Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is not mine, and if it were, then I'd be a millionaire by now. ^^x It belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro, and I'm just borrowing the characters. Blue Waters plot and text is mine however. I won't tolerate any plagiarizers copying any off my stuff.

Notes: The idea of this story came from a book my friend bought in History class. It was really old and yellow having come from her grandmother. I decided to take a look at the synopsis and found it interesting that I read two full chapters of it during Speech class. ^^x This story is Alternate Universe, and I made Sano Kaoru's stepbrother. How and why they came to be that way will be explained later on. Misao's Kaoru's best friend. To tell you more would spoil the suspense. Just read on and find out! Please don't forget to review after! ^^x

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Blue Waters
by: Yuna / cup of coffee
mail: coffee_cup@email.com

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Part 1: The Plot

Rain.

It feel in torrents, the steady downpour on the roof becoming deafening. Unable to concentrate on her reading, she turned on the television and began surfing for a decent program. Tough luck, there was none. All that was showing was the news, and she didn't want to hear any of it. It was the same thing every day and she was yearning for some change. Everything in her life had been going smoothly that she was aching for something to go wrong...

What a wish.

And yet she wanted it.

But she didn't know when it would be granted.

The phone rang. She stood up from her spot on the couch and went to answer it, hoping that the caller would be someone worth talking to.

"Hello?"

"Jo-chan!"

She recognized the voice instantly.

"Sano! Hey! Why'd you call?" she asked.

"Nothing much, just to have a little chat and ask you about something," the other replied. "How are you?"

"Bored. It's raining hard here and I can't go out," she replied. "How about you?"

"You, of all people, should know about my situation here in the seaside. I just don't understand why oto-san placed me here," Sano grumbled. "The sun's fine and all, but the women are getting too out of hand."

"Out of hand?"

"They're chicks, yes, but they're too aggressive. I don't like it."

From the other side of the line, Kaoru began to laugh.

"What's so funny Jo-chan?" Sano asked, his tone not too pleased.

"Well, it's the first time I heard Sagara Sanosuke dislike a woman's company," Kaoru giggled. "I mean, all you did back in university was try to get a girlfriend."

"And get good marks mind you," Sano added defiantly. "At least I made it to the top ten."

"Haha, yeah, number nine," Kaoru giggled again.

"But at least --"

"Yes yes I get the picture," she smiled through the phone. She was beginning to enjoy this conversation.

"Jo-chan, I have a favor to ask you," Sano said suddenly becoming serious. "Are you game?"

"Hmm, depends on the favor," she replied, checking her nails for dirt. "What is it?"

"Well, you do know my situation..."

"Yes?"

"And at this rate I won't get my masters..."

"So?"

"Since you're on vacation, I need you to come here and help me."

"What kind of help Sano?"

"Pretend to be my fiancé for a month or two. I mean, you won't start working until next next month and by that time I'll have graduated. I don't want to disappoint oto-san... Besides, you don't have much to do, you said so yourself, so why not join me here, by the beach, sun, sand, you get the picture, and do me a favor," Sano said. "So, you game?"

There was silence.

"Jo-chan, you there?"

"And why should I do that?! Sano, do you realize what you just asked me?!" Kaoru breathed, a brow raised.

"Yes, I do realize what I had said. I am not drunk, I am perfectly sane and I'm not sick," Sano muttered. "Now what, you going to accept? You very well know that you can't refuse your brother..."

"Don't forget the prefix," Kaoru snapped.

"Alright, stepbrother. But we're just like siblings, aren't we Jo-chan? So, whaddaya say?"

"Why don't you ask Misao? She's living closer to your area."

"You kidding? Me and that weasel? Yuck. Then I'd rather have all those other women around me," Sano said. "Besides, if it's me and the weasel then sooner or later we're going to have to really get hitched, and neither of us would want that. With you, it'll be easier to believe when we say that we're not actually engaged. We have the papers, give our parents' marriage contract, show our IDs, passport...

"Yes yes I get the picture Sano," Kaoru interrupted before he started getting carried away.

"So what, do you agree Jo-chan, or you'd rather sulk at home and get bored to death..."

"Well it's just for two months..."

"Right. Two months won't hurt," Sano said, hoping that his stepsister would agree. All he had to do was say the right stuff, and Kaoru would agree in no time. If she didn't, then there was no other girl in the world he could ask the same favor of. He couldn't very well ask the kitsune... Damn he'd be dead before he even got an answer.

"Sure Sano!" Kaoru exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. "I'll go. So when?"

"YAHOO!!" he screamed into the phone stinging Kaoru's ears. "Thanks Jo-chan! Thank you! You're so great!! You can start tomorrow. I'll pick you up there at your apartment tomorrow morning, ten a.m. You'll start your job tomorrow night at this party I'm attending. Lots of friends of mine will be there plus the girls."

