A/N: Murphy's Law is in full effect, ladies and gentlemen! I was all set to upload this new and revised version of Fortunate Relapse this morning...and then my Internet connection died. *headdesk* I'm taking the chance to upload it now, cause I'm not certain what went wrong this morning, or if it'll happen again today. So, for your reading pleasure, I present, Fortunate Relapse, Version 2.0!! *ducks rotten tomatoes* Yeah, yeah...that was cheesy...

Tell me what you guys think when you're done by way of that nifty review button at the bottom of the page!

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Chapter 1: A Call For Help

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Kousei slumped against the tree trunk, exhausted from his trek to this meeting point. He had had to avoid Bakufu samurai the whole way. If they had found the message he carried…

His life would have been forfeit on the spot. No one would have even questioned why he carried the message. He would have been killed immediately.

Kousei's hand clenched on the small square of paper that contained all the information he had been able to put together on such short notice. It had to reach Katsura-san. It had to reach Kyoto. If it did not, then there was no telling the damage that oversight could cause.

"Kousei-san?"

The hissed voice brought Kousei up and around in a defensive posture before he had even quite realized the voice belonged to his contact.

"What was so urgent? Why are you risking another message so close to the last?"

The man who stepped up to Kousei was nondescript looking. Nothing about his bland features and dull eyes was remarkable enough to stick in anyone's memory. It was why he excelled at smuggling classified documents and messages past the Bakufu.

"Because Katsura-san needs to know of this as soon as possible, Toru. Please, get this to him as fast as possible." Kousei shoved the note at the messenger and spun him half-way around with the force of his motion. The man stumbled a bit before regaining his balance.

"Kousei-san…?"

"They're here in force!" Kousei hissed. "And I don't know why! More are coming in every day! We're about to lose this town as a way-point and Katsura-san needs to know, now!"

"The Bakufu are…" Toru's voice trailed off in horror. Kousei nodded grimly, pushing the man towards Kyoto once more.

"Get him the message."

"What about you? If this town is a lost cause, then you need to get out before they find you."

Kousei shook his head with a grim smile. "I can't leave. If I do, they'll know something is up. They'll know this was a point of interest for the Ishin Shishi. I have to stay."

The messenger regarded the spy seriously for a brief moment, then nodded slowly. "Be careful. If you're caught…"

"No help will reach me in time, if anyone can be spared to come. Not with how far this village is from the capital." Kousei nodded. He'd known that when he'd taken this assignment. "Just go."

Less than a minute later, the small area of forest was empty, only a few broken leaves evidencing the presence of two conspirators.

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Increased presence…can't explain…suspicious activity near village…potentially compromised…advise shifting supply route…no way to tell what the Bakufu knows…

Katsura Kogoro, leader of the Ishin Shishi in Kyoto, sighed as he rubbed at the headache beginning to press against his temples, phrases from the hurried dispatch from one of his more distant agents jumping out at him from the crumpled piece of paper in front of him.

Something must always go wrong, it seems…

But that town Kousei was monitoring wasn't just the most convenient route for supplies to and from the hard-pressed Ishin Shishi both in and out of Kyoto. It was also a vital way-point for information filtered from larger, more important villages in the near area. Villages where it was too dangerous to insert a spy, not with the already active Bakufu presence in those towns.

This needs to be confirmed.

Sitting up a little bit straighter, Katsura began to contemplate just who to send to sort out this latest in a round of problems. The village in question was very close to a certain area of Japan, an area one of his most talented swordsmen was very familiar with…

Well, now. Should he count that a blessing or a curse?

--

Himura Kenshin, formerly Hitokiri Battousai, kept his face carefully blank as he made his way up to the room Katsura-san was using for his brief stay with the main base of operations for the Kyoto Ishin Shishi. It wasn't unusual for Kenshin to be called to meetings with Katsura-san, what was unusual was that this was the second summons in as many days. Surely there could not be another assignment for him so soon?

Kenshin barely hid his wince at the thought. It was entirely too close to how he had viewed missions during his months as the hitokiri.

