Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin isn't mine. Oh well.

This can be read as a sequel to In the Wolves' Den and Tokio's Wedding, both by omasuoniwabanshi. It also stands alone, so don't worry if you haven't read them. But the other stories are good so go read them next! In the context of those stories, this would take place about ten years later. -Neg

Over the Wall

"Do you think Papa will be home today?" asked Yoshi, kicking a stone off the road into the grass.

"You ask the same dumb question every day!" snapped Tomu. "He said he'd be gone two weeks, and it's barely been one!"

"Actually, it's been ten days." pointed out Yoshi.

"So? It still hasn't been two weeks yet!" The boys continued walking along the road.

"Well, I still want him to come home today," Yoshi pouted, kicking another stone.

Tomu looked at his younger brother with a mischievous glint. "You know, he often comes home much later than he says," he said slyly. Yoshi looked up, his chin starting to quiver just a little. Tomu grinned wickedly.

"He does not!" yelled Yoshi.

"Yes, he does! I'm older so I remember all the other times he's left and sometimes he's really, really late. And then Mama gets all upset and Auntie has to come over and..."

"No! He does not!" Yoshi yelled again, as if just by repeating it wouldn't be true.

"Does too!"

"Does not!" Yoshi was crying now and tried to kick Tomu. "You're just saying that to make me mad!" he sniffled.

"Of course I am! And I made you cry too, you baby!" Tomu crowed, dancing around Yoshi and easily avoiding his kicks.

Yoshi stopped and wiped his nose roughly with his sleeve. "Was Mama really worried?" he asked quietly, staring at the ground.

Tomu turned to look at his younger brother, and his face softened. "You know," he said, "Sometimes Papa comes home early."

Yoshi smiled a little and the two boys started walking again. After a few minutes Yoshi asked, "So, do you think Papa will be home today?"

"Grrr! You're such a pest!" Tomu yelled, cuffing Yoshi on the head. Yoshi laughed and took off running.

"I'll beat you to the gate!" he yelled over his shoulder. Tomu tried to retain his superior composure as befitted the elder son, but then he bolted down the road as well.

He easily passed Yoshi, but then skidded to a halt at the edge of the outer wall around their household compound. He threw his arm out to stop Yoshi. Silently he tipped his head toward the gate further along the wall. It was standing open. Yoshi nodded acknowledgment, his eyes huge now. The gate was never supposed to be left open at their house.

"Do you think it's a robber?" whispered Yoshi.

"Maybe it's an assassin," Tomu answered. Yoshi whimpered a little, but a stern look from his brother silenced him. They backed up around the corner, then headed for a tree they knew grew at the back.

"What are we going to do?" Yoshi whispered.

"We'll protect Mama, that's what," Tomu said grimly.

"But, how?"

"Well, I've got my bokken and you can use a stick," Tomu said, testing a lower limb of the tree.

"But..." Yoshi looked like he was going to cry again.

"Just get up here and I'll help you up the rest of the way! Remember what Papa said about fighting? 'Just lift your sword up high and go forward,' That's all we need to do," Tomu reassured his brother. He hoped it was true for boys as well as men like his father, then concentrated on getting Yoshi up the tree.

Inside the wall, all was quiet as two people relaxed after their exertions in the bath house.

"So was your mission successful?" asked a woman's voice.

"Hmmm, yes. It was. In fact, I'm considering launching another against the stronghold here in this valley..." came a lazy response.

"Not that!" she laughed, "Your work."

"Of course it was! Do you doubt your husband's abilities?"

"Umm..."

A low growl and a large splash could be heard. "Perhaps I need to prove myself with a hands-on demonstration? Again?"

"Eep! Hajime! I just got dried off and you're making me wet!"

"I am, am I? Here, let me help you. Oh my, you do seem to be very wet down here..."

Suddenly, he tensed; someone was outside. Carefully, he crept silently to the corner where his sword was leaning against the wall. As he unsheathed it he saw that Tokio had already put on her robe and picked up a large earthen jug. She crouched in the far corner of the bath house, hidden behind the tub, ready to strike with the jug.

He went to the high window that ran along the top of the bath house and cautiously looked out. There was movement along the back wall where a tree grew on the other side. Silently he cursed himself. He'd noticed the tree had grown over the top of the wall, but hadn't gotten around to having it removed yet. Now it seemed that someone else had noticed it as well.

Moving closer to the door, he continued watching the tree. After some more rustling a leg appeared over the wall, then an arm. After a moment he realized that there was a boy laying on his stomach along the top of the wall. It was one of his boys. He laughed and called softly for Tokio to come to the window. He lifted her onto the bench so she could see out, leaving his hands around her hips much longer than necessary.

Yoshi had attempted to get out of the tree first, but chickened out when he got onto the wall. It seemed to be such a long way down. Now, straddled across the top, he couldn't get any of his limbs to move.

"Go on!" Tomu hissed from the tree. Yoshi shook his head frantically. Tomu reached out and shoved Yoshi's other leg over the wall, leaving him clinging to the top, his legs dangling. His grip slipped and he tumbled into the hedge. Tokio couldn't help but let out a small scream when she saw him fall.

"He's fine. He's not a baby anymore, you know," her husband reassured her.

Sure enough, Yoshi's head popped up over the hedge, looking around anxiously. He called into the tree, "I thought I heard Mama scream! What if the robber has her?"

"Shut UP!" was the only reply as Tomu attempted to disengage his shirt from a branch..

"What do they think they're...," Hajime started, then was interrupted by an elbow in the side.

"Well, if you hadn't scared the wits out of me when I came home I would have remembered to close the gate!" said Tokio in a fierce whisper. "They think something is wrong and you're not home, poor things!"

"But you're so much fun to scare my dear!"

Tomu meanwhile was finally able to leap from the wall, landing somewhat more gracefully. He signaled his brother to duck down, then they began to crawl through the hedge toward the house.

"It seems that tree climbing and wall jumping runs in the family," Hajime remarked dryly. Tokio smirked at him, then squealed when he pinched a delicate part of her anatomy.

Outside, the boys froze, looking at the bath house, then at each other. Tomu grinned and said, "Papa must be home!"

"I bet they're kissing," Yoshi said, his voice filled loathing at even saying that word.

Two pairs of eyes rolled skyward as both boys let out an agonized, "Eewww!" They stood up and began to walk across the yard.

"Well see, I was right after all. He did come home today," Tomu announced smugly.

"You said he'd be late!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not! Anyway, maybe he brought us some of that Western candy again. Hey! Wait up! I thought of it first!"