"But where will I stay?" Kaoru asked.

"Call Misao, ask if you could stay at her place. Actually, you don't need to call. She'd let you stay there anyways anytime."

"Right. Misao. So..."

"That's it Jo-chan. Thank you so much! I owe you."

"You so owe me," Kaoru muttered under her breath.

"Ja ne!"

And with that he put the phone down.

Kaoru sighed.

Now what had she gotten into? Well, posing as her stepbrother's fiancé shouldn't be much of a problem. After all, Sano was like a real brother and her best guy friend, so she should be comfortable around him. Besides, it would be fun. How many girls get to pose as their stepbrother's betrothed? She began to giggle to herself.

This would be a wonderful change for her, something she had been looking for ever since she started vacation. The beach would be a good place to hang out and have fun, and who knows? She might even get to meet a cute guy. Her grin widened. Misao would be with her so she won't have to worry on loneliness. There'll be constant nights out, knowing Sano, plus some other interesting things. She walked to her room, thoughts of what the next two months would be like flooding her mind. But before she could pack, she had to call Misao.

There was a loud beep from the street. Taking a small peek through the curtains, the young girl found her stepbrother's red sports car parked in front of her door. Kaoru grabbed her luggage as Sano opened the door of her two storey apartment. She motioned for him to take her luggage which he obligingly did so. The sun was shining brightly now, and you wouldn't have believed that it was raining cats and dogs the other night. He heaved her luggage into the trunk of his car and let his stepsister get in. Once he too was inside, she gave him a small peck on the cheek in greeting and Sano started the car.

"So, you ready?" Sano asked, his grin from ear to ear.

Kaoru merely shrugged her shoulders, her face in a slight pout. Sano shook his head.

"Whatever Jo-chan," Sano said, driving off.

"I have a name you know... And you'd better start calling me that if we're going to pull this off right..."

"Alright, Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled in satisfaction.

"Finally I can get you to calling me by my first name!" she exclaimed in delight.

Her stepbrother just gave a small smirk and began to drive south. It would take them a couple of hours before they'd arrive at Sano's place, and so if they were going to catch the party that night they would have to cut back on stopovers. It was a good thing Sano bought some sandwiches they could eat along the way, and the two had an amiable conversation all the way to the seaside. Sano told her about his friends and all those girls who were distracting him from his studies. Women was one of his weaknesses, and so he needed his stepsister's help to pass his exams.

"Do your friends know I'm actually your stepsister?" Kaoru asked.

"They know oto-san remarried, but they don't know that his new wife has a daughter named Kamiya Kaoru," Sano replied. "Only Aoshi knows about you, and I'm sure you've met him."

"Yup, around a year ago. Misao introduced him to me," Kaoru said. "By the way, who'll be there at the party?"

"Just a couple of friends from high school. Sort of a mini-reunion actually. Aoshi's gonna be there of course, but I don't know with the weasel. You might want to tag her along so you'll have someone to talk to. I mightn't be able to attend to you much with my pals around..."

"And to think I'm your fiancé," Kaoru chided jokingly, shaking her head in disapproval for added effect.

"Whatever," was the only reply.

"Tell me about your friends," Kaoru said.

"Okay. For one thing, did you know Aoshi isn't actually my best friend?" Sano told her.

"Really?"

"Yup. He isn't. Aoshi's just a close buddy, and we got even closer ever since my real best friend left Japan to go overseas."

"What's he doing overseas?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"He's the captain of one of his father's ships."

"Huh? His father's?" She was getting more and more bewildered.

"See that friend of mine's a traveler. His heart was set on seeing the whole world when we were kids. We were both had the same dreams, but he was the only one who got to pursue it," Sano explained. "His father owns a series of cargo ships and cruisers that travel worldwide, so my friend took the opportunity to travel. He's in charge of his father's best cruiser, which docks close to my place twice a year, this month and every December."

"I see. Interesting occupation. So he stays at your house when he visits?" Kaoru asked.

"No. He's got his own house a few blocks away from mine," Sano said.

"What's his name?"

"Himura. Himura Kenshin."

"Ooh... " Kaoru said, then grinned. "You'll introduce me won't you?"

"Of course I will. How're my friends supposed to know that you're my so-called girlfriend? Kenshin's a bad liar, the worst I've ever met, so I can't tell him that you're actually my stepsister, or else our act won't work," Sano told her. "And besides, if Kenshin believes it then everyone else believes it. He's sort of the leader."

Kaoru smiled.

"You know what Sano," Kaoru began.

"What?" he replied, waiting for a continuation.

"I think playing pretend is going to be fun," she finished, a sly glint in her eyes.

Sano responded with a hearty laugh, the same glint in his eyes.

"Of course! Was this the first time you found out pulling other people's legs can be fun?"

"You can say that again," she answered, just as Sano turned the wheel to the right.

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Note: To be continued! ^^x