Closure
By Meng Xiaojie
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and all related properties are copyrights of Nobuhiro Watsuki, et al. This story is written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended.
Warnings: Rated PG for slight language and a bit of angst. Post-Kyoto, pre-Jinchuu.
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Kamiya Kaoru had come to dread the appearance of a police officer at her front gate. She had good reason; after all, every time the police showed up, Kenshin got pulled into some kind of fight—either with the officer himself, or with some madman the cops couldn't put down on their own.
He's violating the sword-banning act…
Kenshin had gotten away with carrying his sakabatou ever since the incident with the police sword corps, although Kaoru still fingered her hair ribbon protectively every time she saw a policeman with a blade.
We need Himura-san to bring down a serial murderer…
Udou Jin-e had nearly forced Kenshin to break his vow in order to save Kaoru's life. She would never forget the raw fury in the rurouni's eyes as he'd come to her rescue, or the hideous chill in his voice as he'd declared that Jin-e was as good as dead.
The police commissioner sent me, ma'am. My name is Fujita Goro…
Kaoru wanted to beat herself senseless every time she recalled how easily she'd fallen for Saitou Hajime's ruse. Her trusting naïveté had drawn Kenshin into a dangerous trap, one that had ultimately succeeded in dragging his hitokiri instincts to the fore. Kaoru remembered watching in wide-eyed horror as her gentle rurouni coldly announced that he was going to take Saitou's head. The two had all but fought to the death that day, halting only when the police commissioner showed up to reveal that the whole terrifying incident had been a mere test of Kenshin's abilities…a prelude to the much-too-recent Shishio affair.
No, Kaoru was not a fan of the police. Which explained the strain in her smile as she asked, "May I help you, officer?"
He was a young man, perhaps a little older than Sanosuke, but only slightly taller than Kaoru herself. His eyes were dark beneath the rim of his police cap, and several long bangs fell across his face every time he moved his head. "Pardon me, ma'am," he said with a respectful bow, "but is Himura Kenshin-san available at the moment?"
No, and he won't be available for the next year or so. It's only been two months since his last trip to death's door, you see, and I think he's earned a little break, don't you? Kaoru shook her head to dispel the caustic voice in her mind. "No, he's out on an errand," she answered coolly. "Can I tell him who is looking for him?"
"Oh! My apologies, ma'am, my name is Ichiito Reijiro. I just transferred to Tokyo's police force." He glanced at the dojo sign. "You are Kamiya-san, yes?"
Kaoru nodded reservedly. "Yes, I am. Is there something I can do for you?" …so maybe you'll leave Kenshin alone?
"No, ma'am," Ichiito answered slowly. He hesitated. "Well, actually…would it be a terrible imposition if I waited for Himura-san to return?"
She froze, the image of another man with long bangs and sharp features flashing before her eyes. Saitou had made the same request. Her willing consent had cost Kenshin dearly. Kaoru's gaze fixed on the saber at the young officer's hip, and she opened her mouth to courteously deflect the question.
"Kawaji-san told me to assure you that I am not here to test Himura-san's strength," Ichiito said slowly, watching her face. "He said that you would understand."
Kaoru closed her mouth in surprise, and her brow furrowed as she digested the words. She'd not had many dealings with police commissioner Kawaji, but he had struck her as a stern, demanding man intent on keeping order. Normally, such traits would have inspired confidence, but Kawaji's dogged insistence that Kenshin should go to Kyoto—and his not-so-subtle attempt to use Megumi's fate as an incentive—had permanently marred Kaoru's opinion of the commissioner.
Still, the longer she gazed at young Ichiito Reijiro, the less likely it seemed that Kawaji would so blatantly sanction a visit with malicious purpose. After all, Shishio was dead, and the nationwide catastrophe had been averted. The commissioner would have no reason to harm Kenshin or anyone connected to him. You hope, a tiny voice whispered. Kaoru firmly shut it up.
"All right," she said finally, stepping aside to allow the young man to enter. "Please, wait on the porch. I'll make some tea."
Ichiito tipped his cap to her and smiled. "Thank you, ma'am. I won't cause trouble, I promise."
The earnestness in his voice brought a smile to Kaoru's face as she headed to the kitchen. She'd been entertaining thoughts of grabbing a shinai, just in case, but the young officer's reassurance had all but dissolved the knot of fear twisting in her guts. He sounds almost like Sanosuke at his most ingratiating moments, she realized. It was the classically charming "young-man-needs-a-favor-from-young-woman" tone. Too bad Yahiko hasn't figured out how to use it.
Her amusement, however, died almost as swiftly as it had come. She gnawed her lip as she set the water on to boil. It Ichiito hadn't come to fight, what in the world did he want? Was he at the dojo on behalf of the police force, or did he have personal reasons? Most people with personal reasons seem to want to carve them into Kenshin's skin, Kaoru mused darkly. Perhaps I should go fetch that shinai, after all…
A sudden commotion from outside caught her attention, drawing her out of her troubled thoughts. A deep, drawling voice overlapped with a much younger one, and both sounded mightily irritated. Sano and Yahiko, Kaoru knew immediately, breathing a sigh of relief. The two had been gone for most of the day, fishing for lunch down at the river. Kaoru had to admit that she was glad they were back, though; Ichiito would have to be one hell of a fighter to bring Sanosuke down, if things turned sour.
