. This was the first time she had been kissed after..Tomo.. A tear streamed down her cheek. Why? Why...? More tears followed the first as she remembered the fun she had with Tomo last year at Christmas.

As soon as the first tear fell, it started to rain. It was odd. It should have snowed but for some odd reason it rained. Her dress became soaked as it began to rain harder in unison with the strength of her tears. Two blocks from her home, she stopped crying and it stopped raining. It then began to snow.

+++++++

Ryo appeared inside the Sakura home out of thin air. He glanced around the house confused that Reiko hadn't arrived home yet. He opened the front door to wait for her when his eyes widened as his eyes met a freezing and soaked Reiko.

"Reiko!"

He grabbed her when she fainted. He carried her upstairs to her room worried. He was about to change her clothes but decided against it. She wouldn't be happy to see that she had undressed and dressed her. He sighed and set her down upright. He hugged her and gulped at the feel of her body pressed against his body. He steeled himself and kissed her the second time that night. Their bodies glowed red as Reiko's clothes dried. He nodded his head in satisfaction.

He lifted her up and placed her gently on her queen-size bed. He placed her blanket over her gently and was about to step away when her hands grabbed him. "What?!" Surprised he was pulled down on top of her. He struggled but only managed to lie next to her under her comforter.

His struggling ceased when he heard her mumble softly in her sleep, "Don't leave...please..." Ryo blinked and complied. He sighed as he lied next to Reiko. He glanced at her. She sure was cute. He turned his gaze back to the ceiling. His eyes began to droop as he yawned. Soon he was asleep.

Reiko snuggled closer to him, her head resting on his chest. A woman in her forties suddenly appeared grinning mischievously. "Son..that girl is beautiful!" She was glad that she had been invisible and pulled her son down on her hopefully soon-to-be-bride. Such a pretty girl, my son is one lucky man! She laughed childishly and disappeared.

+++ Christmas Day +++

Her eyes fluttered as she woke up. She blinked and turned to her left to stare right into Ryo's dark brown eyes.

"Merry Christmas," Ryo said sleepily.

"..." She stared for a few minutes silent before...

"PERVERT!!!"

Ryo jumped out of the way of Reiko's mallet. He blew her a raspberry before running out of her room. Reiko followed soon after and the two stampeded over the unfortunate Alex holding her presents for them. Her eyes rolled around in circles.

"M..merry....C.christmas..t.to..y..you...too.." She fainted.