CH 1
Kenshin walked back to the dojo feeling trapped and confused. The police chief had just informed him that a gang of thugs was terrorizing the countryside saying that they were looking for the batosai.
Kenshin wondered if that name would haunt him for the rest of his life. He didn't want those fanatics anywhere near him or his friends. He especially didn't want them near his wife Kaoru, who recently discovered she was pregnant with their first child.
Staring off into space Kenshin walked on, not realizing it when someone moved up beside him and walked next to him for a while.
He did feel the poke on his shoulder though, and when he turned to look he found a young man next to him.
"Hello Kenshin. Are you Alive? You look like a zombie walkin around looking at nothin." the young man looked concernedly at Kenshin.
"Oh, hi Yahiko," Kenshin recognized Kaoru's student, "I'm sorry, I guess I was just lost in my own thoughts, that I was."
Yahiko shrugged his shoulders and winced. Kenshin then noticed that he was moving rather stiffly. "Kaoru giving you a hard time at practice?"
"Huh, I hope Kaoru isn't like this with all her pregnancies cause the way you two look at each other its like you're gonna have ten kids!" Yahiko rolled his eyes.
Kenshin blushed and Yahiko laughed and told him he was only joking. "Well you know," Kenshin said trying to hide a smile, "I've always wanted a big family." He laughed at the stricken look on Yahiko's face.
When they reached the dojo they both went into the kitchen. There they found to their surprise Sano was washing dishes in the sink.
Yahiko couldn't help himself, "Hey Sano, It's really nice of you to offer to do Kaoru's chores for her!"
Sano glared daggers at Yahiko but didn't say anything.
Presently Kaoru herself walked into the kitchen. Yahiko flinched and started to edge toward the door while Sano merely scrubbed harder at the dishes.
"Hey Kenshin," she said cheerfully, "would you do some of the laundry for me?"
"Yes, of course!" was his very prompt reply.
Kaoru catching sight of Yahiko grabbed his arm before he got completely out the door. "Yahiko, as I recall we didn't finish our exercises this morning, I'm free so we can finish now." Kaoru glared at him then let go and left the way she came, her raven hair flying behind her.
Sano turned around and looked at Kenshin, "You brown noser," he accused him.
"Well," Kenshin replied a small smile on his face, "anyone who has been married for more than five seconds knows when to kiss up to their pregnant wife!"
Before Yahiko left to go join Kaoru he looked around for an escape and slumped, knowing Kaoru would find him eventually. "Kenshin," he said, "you married a tyrant, and the baby isn't helping any."
