Life Goes On
Prologue
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
It was a beautiful spring morning, Sanosuke thought as he whistled on his way home. He had been away for two weeks. It has been far too long to be away from his family, especially his wife. As he saw his house on the horizon Sano picked up his pace. Surely the fox would be there waiting, eagerly anticipating his arrival. Sano slid the door open and said with a big grin, "Fox lady, I'm home!"
Out of seemingly nowhere, a pan swung upon his head. Sano staggered back and fell onto his backside. He looked up and saw the fox looking down at him in absolute fury.
"Ow! Megumi what the hell was that for!" Sano yelled, rubbing his head.
Megumi was beyond furious, "You! You left the house in utter disarray! Don't tell me that you didn't have enough time! I told you the house needed to be clean before I left that the morning. Kenshin told me that you didn't get orders to go off until early evening, which gave you ten good hours to get the job done!"
Sano got up, rubbing his poor skull, "Aww, fox, don't be mad. I'll make it up to you. I promise." Sano slid his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace.
Megumi would not have it. She shrugged him off, "You're not getting out this so easily, Sano!"
"Damn it, fox! I haven't seen you in two weeks! Can't a man touch his own wife?"
Megumi stared at him. Despite her anger, she really did miss him. No, she had to stick to it. He can't get away with this. But Sano did look remorseful and it did feel good to be in his arms. She could imagine kissing him...
"I have to go!" Megumi blurted out.
"Huh? Where? Wait, fox!" Sano watched in amazement as she ran quickly out the door. Well, as quickly as someone could in a kimono. Now he could help her with that problem. Sano slapped himself. "Get your mind out of the gutter!" He scolded to himself.
He looked around the house. Obviously she cleaned it. He should make it up to her somehow. Sano grinned as he went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Eventually the fox lady will come back and forgive him. It was good to be home.
Sano sat idly as Kenshin was doing the laundry. The dojo was filled with sounds of students practicing the Kamiya Kasshin sword technique. Yahiko now assisted Kaoru in teaching, especially since she had her second child only a short while ago. At the moment, Yahiko was showing one Higashidani Outa a particular move.
Outa, the only brother of Sano made his older brother promise that he would not watch him practice. It had made him nervous when Sano was around and Sano obligingly agreed not to. Sano remembered when his brother first came to the dojo.
It had been shortly after he started working for Saitou. He sent a letter to his father to send Outa to Tokyo. Sano even invited his father and sister, Uki to come along. Higashidani Kamishimoemon was still not pleased with his oldest son and he voiced it. It took Sano all night to explain to them why they hadn't heard from him in five years. The Kenshingumi had been in shock at the reunion of the Higashidani family, rather, their attitude towards each other.
Kamishimoemon still called Sano a good- for-nothing son, but he forgave him after learning it was because of him that Sano got into the whole mess in the first place. Uki still had reservations about Outa learning a sword style. Sano in turn yelled at her for babying Outa. Outa was confused, but expressed interest in learning the Kamiya Kasshin style. Uki frowned at this while Sano grinned.
"I don't know," she murmured.
Sano groaned, "Uki, he needs to learn to be a man. He can't do that with you babying him all the time. Besides, you're married now, take care of your family."
"He's my baby brother!"
"He's my brother, too. Look, I'll look after him."
Silence emanated from father and sister.
Sano looked annoyed, "What?"
Meanwhile, the Kenshingumi looked perplexed at the scene. They had no idea Sano had a family. Megumi arrived in time to hear the siblings' argument. She cleared her throat.
"I'll look after him, too."
Uki and Kamishimoemon looked at the doctor in interest.
"Oh, who's this?" Uki asked, giving Sano a sly smile.
"This is the fox lady. I mean, Megumi."
Kamishimoemon grinned broadly and slapped Sano on the back, "That's my boy! You found yourself a real fine looking woman indeed!"
"Are you his lover?" Uki said incredulously, "What do you see in him?"
Sano flushed as Megumi coolly smiled, "Much more than what's on the outside."
Kenshin decided it was time to interrupt the conversation, "My wife is an excellent instructor and Yahiko here is a wonderful assistant instructor. Young Outa will be in very capable hands. After all the Kamiya Kasshin style is the sword that gives life, that it is."
Uki still looked unsure. She turned to her father. Kamishimoemon nodded, "He needs to learn, Uki. Besides, you can't look after him forever, you have your own family to take care of."
