Summary: (One-shot) Tomoe survived due to a twist of fate, a sign of what was yet to come. A daughter is born, and Kenshin refuses to fight. Because of his absence the Bakufu is winning and searching for Battousai. The family's escape all rests on their daughter. From Tomoe's POV.
Don't Say A Word
Hush little baby,
Don't say a word,
Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird,
And if that mocking bird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
Oh, sweet child, how you have cleared our lives.
Throughout the darkness and turmoil of the warring Japan, your father and I found each other, and at last a little glow shone through the darkness; just a glow. But when you were born, darkness had been vanquished, and you ruled supreme. You were the sun, ridding our worlds of hate and tragedy, and there was only your sweet light to guide us.
It felt so strange that it was our task to guide you. My sweet child, sweet darling, so pure and angelic you don't seem to belong to these dark times. But you do, and I'm almost glad; you make it bearable, sweet daughter of mine. But the dark is rising and I feel that we need to get you away.
The darkness must not rise! You must never be enveloped in shadows as we have. Two times in my life has the darkness completely taken over, making me blind with fear and anxiety, and that was twice too many. The first was when the news of Akira Kiyosato's death reached me, and in the darkness hate was born inside me, and I vowed to kill your father, sweet daughter of mine. The second time was when I was saving him. The black was blinding me, dear daughter, as if the brightest light were shining directly into my eyes, and my eyes alone. But I know your father felt the same, dear daughter. But as both of us neared each other and Tatsumi, another light appeared and fought against the black. I think it was you.
Your light was bright, but it was bearable, like sunlight, so we opened our eyes, Kenshin and I. You saved us, daughter. Your light shone, and in doing so, helped Kenshin see what was in front of him. And I saw who was behind me. I grabbed the dagger, my dagger, sweet daughter, and yanked it from Tatsumi's grasp. I ducked and leapt for the side just in time to escape the path marked by your father's katana. I didn't know I could be so swift, dear daughter. I thought my feet had wings. Later on, when we finally discussed it, your father and I, I found out that Kenshin had been trying to slow down the blow. So, you see, all three of us saved each other, dear daughter.
The dark is rising quickly, dear daughter. Oh god, we need to get you away.
Ever since we found out you were inside me, your father refused his commander's requests to return to the battlefield. Katsura wasn't pleased, dear daughter. He said that they needed Kenshin. Did he know nothing of family? Kenshin, from what I can tell, hasn't had a family in such a long time, and even he knew that he must not leave our side.
"I'm sorry, Katsura-san, but I have a wife now. And she is with child."
He was surprised by that. I had only appeared briefly between them, just to serve a bit of tea, and you weren't too noticeable then, darling.
Oh, I wished so badly to be in the room with them. This was the man I loved. But all I could see were the figures behind the shoji. But his voice was enough, in some ways.
"Congratulations, Himura," Katsura replied uneasily. "How far along is she?"
"Just a little more than a month."
Katsura drew strength from that.
"Himura. The Shinsen-gumi are oppressing us harder than ever! If you could just lend us your skills for a while longer.we would release you from your duties, of course, later on, when Tomoe really needs you-"
"She needs me now. And so does my child."
Oh, the resolution in his voice! I was trembling then, sweet daughter. I wanted to come in and take my position behind Kenshin, showing my faith in him. But I had been forever told not to do impulsive things, daughter, and habits are hard to break.
Without warning, the shoji slid open, revealing me standing in front of it, caught in the act of eavesdropping. If I wasn't so controlled, daughter, I might've blushed. But if Katsura had been surprised to see me right outside the shoji, he did not give any sign to it. He said his farewells to me, commented about you, and left without either of us escorting him. I turned back to Kenshin, daughter, and I had my arms around you. And he stared at me so lovingly I though my heart might burst, and strode forward to embrace me. He kissed my neck, and inhaled the white plum scent that I had put on in the morning. And then we both felt my stomach, so filled with wonder at the thought of you inside there.
"I'll protect both of your happiness," your father murmured.
"And in return, we will never leave your side," I vowed back. Never, never. Isn't that so, sweet daughter of ours?
But now I'm not sure if we can, dear daughter. Our world is tearing apart.
I think now, if Kenshin had agreed to fight for Katsura, the war might've ended sooner. But because he did not.the war continued longer than what we both expected, dear daughter.
The Bakufu was winning, and they still talked of the famous assassin who used to oppose them. Hitokiri Battousai. But he doesn't exist anymore, dear daughter of ours. He is Kenshin Himura, your father, just as I am now Himura Tomoe, no longer the stray cat I once was those years ago.
Even though Kenshin had turned down Katsura's answer, he was still kind to us. He sent a messenger, who relayed the message to our discouraged ears, dear daughter. You wouldn't remember, you were too young.
"We are finished. It is over. Without any opposition, the Bakufu is dealing with things they had no time for back then. They are searching for you, Himura. You must get away, but to where, I don't know. This may be the last time you hear from me, friend. They're searching for me as well. But I will not come quietly, as my capture is inevitable. Takasugi once made me promise that my swordsman days are over. So I will have to find some other weapon to fight with, for I intend to die as a warrior. You must escape, far away. It is my greatest will for you all to survive. My best wishes to you, my friend, and to your family."
Indeed, only a few weeks later, Katsura was captured. His head was presented for all to see in the streets of Kyoto. Kenshin took it hard, and we knew now, more than ever, to heed Katsura's words.
So that is why, daughter, we're sitting in this dirty ship, crowded along with many others whose bodies reek of sickness. That is why your father had to find some way to dye his hair and hide the red strands we both love so much. That is why your father wears a bandage over his left cheek, and why we always make sure you are in sight, because of what the Bakufu know, the Battousai doesn't have a wife or daughter.
That is why, daughter, we need you to not make a scene, because who knows who else is in the crowd. So please, stop crying, don't cry, my dearest, because you need to save us again. Oh, daughter, we've stopped at a port and that man is looking at us suspiciously. Kenshin is gripping my arm, hard, because his uniform is that of the Bakufu. Oh god, dearest, you have to stop crying, please stop crying-
End.
Will their daughter keep crying? Where were they escaping to? Will they be able to escape?
That's for you to decide, you know. So imagine all you want.
You know, this turned out pretty different from what I had planned. I mean, the angst was all there, and so was the kid, but the ending was really different from what I had in mind. What I had in mind was considerably more sick and gruesome. Very. I'm afraid of posting it, because I don't want to be responsible for giving children bad thoughts for the day.
As I wrote and the storyline changed into this, the main thing in mind for me was irony. Tomoe and Kenshin were 'saved' by their daughter-(don't ask me what that was all about. Maybe flashes of what could be (their unborn daughter) came to them from whatever runs the universe)-and now, after they've come so far trying to keep their family together, their daughter may be the one to let tragedy fall once more.