Between Love and War
(Disclaimed)
Prologue: She Shouldn't Have Been Crying
She shouldn't have been crying. One day, these things were going to come up, and one day, he would be called forth to take care of them. All of them would. One day, she would have to stand idly by and watch them walk out her front gate, bags in hand.
She shouldn't have been crying. She knew that he would go at the first sign of danger. He was the type of man who had to protect what he cared about, including her, and that sometimes meant leaving her. He had done it before when he left to face the dark character in Kyoto.
She shouldn't have been crying. They were no more than friends, or family perhaps, and these things happened. People grow up and grow apart. The rurouni was thirty-three, the rooster was twenty-four, and even the pickpocket was fifteen. She herself was twenty-three, an adult woman who could easily take care of herself, even though she was all alone.
She shouldn't have been crying. The lady doctor was leaving to help those who would be far away, and that would make it more likely that her boys would be all right. Besides, all that was taking place was for the good of the world, and they'd always come back safe and sound every time before. She would surely see her smiling rurouni, laughing kitsune doctor, and arguing rooster and pick-pocket before she knew it! It was so silly to be sad.
She shouldn't have been crying…
…but she was.