"Hey, who're you?" Sano's voice demanded without preamble. "And why're you hogging Jou-chan's porch? Move it, man, hungry people coming through!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Ichiito spluttered in surprise. "Um, young sir, do you need help with those…?"
"Nah, let him do it himself," was Sano's flippant answer. "The brat insisted he could carry all the fish by himself. Wants to look good for the ladies, I guess."
"Shut up, Roosterhead!" Yahiko shot back, his voice a little labored. "I said I'd rather get lunch home in one piece! You'd end up dropping half of them like you did last time!"
"Geez, kid, didn't I tell you that wasn't my fault? And watch out for the—"
THNK!
"Ow!"
"—corner," Sano finished, a little belatedly.
Yahiko stomped down the hallway toward the kitchen, muttering a string of words that he definitely hadn't learned in polite company. "Kenshin! Hey, Kenshin! We're back!" he hollered.
Kaoru rolled her eyes at her student's big mouth and bad manners. "Kenshin's out buying vegetables to go with the fish," she told the boy as soon as he popped through the doorway. She eyed the heavy string of fresh fish approvingly. "He'll be back in a little while, and we'll have lunch then."
Yahiko groaned aloud as he dumped the fish on the countertop. "I'm starving," he complained. "Why'd you send Kenshin out at this time of day, anyway? The rice and fish would have been fine by themselves!"
The water was nearly ready. Kaoru began measuring out the tea. "Kenshin wanted to make a nice lunch," she said, ignoring Yahiko's sour expression. "Don't worry, you know how fast he can cook. He'll be back soon."
The boy let out an aggravated sigh, then chucked a thumb over his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow. "Who's the cop?" he asked.
"I really don't know what he wants," Kaoru replied with a shrug, refusing to look at her student. "He asked to talk to Kenshin."
"What! And you let him in!" Yahiko exclaimed. "For crying out loud, hag, didn't you learn anything last time? For all we know, this guy's another Shinsengumi nutcase out for Kenshin's head!"
"I don't think he is," Kaoru said, glaring hotly at her first student. "Keep your voice down, or he'll hear you! And don't call your shihondai a hag, either!"
"Only a dumb hag would keep inviting Kenshin's mortal enemies in for tea!" Yahiko retorted.
Kaoru gritted her teeth. Her temper was beginning to simmer right along with the water. "Look, Kawaji-san sent a message saying that Ichiito-san isn't here to fight, all right? That's why I let him come in. You think I want Kenshin to get wrapped up in another mess?"
"Hmph." Yahiko didn't seem too sure, but he didn't pursue it. He turned and headed for the doorway. "I'm gonna go out and wait for Kenshin to get back. And don't you dare touch those fish, hag! We didn't spend all afternoon catching them just so you could ruin them!"
"Wha—!" Kaoru took a swing at the boy, but he deftly ducked out of reach. "You'll regret that, you little punk!" she hollered as he dashed out of the kitchen. "You'll scrub the dojo floor until your arms fall off!"
"Make me, hag!" Yahiko called back.
Hag! Hag! Always with the "hag" thing! Kaoru fumed, pouring the steaming tea into a cup and setting the pot down just a little harder than necessary. She knew she wasn't exactly the model of "ladylike" behavior, but she certainly wasn't ugly! Yahiko was going to do five hundred practice swings after he'd finished cleaning the dojo floor, Kaoru decided as she headed out to join the others. And maybe he would "volunteer" to wash the dishes after lunch, too.
Ichiito Reijiro had removed his officer's cap and placed it on the step beside him, along with his saber. His hair was dark and tousled, and his bangs didn't behave any better than they had before. He and Sanosuke were apparently involved in a minor dispute. "But, Sanosuke-san, gambling is illegal," Ichiito protested just as Kaoru emerged onto the porch. "No matter if it is 'just between friends,' as you said."
"You guys are so uptight," Sano muttered, gnawing a stalk of grass. "You'd think you could go out and hunt down real criminals or something, instead of bothering a bunch of guys out to make a few honest bucks off each other."
Yahiko snorted. "Honest, huh?"
Sano winked. "Hey, it all works out in the end. One week they leave in their underwear, the next week I do the same. Nobody gets rooked for good, see?"
"There's an image I didn't need," the boy grumbled, his eyes pinched shut.
"Here is your tea, Ichiito-san," Kaoru said, glaring reprovingly at Sano as she proffered the cup to their guest.
"Oh, thank you, ma'am!" Ichiito replied with a smile. He inhaled the steam and nodded appreciatively. "It smells very good. You must be a gifted cook."
Kaoru beamed at the compliment, instantly forgetting her misgivings. "Why, thank you—!" she began.
As one, Yahiko and Sano burst into howls of laughter. "Jou-chan, a good cook?" Sano blurted out between guffaws. "Oh, man, you've gotta be kiddin' me!"