Another bodyguard assignment, not an assassination. Katsura-san wouldn't do that to me, not after Tomoe…

This time the wince wasn't hidden. But thankfully he had passed beyond the common rooms now and no one saw.

It had barely been two years since Tomoe's death. But the images were still as fresh in Kenshin's mind as they had been in the days following her death.

One hand clenched into a fist and Kenshin scowled at the steps beneath his feet. He forcefully banished the images of blood-stained snow and the faint remembered sent of white plum from his mind. There was no time for such memories right now.

The former hitokiri resumed his steady walk up the stairs and knocked softly but firmly on the door to Katsura's conference room.

"Enter."

Sliding the shoji open, Kenshin entered and bowed politely to his commander. Katsura looked up with a slight smile.

"Himura. I hope you are rested?"

Kenshin kept his reaction to a polite nod as he moved forward to sit seiza in front of him commander, daisho respectfully laid to one side. He respected Katsura-san, and knew he was the only man that could lead the Ishin Shishi to victory in the fight against the Bakufu, but the Ishin commander couldn't always put aside the political niceties he needed for dealing with their often prickly allies. Not even when he was among loyal soldiers for the Ishin cause.

Kenshin had only gotten back from his latest round of body-guarding duty – escorting a rather idiotic arms merchant out of the city into the capable hands of the men who would take him the rest of the way to Hokkaido – very early that morning. And given he never slept well at the best of times and was not often up after the sun…

Well, Kenshin had only gotten a few hours of fitful sleep before the summons had come.

"Good, Himura. I have another assignment for you." Just the barest flicker of worry flitted through Katsura's ki, though no reaction showed on his face. "There has been an increased Bakufu presence in one of the key towns along our supply line to Kyoto."

Along our supply line? Kenshin kept his face calm, but was inwardly confused. This was a matter for the logicians of the Ishin Shishi, not a former hitokiri.

"Our contact has managed to alert us to the increase, and since it is such a vital way-point, I am sending a small force to investigate further. And if necessary, to pull our contact out." Katsura's dark eyes seemed to increase in intensity as he shifted a map on his low desk so Kenshin could see it clearly. "I know you are familiar with the area in question."

Kenshin stared at the circled area on the map, face frozen into his polite mask, not quite able to believe what he was seeing.

That…Shishou's mountain…is an Ishin Shishi waypoint.

A discreet cough caught his attention again, and Kenshin realized some response was expected on his part.

"Yes. I am familiar with this area." He hoped his voice had held steady; with how he felt right now, it was very likely his voice was as shaky as he felt inside.

"I'd like you to accompany this mission, Himura. I've place Hamano Shiro in command, and he knows to be discreet in regards to your knowledge. But it is essential that someone who might know…shortcuts and byways in this area be a part of the mission."

Hamano. Hamano was a good man and a capable commander. He was also one of the only people who would still speak with Kenshin as a comrade and fellow Ishin. Kenshin had known Hamano since he had joined Katsura-san, and respected him nearly as much as he did Ishin leader.

And Hamano also knew Kenshin had been raised in the mountains west of Kyoto.

This may not be such a disaster after all. And if the Bakufu have not made themselves bothersome enough to draw Shishou's attention, we will likely not even cross paths. I can do this.

"Of course, Katsura-san."

"Himura."

Kenshin raised his eyes to meet his commander's steady gaze. The Ishin commander simply regarded his sword for a few moments, and then sighed.

"There will not be any problems?"

"No, Katsura-san." Shishou wouldn't even acknowledge me even if we do cross paths during this mission. At least, he will only do so enough to Ryu Tsui Sen me a few dozen feet closer to the center of the Earth.

"Very well. Hamano has the rest of the information you need. You will leave by noon."

Bowing, Kenshin stood, collected his daisho, and then just as quietly as he had entered, he left.

--

Himura…I am sorry to drag up more unpleasant memories this close to Tomoe-san's death…

Command had only tasted so bitter to Katsura Kogoro once. He shook his head, futilely trying to dispell the image of a gravely wounded and broken-hearted young man kneeling in a cabin that had once held two young people in love.