She nodded and agreed reluctantly. The two of them stayed at the dojo for a few more days. Sano and Outa accompanied them to the train station. The goodbye had been a tearful one. Well, for Uki anyway. Sano rolled his eyes at his little sister as she hugged Outa till he turned blue.
Sano fidgeted at the train station, he than blurted out, "Can you guys come back in a year?"
His father looked at him strangely, "What's happening in a year?"
Sano suddenly found his feet to be fascinating, "I, uh, what I mean is that I'm getting married. I'd like for you guys to be there."
Kamishimoemon, "To that fox lady?" Sano nodded and gasped when his father did something unexpected. He hugged him.
Uki hugged him, too, she whispered, "Don't screw this up, Sanosuke!"
"Sano, Sano? Are you awake?" Kenshin's voice woke him from his reverie.
Sano opened his eyes, "Wha- yeah, just thinking about something."
Kenshin started to say something when they heard a cooing sound. They looked over and saw Megumi holding Kenshin's daughter, Sumire. She smiled as she tickled the baby. However, Sano saw sadness in that smile, too. They have been married for two years and she has had two miscarriages. Megumi first became pregnant almost immediately after they were married. The first one, she felt sad, but knew it wasn't unusual for it to happen. However, the second time, Megumi began questioning why. She felt that somehow she was being punished. The argument she and Sano had was particularly fierce. He had been angry that she blamed herself.
"Maybe it's me," he had said.
"No, you have done nothing wrong. I made opium and it killed people. Maybe I'm being punished for that."
"God damn it, Megumi!" Sano yelled, "You've been atoning for that for six years! And you still think you're being punished! You and Kenshin! You've done more than enough to repent for your past, and yet, it's not enough for the two of you!" Sano resisted the urge to give her a good shaking. He slid the door, "I'm going to catch some fresh air," and walked out. He avoided the dojo in fear that he'd give Kenshin a good shaking, too.
"Sano?" Kenshin questioned, "Are you all right?"
Sano shook himself out of his reverie, "Yeah, I am." He grinned at his best friend.
Kenshin only nodded, than they heard Kaoru calling them in for lunch. As they sat together, trying to eat Kaoru's barely edible meal, Sano looked around and for the umpteenth time since he met them was thankful for having these people as family.
Prologue
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
It was a beautiful spring morning, Sanosuke thought as he whistled on his way home. He had been away for two weeks. It has been far too long to be away from his family, especially his wife. As he saw his house on the horizon Sano picked up his pace. Surely the fox would be there waiting, eagerly anticipating his arrival. Sano slid the door open and said with a big grin, "Fox lady, I'm home!"
Out of seemingly nowhere, a pan swung upon his head. Sano staggered back and fell onto his backside. He looked up and saw the fox looking down at him in absolute fury.
"Ow! Megumi what the hell was that for!" Sano yelled, rubbing his head.
Megumi was beyond furious, "You! You left the house in utter disarray! Don't tell me that you didn't have enough time! I told you the house needed to be clean before I left that the morning. Kenshin told me that you didn't get orders to go off until early evening, which gave you ten good hours to get the job done!"
Sano got up, rubbing his poor skull, "Aww, fox, don't be mad. I'll make it up to you. I promise." Sano slid his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace.
Megumi would not have it. She shrugged him off, "You're not getting out this so easily, Sano!"
"Damn it, fox! I haven't seen you in two weeks! Can't a man touch his own wife?"
Megumi stared at him. Despite her anger, she really did miss him. No, she had to stick to it. He can't get away with this. But Sano did look remorseful and it did feel good to be in his arms. She could imagine kissing him...
"I have to go!" Megumi blurted out.
"Huh? Where? Wait, fox!" Sano watched in amazement as she ran quickly out the door. Well, as quickly as someone could in a kimono. Now he could help her with that problem. Sano slapped himself. "Get your mind out of the gutter!" He scolded to himself.
He looked around the house. Obviously she cleaned it. He should make it up to her somehow. Sano grinned as he went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Eventually the fox lady will come back and forgive him. It was good to be home.
Sano sat idly as Kenshin was doing the laundry. The dojo was filled with sounds of students practicing the Kamiya Kasshin sword technique. Yahiko now assisted Kaoru in teaching, especially since she had her second child only a short while ago. At the moment, Yahiko was showing one Higashidani Outa a particular move.
Outa, the only brother of Sano made his older brother promise that he would not watch him practice. It had made him nervous when Sano was around and Sano obligingly agreed not to. Sano remembered when his brother first came to the dojo.
