A Chance Encounter

Thought I would put out a little one shot for you Ranma and Akane lovers.

Sid

Ranma sighed to find out that his plane was going to be delayed. He felt bad enough that he had had to be gone for Christmas and now it looked like he wasn’t going to not make it home for New Years Eve either. He groaned and pulled out his cell phone to call his kids to tell them the bad news. They were disappointed, but promised to cheer to him in his absence while they celebrated the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011. He pulled out his wallet and studied their pictures. At twelve, Aoi was his oldest; she was at the coltish stage where she seemed to be all arms and legs. She had her father’s eyes and her mother’s blonde hair and biting sense of humour. His youngest was Hiro who was ten; Hiro was tall for his age and showed great promise as a martial artist and was the spitting image of Ranma himself at that age.

Ranma felt sad and far away from home, he cursed that he had been called away to his office in New York because one of his client’s insisted on him handling her assignment personally. How Ranma had come to loath the idle rich and film screen divas that made up his client roster, but they were the ones who allowed him to run his dojo in his spare time. He wondered if he should accept fewer assignments, but then reminded himself that children seemed to eat money......and then there were their private school tuitions to consider.

Feeling low, he drifted to the bar. It was your standard airport bar with its dim lights, muzak softly playing and some neon on the walls to promote the image that the travelers were somewhere else other then an airport. He sat down and ordered a beer, his training normally precluded drinking, but he had the occasional drink when he found himself with time on his hands. He contemplated how long the next two hours were going to take.

He was lost in thought when an Asian woman with short dark hair sat beside him as the bar was rather full of weary travelers. He noticed that she wore a yellow business suit with a green blouse under it. He couldn’t repress a grin at how this reminded him of his ex-fiancée Akane, who normally looked like she’d gotten dressed in the dark when not wearing her high school uniform. What crazy colour combination that kid came up with! He found himself thinking about her quite a bit lately; she was one of his biggest regrets in life.

The girl seemed to be having trouble with her cell phone and asked him in Japanese accented English if she could use his. He answered in Japanese that she was welcomed to, his voice died to be looking into those familiar large brown eyes he felt he’d last seen a lifetime ago. “Akane?” he asked. He was thirty now, so that meant she’d be the same age as him. Yet although she had matured as he had, she could easily have passed for twenty.

“Ranma?” she said in surprise and smiled at him. He felt his heart melting like chocolate in the hot sun.

“How have you been?” they both asked at the same time and then laughed.

Akane went first “after I went to University in Toronto, I was offered a job at a law firm and decided to stay there and I’ve been there ever since. However my father isn’t getting any younger and with Nabiki’s help, I’m moving back to Nerima to set up my own practice. I’m setting it up at Dr. Tofu’s old location since he moved to his new clinic after marrying my sister. I guess that sums up my life since last I saw you” she said with a nervous laugh. “How about you?” she asked. He knew she longed to ask what had happened to him because the last time he’d seen her, he’d told her he’d be back. But he hadn’t returned.

“I went on the training trip,” he started and then paused for a breath “I was several towns over when I saved an American and his daughter from being mugged, he was so impressed by my martial arts prowess that he offered me a job in his security firm. He offered to arrange the visas I’d need, pay of the training and certifications and a handsome salary if I would come with him to America. As you know I wasn’t getting along with my father and was getting more then a little sick of the craziness that was our lives were back then. So I thought about it and took him up on his offer and went with him to America. I know I should haven’t have left that way, but I wanted to make my own decisions for once” he explained.

Akane nodded, understanding, that was why she’d chosen to go to Canada for university. “I wish you’d told me” she said in a small voice.

Ranma looked at her “I tried to pick up a phone a million times, but by then there was someone else” he said with a blush. “My boss’s daughter” he explained. “I didn’t mean to fall for her, but she was just so different from all the girls I’d met. She wasn’t into martial arts. She was so sweet, kind and gentle and she listened to what I said”

“And she didn’t jump to conclusions and start pounding on you like I used to. Sorry about that, I had anger management issues back then, which I since have gotten help with. I swear my mallet just disappeared one day never to return” Akane said with an ironic smile. “So you got married? Did you have children?” she asked with forced cheerfulness in her voice as she doodled on her napkin.

“Yes a girl and a boy, here’s their picture” Ranma answered.

“They’re beautiful” she said.

“Did you ever marry?” Ranma asked.

“No, there have been men in my life, but I just never met the right person I guess” Akane said with a shrug.

“So your plane is delayed also?” Ranma asked.

“It’s the stupid fog. Where are you heading to?” Akane inquired.

“Nakano, Tokyo. I opened an office there after I bought out her father and took over the business. I also moved back to Japan to start my own dojo. The head office is still in New York, so I have to commute there sometimes” Ranma explained. “I normally bring my children with me to visit their mother, but we decided they should spend Christmas with my mother this year”

“That’s really close to Nerima” Akane mused. “Wait you and your wife is separated?” she asked.

“Divorced, we had so little in common. We had an amicable divorce and are still friends. We have the holidays all worked out when it comes to joint custody” Ranma explained. “I guess I like my women a little more fiery” he said with a grin that caused Akane to blush. “So does that mean we’re on the same plane together?” Ranma asked.

“Actually I decided to take a mini vacation after all the packing and shipping” she replied and perked up when they announced her flight.

“Oh dear I have to go” she said and handed him some money to pay for her drink.

“Wait, perhaps I can get your phone number and we can get together? I’m sure my kids would love to meet you” he called after her slim back while she hurried away.

“Sorry no time, try calling the dojo” she called after him, hiding a smile in her voice.

Ranma watched her departing figure and felt sad “ships passing in the night” he thought. He didn’t want to call the dojo for fear that all the craziness would start again. He’d purposefully avoided all contact with anyone he knew from back then in case: 1. Former fiancées would try and take retribution on his wife. 2. Former Akane admirers would seek revenge for how he’d treated Akane. Either way he wanted nothing to do with the madness of Nerima with its looney martial artists, except for Akane......and she obviously wanted nothing to do with him. He glanced at her napkin and noticed that she’d scribbled some kanji on it. He picked it up and read it.

“Happy News Years Ranma,

It was a pleasure seeing you again.

You can call me at the following number if you wish to get back in contact with me. I feel that we left many things unsaid and have lots to talk about.

Akane

P.S. I love kids”

Ranma smiled and felt like a new chapter in his life was dawning.

Happy New Years!

Obsidian