Disclaimer:

The characters in this story aren’t mine, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and other publications. I’m only here so I can practice my writing…

I do not own any of the characters and gains no profit from writing this story, so again please don’t sue!

I already have enough problems managing bill payments…

Previously:

Ranma remembers the past as he laid down in the dojo all alone since having a fight with Akane. He remembered the moment where both Akane and he, had finally admitted how much she cared for one another. As they declared their love, a few hearts had been broken. A nameless stranger sheds a tear…

Bold Italics means sounds/signs

Italics means thoughts...

Now on with the show!

He wanted to talk to someone. He wanted to at least take his pain away, to reassure himself that the pain he was feeling was only natural and that Akane and him where not drifting apart. He felt trapped. The reason he was sleeping in the dojo was because he was talking to Ukyo.

Ukyo!

She's happily engaged to Ryoga for crying out loud! But did she try to hear him out? No! She opted in jumping to conclusions instead! And now he was miserable, utterly miserable.

If Akane could have listened to him, she would have known that the phone call was about Ukyo's impending wedding to Ryoga. He was also shocked by the news. He thought for sure she was going to end up with Konatsu but he guessed he was wrong.

Ukyo had told him that she and Ryoga have been secretly dating for at least 2-3 years now. The reason it was kept as a secret was because she didn't want to hurt Konatsu. She owed him too much to hurt him. She was utterly devastated when Ranma chose Akane above her. After the wedding, she left Nerima and moved to Kyoto where Konatsu had followed her to make sure that she was alright.

Konatsu helped her to get back on her feet, and picked up the pieces. He was there when she cried her eyes out, and a lent his shoulder to cry on. He helped her set-up her business there and had been a great friend, but she also knew Konatsu cared for her more than just a friend. However, Konatsu never pressured her to love him back, he only wished that she would grow to love him not because she needed to. She wished she did care for him as much as he cared for her but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She felt guilty. Then Ryoga came.

While Konatsu was a great comfort to her, he didn't really knew the pain she felt, not like Ryoga. Ryoga knew the way she felt after all he also lost Akane. They had began talking, and shared their own heartaches. They soon began to hang out more often and spent more time with each other. Then before they knew it, they had fallen for each other. Ukyo asked Ryoga to keep their relationship a secret from everyone because she didn't want to hurt Konatsu. He was such a great help and comfort to her that she didn't want to loose him. At first Ryoga became jealous but understood her reason.

A couple of months later, Konatsu had handed his resignation to Ukyo. Ukyo didn't understand why until Konatsu had told her that she knew about him and Ryoga. If it would make her happy, he was willing to leave. Ukyo cried. Konatsu then gave his blessing to Ryoga, gave one last look at Ukyo holding Ryoga's hand and left. Ukyo have never felt so guilty in all her life but Ryoga had helped her through it and now they're engaged.

Ranma was congratulating her and was even teasing her when Akane had entered the room. It was then that he and Akane had a fight. Akane only heard him mention Ukyo's name and she became livid with anger and jealousy. She hadn't been herself lately after loosing Sakura. She was always angry. He guessed he could understand what she was going through, but she also had to understand that he won't always be able to take her anger anymore. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. That was life. Life was never fair, it was cruel. Now he was out in the dojo, his insides tearing him apart.

He really wanted to talk to someone though. He wanted reassurance and peace of mind. It was already 1 in the morning. He knew at least one person who would still be awake or hoping that she was still awake. He was sure that she won't mind talking to him. With that last thought, he decided to head inside the house to get the cordless phone, so he can talk to her in the dojo so he wouldn't disturb Akane. But as he took the phone, he paused. He looked at the stairs and then headed towards his and Akane's room. Almost hypnotically he opened the door to their chambers.

It was pitch black. The only light that emanated the room was from the window where the moonlight shined through. He could see her sleeping silhouette. He wanted to go to her. To put his arms around her, to lay down beside her, to comfort her, but knew he couldn't. They both needed space at the moment. They both need time to heal. There were words spoken earlier that day that was hurtful and spiteful. Words that were inspired in the heat of the moment. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to be with her at the moment. He wasn't even sure if she would want to even speak to him the next day. That thought brought pain to him. Immense pain struck him. His heart constricted.