It had been shortly after he started working for Saitou. He sent a letter to his father to send Outa to Tokyo. Sano even invited his father and sister, Uki to come along. Higashidani Kamishimoemon was still not pleased with his oldest son and he voiced it. It took Sano all night to explain to them why they hadn't heard from him in five years. The Kenshingumi had been in shock at the reunion of the Higashidani family, rather, their attitude towards each other.
Kamishimoemon still called Sano a good- for-nothing son, but he forgave him after learning it was because of him that Sano got into the whole mess in the first place. Uki still had reservations about Outa learning a sword style. Sano in turn yelled at her for babying Outa. Outa was confused, but expressed interest in learning the Kamiya Kasshin style. Uki frowned at this while Sano grinned.
"I don't know," she murmured.
Sano groaned, "Uki, he needs to learn to be a man. He can't do that with you babying him all the time. Besides, you're married now, take care of your family."
"He's my baby brother!"
"He's my brother, too. Look, I'll look after him."
Silence emanated from father and sister.
Sano looked annoyed, "What?"
Meanwhile, the Kenshingumi looked perplexed at the scene. They had no idea Sano had a family. Megumi arrived in time to hear the siblings' argument. She cleared her throat.
"I'll look after him, too."
Uki and Kamishimoemon looked at the doctor in interest.
"Oh, who's this?" Uki asked, giving Sano a sly smile.
"This is the fox lady. I mean, Megumi."
Kamishimoemon grinned broadly and slapped Sano on the back, "That's my boy! You found yourself a real fine looking woman indeed!"
"Are you his lover?" Uki said incredulously, "What do you see in him?"
Sano flushed as Megumi coolly smiled, "Much more than what's on the outside."
Kenshin decided it was time to interrupt the conversation, "My wife is an excellent instructor and Yahiko here is a wonderful assistant instructor. Young Outa will be in very capable hands. After all the Kamiya Kasshin style is the sword that gives life, that it is."
Uki still looked unsure. She turned to her father. Kamishimoemon nodded, "He needs to learn, Uki. Besides, you can't look after him forever, you have your own family to take care of."
She nodded and agreed reluctantly. The two of them stayed at the dojo for a few more days. Sano and Outa accompanied them to the train station. The goodbye had been a tearful one. Well, for Uki anyway. Sano rolled his eyes at his little sister as she hugged Outa till he turned blue.
Sano fidgeted at the train station, he than blurted out, "Can you guys come back in a year?"
His father looked at him strangely, "What's happening in a year?"
Sano suddenly found his feet to be fascinating, "I, uh, what I mean is that I'm getting married. I'd like for you guys to be there."
Kamishimoemon, "To that fox lady?" Sano nodded and gasped when his father did something unexpected. He hugged him.
Uki hugged him, too, she whispered, "Don't screw this up, Sanosuke!"
"Sano, Sano? Are you awake?" Kenshin's voice woke him from his reverie.
Sano opened his eyes, "Wha- yeah, just thinking about something."
Kenshin started to say something when they heard a cooing sound. They looked over and saw Megumi holding Kenshin's daughter, Sumire. She smiled as she tickled the baby. However, Sano saw sadness in that smile, too. They have been married for two years and she has had two miscarriages. Megumi first became pregnant almost immediately after they were married. The first one, she felt sad, but knew it wasn't unusual for it to happen. However, the second time, Megumi began questioning why. She felt that somehow she was being punished. The argument she and Sano had was particularly fierce. He had been angry that she blamed herself.
"Maybe it's me," he had said.
"No, you have done nothing wrong. I made opium and it killed people. Maybe I'm being punished for that."
"God damn it, Megumi!" Sano yelled, "You've been atoning for that for six years! And you still think you're being punished! You and Kenshin! You've done more than enough to repent for your past, and yet, it's not enough for the two of you!" Sano resisted the urge to give her a good shaking. He slid the door, "I'm going to catch some fresh air," and walked out. He avoided the dojo in fear that he'd give Kenshin a good shaking, too.
"Sano?" Kenshin questioned, "Are you all right?"
Sano shook himself out of his reverie, "Yeah, I am." He grinned at his best friend.
Kenshin only nodded, than they heard Kaoru calling them in for lunch. As they sat together, trying to eat Kaoru's barely edible meal, Sano looked around and for the umpteenth time since he met them was thankful for having these people as family.