The winter had once held wonder for the Ishin leader. It had once symbolized for him the rest all living things needed before great change.

No longer.

It now symbolized the results of his greatest mistake; turning a sword of protection into an assassin's blade.

Sleep would be long in coming this night, with Himura's shocked and grieving face floating in his memory, taunting him with the knowledge of how thoroughly he had ruined the young man's life.

--

Several hours later, on the western side of Kyoto, Hamano Shiro tried to contain his impatience as he waited for his team to arrive at their meeting point. A large party of men leaving together from an inn was noticeable. Singly or in pairs, leaving from various restaurants and bars scattered throughout Kyoto, it was much easier to leave in force.

The fact it added nearly a half-hour onto his intended departure time was an unfortunate side affect.

"Hamano-san."

Hamano glanced to his right, and nodded a calm greeting to the slight figure that had appeared from the afternoon shadows lining the side of the road. The former hitokiri was wearing his ever present straw hat, hiding the majority of his flame-red hair from a casual observer's eye.

"I figured you would be the first to arrive, Himura."

There wasn't an answer from the figure that moved closer to Hamano. The older man grinned.

"Still as closed-mouthed as ever, Himura. When're you gonna loosen up some, huh?"

This time Hamano managed to get a slight twitch out of the young man. His grin widened.

"We're going to be running ourselves ragged for the next week or so, Himura. Have some fun while you can," he advised.

"Hamano-san."

The commanding officer just waved off the objection and turned to peruse the road again, trying to spot any more of his men arriving.

"I'm serious, Himura-kun," he said, the bantering tone dropping from his voice. Finding no one else approaching, he turned to regard the former hitokiri straight on. "I know why Katsura-san asked you to accompany us, and I think it's a good idea. If there really are as many Bakufu in the area as Kousei-san's report indicated – which I have no reason to doubt – then having you along to guide us along paths the Bakufu aren't going to know about is a huge asset."

"I gave my word to guide-"

"I'm not questioning your words or your loyalty, Himura-kun. Both are above question. But I also remember what you told me of where you grew up, Himura-kun. Or more specifically, of the man who raised you." Which hadn't been much more than a few sentences from a sad-eyed fourteen-year-old new recruit, but it was enough. Hamano's expression flickered between compassion and apprehension. "Is being so close to your shishou going to be a problem?"

"No, Hamano-san."

Flat, direct, and leaving no opportunity for elaboration. Hamano stifled a groan. Himura was more bothered by the idea of traveling so close to his shishou than he'd thought the young man would be.

"You're not being helpful, Himura-kun. Come on. I need to know about any potential problems we may run into before we encounter them, and your shishou's reaction to your presence is one." Seeing that Himura was still not open to expanding his answer, Hamano played his trump. "I would have thought you'd prefer to discuss this when there isn't any chance of the others overhearing."

The young man shot a glare at Hamano, who stared back at him calmly. Steel blue eyes narrowed and then glanced away, annoyed.

"The Bakufu are being careful not to aggravate the villagers. Shishou will have no reason to care who holds the town. We won't encounter him. It will not be an issue."

"That's good. The more important question is: are you comfortable being so close to him?" Hamano shrugged as a narrowed blue-eyed glare turned his way. "You know as well as I do, Himura-kun, your mind and emotions can be just as deadly opponents as any Bakufu soldier."

And if you're going to be too distracted to focus, I'd rather you stayed in Kyoto, Hamano thought, but did not say aloud.

"There will not be any problems, Hamano-san. I will perform my duties."

From the flat and emotionless delivery of the statement, Hamano knew he'd get no other response out of the younger Ishin. He nodded once in acceptance of Himura's answer, and then resumed his watch for the rest of his men.

No offense, Himura-kun, but I hope you being twitchy about being so close to your shishou is the only problem we have to deal with on this mission. I really hope it is.

Fifteen minutes later, one more of the many groups of travelers that left Kyoto every day started out along the path to the west and one specific village at the base of a particular mountain.