"Yeah, the hag couldn't make a decent meal if her life depended on it!" Yahiko hooted.
Ichiito blinked. "'Hag?'" he repeated.
Kaoru felt her face reddening in embarrassment. "Shut it, Yahiko," she ground out.
"We're lucky Kenshin cooks most of the time, or we'd all starve," the boy continued gleefully.
The officer's expression faltered briefly. "Himura-san cooks for you?" he murmured.
Neither Sanosuke nor Yahiko seemed to notice his reaction. "Yeah," Sano answered through a fit of snickers. "Poor guy's practically a slave. Cooks, does laundry, everything. You'd think he was the woman in the house, with all the chores he does."
"Give him a break, Sano," Yahiko put in with a wide grin. "It's not Kenshin's fault. After all, just about any guy would look womanly next to Kaoru!"
"That is it!" Kaoru screeched, finally losing her cool. She grabbed for Yahiko's gi, but came up with a fistful of air instead. "You'd better run, you little jerk!" she yelled, just as her cackling student disappeared around the corner. "If we didn't have company, I'd chase you down and wring your scrawny little neck!"
"Only if you could catch me, hag!" came the boy's answer.
"Such a…lively place," Ichiito remarked to Sanosuke, his eyes a bit wide as he watched the exchange.
"Oh, this is nothing," Sano told him nonchalantly. "You should see them when we don't have visitors. Our Jou-chan's a violent one, that's for sure."
"And you!" Kaoru snapped, rounding on the street fighter. "You aren't helping any, you mooching rooster! Ichiito-san didn't come here to watch you and Yahiko acting like idiots!"
Unperturbed, Sano flicked his grass stalk off the porch and leaned back, waving a hand at Ichiito. "Speaking of which, what are you here for, blue-cap? Need another nasty bad guy whacked or something?"
Ichiito quickly shook his head. "No, nothing like that," he replied firmly.
"Good." Sano gave a sinister grin. "'Cause I'd have to pitch you out on your ass. Kenshin's done enough for you guys, so you can leave him alone now."
Kaoru felt like cheering. "Exactly what I was thinking," she put in, folding herself down next to Sano. "If we have anything to say about it, Kenshin's going to get a good long rest."
Ichiito looked at the two of them. "You all seem very protective of Himura-san," he remarked.
Kaoru nodded decisively. "He's our friend, of course we protect him," she replied.
"Besides, you kinda get used to keeping an eye out when there's a different kill-happy basket case in town every other week," Sanosuke tossed off. "If it's not a dirty politician making life miserable for little people, it's some sword-swinging idiot out for revenge."
"Revenge," Ichiito repeated quietly, tracing a slow line around the lip of his tea cup.
Kaoru glanced at Sano. Kenshin's past career was a secret better left guarded. "Yeah," the street fighter drawled casually, "Kenshin used to wander around a lot, you know? Planted a few grudges along the way."
"Ah." The young officer nodded once. "I imagine such a man would have many enemies."
Something about his tone sent a chill down Kaoru's spine. "Why do you say that?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even and polite.
Ichiito's lips turned up in a mirthless half-smile as he gazed bleakly into his tea. "Legendary assassins tend to 'plant grudges,'" he answered quietly.
Kaoru froze, and her hands knotted into fists in her lap. He knows, she thought numbly, her thoughts suddenly whirling. He knows about Kenshin! A hundred terrifying images flashed through her mind, visions of past enemies, of flashing blades and spurting blood, and of her rurouni endlessly fighting, endlessly hurting…
Beside her, Sanosuke solemnly cracked his knuckles. "If you want a piece of Kenshin, blue-cap, you're gonna have to go through me first," he warned.
"Kenshin's had enough fighting," Kaoru said softly, almost desperately. She stared down at her clenched hands, biting her lip to keep her growing panic in check. Had she been wrong, after all? Had she once again invited misery and violence into Kenshin's only haven?
"Kamiya-san, Sanosuke-san," Ichiito stammered hastily, "please, don't think such things. I've already said that I'm not going to cause trouble, and I meant it." Kaoru met his gaze, and the young officer gave her a weak smile. "Besides, from what I've heard, it wouldn't be much of a fight on my end, anyway."
Sano let out an amused snort and folded his arms. "Not as bad as we thought, Jou-chan," he drawled. "This guy sounds like he's got brains."
"Enough not to draw a sword on Himura-san, at least," Ichiito agreed, glancing around a bit nervously as he spoke.
The sincerity in the young man's face was enough to relieve some of the tension gnawing at Kaoru's guts. She took in a deep breath. "My apologies, Ichiito-san. I should not have assumed…"
"No, no, I'm the one who should apologize," Ichiito said quickly. "After all, I'm the guest, and I haven't really explained why I'm here. I don't blame you for worrying—"
"I'm home!"
The familiar voice rang out across the yard, accompanied by the soft padding of sandaled feet against the tiles. Kaoru's head popped up, and a smile blossomed across her face. "Kenshin!"
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Thank you for reading. Part two coming soon. Kindly review if you are so inclined—happy readers make a happy author.