Why did it end up like this?

How did they end up like this?

When will their troubles ever stop?

With a deep shuddering breath, he closed the door and headed back to the dojo. He really needed to talk to someone. To get everything off his chest before it eats him alive. Upon reaching the dojo, he sat on the futon and stared at the phone on his hands. He stared at phone for some time as if it was a foreign object.

Should he call her?

Would she listen to him?

Would she even be awake?

She had helped his marriage, his and Akane's relationship for years now, but he didn't want to disturb her. She had a life of her own now. She had been a great help to them during Sakura's custody battle. He knew she gave it her all to help Akane gain custody of Sakura but she failed. For once she had failed. She took it badly. She couldn't even look at Akane and him after the court had reached its decision. Still she was there for them.

He was disappointed with Akane. She had lashed out on her. Telling her that she didn't do a good enough job of representing them. She broke down and cried while Akane huffed and walked out of the courtroom. He was about to comfort her when her husband came into the room. He saw her crying and immediately engulfed her in a hug. Ranma could only give her husband an apologetic look. As he followed Akane. He kept his mouth shut since he knew she had taken the decision badly. He knew how hurt she must of felt when she lost Sakura. He didn't know why he wasn't quite affected with the decision though.

He loved the little girl. But he knew that Sakura's family made a mistake of giving her up for adoption. Sakura's mother was sorry for what she did. She had approached Ranma to apologise for causing so much grief. Ranma himself felt sympathetic towards Sakura's biological mother. He knew too well the emptiness of loosing your child. Akane had a miscarriage around 5 years ago. It was then that the doctor had told them that Akane wouldn't be able to conceive a child. It was probably due to the constant chaos that happened during their engagement. Akane didn't take the news very well. She wanted to be a mother. The desire to bring life into the world. That's why Akane was ecstatic when he finally agreed into adopting a child.

Then after a little while they were again happy until Sakura's biological parents wanted her back. He could understand what Akane was feeling. How would you feel when your happiness was snatched away from you? You'd feel devastated as Akane was but Akane didn't want to focus on anything but her pain. That's the reason she left. She didn't, couldn't stand to watch Sakura being held in the arms of her biological mother. She was unable to cope that she had lost Sakura, that she had yet lost another child. She went straight home and locked herself in the room and cried.

Ranma groaned and threw his head back to stop the tears from coming to his eyes. He told himself that he wouldn't cry. Grown men didn't cry. He was still holding the phone. He then leant forward and stared at it on his hand.

He swallowed hard.

He didn't even notice that he had started to shake. He needed to talk to someone. He watched as his fingers dialled the numbers. He absently put the phone in his hear and listened intently as he heard it ring.

His right hand holding the phone, his left arm rested on his knees as his left hand cradled his forehead. He sat there in the dojo in silence, listening as the phone continued to ring. He was about to hang up when he heard someone pick up the line. It was then that he hoped that it was she who picked up the phone. He was glad that she did.

"Hello?" came a tired feminine voice.

Funny how her voice used to bring annoyance and irritation to his ears is now, the same voice that he so desperately needed to hear.

"Nabiki" came his struggled reply.

"Ranma? What's wrong?" came her worried voice.

A simple question but the answer to her question rushed through his head, like a slide show of everything that had gone wrong. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and he broke down. Tears that he fought so hard to keep at bay rushed and broke through.

He cried.

The one thing that he promised himself he wouldn't do. He wasn't a man. No, he was never man enough.

In the other line he could hear Nabiki's worried voice but all he could do was cry.

Author's Note:

Hi everyone… What did you think? Sorry if the story is a bit brief but that's all that I can do for now. Hope you liked it. I'm still working on another 3 chapters for my other stories, so please bear with me…

I felt so sorry for Akane and Ranma… I can't even believe I wrote this… It sounds so cruel… I'm writing as fast as my fingers can type and as fast as my head can carry me…lol… Please review….

Ja Ne