Darkness settled over us like a groping hand, warm and clammy. I sat on the cool concrete of the roof, leaning back against a wall, my legs slightly spread, knees bent. I gazed tiredly at my gun dangling between my knees from one hand

"I don't think I can ever forgive you, Akane." Ranma's voice speared out of the velvet gloom like an icy harpoon aimed at my center.

The muscles of my heart clenched, then expanded, forcing blood to the extremities of my body, yet every part of me felt numb.

Ranma's voice continued to emerge from the long shadow against the opposite wall, terse and clipped.

"Can you tell me anytime when I wasn't there for you?" he demanded. "Whether I wanted to be or not?" I could make out his outline now, hunched over and angry. "Huh? Can you name one? Didn't I spend two years just saving your butt from one thing after the other?? And then you thought I couldn't take care of KUNO, for cryin' out loud!"

Ranma unfolded like clumsy origami, in stiff movements. My heart was thudding now, trying to warm my flesh turned to ice. I couldn't hear over the pounding in my ears.

Guilt held me motionless, letting his words beat against me, relishing the misery. The same pride that had made me test Ranma's love again and again stopped my tears from forming, wouldn't allow me relief in even this small way. What do you deserve, I asked myself. The void within me answered with silence.

Finally, he stood in front of me.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" he demanded.

I stared at him mutely. What could I say, really?

"Akane," he gritted out. "Thinking about this right now is driving me crazy, and you need me just a little sane to keep your faithless* hide in one piece." He leapt onto the parapet of the roof, and disappeared again into dimness.

All the arguments I had put together over the years had disappeared in the face of Ranma's fury. Why hadn't I trusted him enough, I asked myself for the millionth time. Too much pride in myself had brought me to this pass, I decided and shivered as regrets resettled on my back like the tattered layers of a well-worn cloak.

Years of practice helped me tamp down the emotions and endlessly cycling thoughts, and I pretended to myself that he wasn't at the other end of the roof, cursing me to the gods. His reaction was actually worse than I'd hoped for, but better than I'd feared.

This is just the first dance between you and me, Ranma, I decided. It was no accident that we had met up again. It had to be fate. I'll make it up to you, Ranma, I vowed. When this is over.......

We'll dance again.

*****

I lay on my back, staring at the stars above me but images from the past obscured their blue light. I was so furious that I wanted to gouge my fingers into the concrete below me and crumble it into gray dust.

Akane still sat against the wall at the far end, but I could hear her breathing and she was asleep. I couldn't believe it. How could she sleep after I'd ranted and raved like a madman? I'd wanted to shake her so badly, grip her until my fingers left bruises on her arms. Her explanation had only blown the long dormant embers of my rage to life.

Although most of me had howled at Akane's treachery, I suppose a part of me had hoped that Akane's explanation would be some fantastic, logical thing, like in the movies, where everything fell into place. I snorted in self- mockery. I should have known that of all things, Akane's explanation would turn out to be Akane just.......acting like Akane. Hell bent on proving herself and stubborn as all get out about it.

Then she had raised those large, chocolate eyes to me, and I'd deflated slightly. What was the use? I never wanted to touch her again. I wanted to keep her under lock and key. No, I wanted to.............The embers stirred again, the fire grew hotter, and I flexed my hands, trying to decide between beating her and pulling her up against a wall and reminding her that she was mine in the most elemental way I could devise.

Akane bent her back slightly, and stood up. What was she doing? She stood facing, not me, but a point in the distance. I followed her gaze and looked over my shoulder. All I could see was the shine of the Huangpu River and the skyscrapers clustered thickly.

Akane began to walk towards the parapet, her eyes still trained on something I couldn't see. Her breathing remained steady, which confused me. Obviously, whatever she was looking at wasn't very frightening. What was I missing?

"Akane?" I asked. I stood and began to approach her. "Akane what are you looking at?"

She continued to get closer to the parapet, and I unconsciously speeded up slightly. She had reached the edge now, and the waist high wall had stopped her progress. She raised one slim arm and pointed. Her arm was a pale blurry length in the darkness, and following its line still got me no closer to enlightenment.

She murmured something, and began to climb the parapet. Light from a nearby building bathed her face and I inhaled in surprise. She was still asleep.

"Akane!" I sprinted forward.

She stood perfectly balanced on the wall, her slim, bare legs poised on the balls of her feet, raising her arm to point again. Then she stepped off the edge. I jumped. I scooped her out of mid air, and allowed myself to land on the stone hood of a window, then leapt back up to the wall and onto the roof, Akane still in my arms.

She hadn't screamed. I looked at her, and she was fast asleep, still breathing softly and steadily. Bitterness invaded my thoughts. Akane safe and sound, me wide-eyed and out of breath. Ain't that always the way, I grumped silently.

I ignored the little voice that asked- Would you have it any other way?

*****

I placed Akane on the ground and shook her gently. She came awake instantly, and stared at me with sleepy surprise and then dawning suspicion.

"Akane," I said, " You were sleepwalking."

"What?" she exclaimed. "Ranma, what are you talking about?"

"Were you dreaming just now?" I asked. She nodded slowly. "What did you dream about?"

"The diamond," she said. Her eyes widened, and I could see the exact moment when she remembered it was gone, but then she turned to look at the spot she'd been staring at while asleep. "I dreamt that I was looking for it, and it was........calling me. It.......it.....wanted me to come to it. I......I was getting close....." Akane clutched my shirt. "Ranma! The diamond really is cursed!!"

Tbc..

Soooo, you guys are still reading! Thanks lots n' lots for the reviews!! :) I really hate it when a fic stays on the shelf for years and years (ex Tiger's Claw....sob sob, what a cool fic that is....I REALLY want to read another chapter....) Anyways, I do plan on finishing this fic, but having loads of courses this semester, I'm going to try for a max of 1 or 2 chapters every weekend.

Being the weekend now, I had time to upload another chapter...I want to try to make these chapters longer...will try with the next one.

*faithless- used instead of unfaithful to imply that Akane had no faith, as opposed to being unfaithful.