Disclaimer: I do not own this anime/manga, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Author's Notes: Yeah. This fic is not a new one. Some of the avid readers of Rurouni Kenshin surely have had seen/read this fic into the other website. I am meaning to make this fic a little less 'aggressive' in matters of...that is why I have put it in here.

I will update this fic here up to its latest. have to find them first in my old laptop...

Warning, some of the characters here are not in their usual selves. That is why I pointed out that this is kind of OOC. There is a reason to that. So enjoy.

oh...sorry about the grammar.

Prologue

Someone was calling her at the distance. The welcoming, sweet voice came from a young, lively boy whom she deeply knew by heart - her son, the sole heir of the vast lands and the current master of the ancestral Easterby manor. Her son, age 13, was searching for her in all the grounds of his mother's ancestor's temple. It entered late on his young yet mature mind that his mother likes to contemplate at the zen gardens of the temples. He abruptly fastened his strides toward the temple's garden, so anxious to see her again after 14 days of separation. A mischievous smile was curved upon his tender lips.

Without moving much at her current standing under her favorite Sakura tree, she waited patiently for her son's arrival. She didn't need to reply for she knew her son will find her at the place where she usually resides to contemplate and to reminiscence.

The stillness of the solemn surroundings and the smooth sound of the clear running water at the koi pond did a lot of helping in relieving her traveling stress and some of the burden she long been carrying in her lonely heart. It had been 13 years since the tragic day yet it just felt like yesterday. The whole place of the temple didn't only offer temporary relief but also the pain memory of loosing someone she dearly loves.

"Mother," the boy calmly called her as he slowly approached the wooden platform, leaving his leather shoes at the solid ground as he was strictly thought about the customs of Nihon-jins, "at least you should have created a little effort to help me find you in this 'vast' temple. I was worried that something might have had happened to you."

"You think too much, my boy. I am not going anywhere, you see." As the woman sensed her son's gradual approach to the meditation platform, she slowly seated at the wooden platform erected between the huge limestone boulder and the giant Sakura tree of the Zen garden. "I knew you could find me here."

They were talking in English language and had a distinct tone of British accent. They just came from England to visit and pay respect at some of their clans. It was the right time for her son to properly introduce to her family's rich lineage.

"Yeah, how thoughtful and wise of me." the boy mockingly hissed. "It took me several minutes of walking, calling and searching in and out of the temple before I realized that." A lop-sided smile was seen on his juvenile face.

He took his opportunity to sit beside his young, enigmatic, beautiful mother, giving her a hug as if he had never seen her for so many months. He then pecked a swift kiss on her right rosy cheek.

"What matters most you are here, my little boy. Here besides me. Now it completes my world." She gave a content sigh, looking up at the vast light blue sky.

The boy reflexively raised an eyebrow upon hearing her called him 'little boy'. Who would want to hear such calling when you are on the verge of transformation into another stage of manhood? He's on the puberty stage. At least, his mother should see him as a young man, not a laddie. "Oh mother, please stop calling me that."

"No matter what, you are still my 'little boy', Aoshi. I'll call you whatever 'sweetings' I want to call for you and you can never change that unless I found that you..." She grinned as she ran the back of her delicate fingers at her son's porcelain face.

"Unless what, mother?" Aoshi wanted to get over with her mother's puzzling words. He carefully gazed sideways at her, not wanting her to sense it.

"Have you been courting a young Nihon-girl lately, little boy?" She winked at her son, sensing his feeling of awkwardness at the forbidden topic of courtship between the parent and the offspring.

Even though he didn't do anything what her mother was conspiratorially implying, Aoshi felt a little guilty about it. A deep blush abruptly came out from his cheeks. He admired cute, young girls on her mother's homeland and willingly wanted to take some timeout with them but none caught so far his entire attention.

"I do no such thing - for now. It was you who should do the searching, mother. You are wasting your time on caring for me so much, as if you are protecting me against some unknown forces." He faced his mother, looking at her big, cerullean eyes intently. Without shame, he wanted to tell her that those eyes of hers were the window of her humble soul, to her true inner beauty but he mentioned the obvious ones to the eyes of the others first. "At the age of 31, you look young having the lively appearance of a 16 year old teenager, almost like as an older sister to me. You are gifted with curves, shaping you to entice the men's hungry eyes to you. And you possesses one of the most fairest face my eyes had ever laid on, marking highly on your gifted attributes such as your most intriguing, mystic green eyes and rosy, kissable lips that men on every places on this world surely could not stop admiring and craving - well except for me, of course." He chuckled a bit and continued, "Not only that, you have the wits and the freedom of expression that women long wanted to have. You live free as you wanted for yourself. You are an independent woman, mother. You are and by that, you gained my admiration on you."

"You are too biased when it comes to your mother's whole beauty, Aoshi." She laughed at her son's desperate try to coax her to accepting another man to love into her single life. "In time, you could use some of those words to other women you will soon wanted to be swoon by you."

"Like what my late father did to you, mother?" It was no question actually. It was more of a conviction. He heard rumors about him and was confirmed according to some of his trusted acquaintances, loyal servants and their old steward - stories such as that his late father had been one of England's most notorious rakes ever known by the Ton society's history. Only his mother spoke no more of it as if his father had been an angelic person.

"So don't ask why I haven't paying any attention to all of your conniving schemes, little boy. Your late father had made an everlasting effect on me for not taking another man into my life since he...he departed us." The moment she mentioned it, her mood began to sour a bit. It reminded her him again, the memory of his death at the moment of their complete union as a new family.

Aoshi saw her mother's sullen reaction. It wasn't his intention to remind her his late father's demise, making her miss him even more especially when they were at the same spot were they, his parents, had made a pledge of their love as said by one of his aunts. After seeing the wooden platform between the giant Sakura tree and the huge limestone boulder made him confirm it. He had sensed a special feeling towards it though he hadn't recalled anything memorable on his thoughts about it. How could he be for it was just his first time to visit his mother's pride land? With a little regret on indirectly hurting her mother's feelings, he took her smooth hand and squeezed it gently. "I meant you no harm, mother. Sorry about reminding you about him."

Her eyes were on trance, looking at the nothingness. But she smiled at her son's endearing thoughtfulness about her feelings. Suddenly she felt one of her late husband's good traits at her son's persona. She was one lucky woman to have a son like him. "No harm has done, Aoshi. It's pretty normal for a woman like me to feel that thing. If I wasn't, he meant nothing to me."

Glad to hear his mother's assurance, his guilt fled away lightening his mood better. But the topic about his late father had not been ended. She continued the topic with a good smile on her beautiful face.

"Even though we stop talking about your late father, it will not cease my thoughts over him. He still lives in my heart and cannot go away. That is how I love and cherish you father even though I should move on. I just can't help it. I am still deeply in-love with that man no matter what."

"I understand, mother. I should not force you into loving another man, replacing father but I can't stop wanting you to be happy with someone you can share your life with. You should move on. You are still young and can make a life of your own and,"

"Are you leaving me, son?" She began to worry the second he mentioned his intention on having her given to other man's arms.

"No, it's not that. All I am saying is that you deserve to be with someone who loves you as you are. A person that is physically present and alive and has all the characteristics you had seen into my late father." Then he began to rethink about that he had just said. The statement about his late father's characteristics made him worry all over. That would not be a good idea. Being a 'rake' like his late father will destroy his peace of mind on leaving his mother on the man's hands. "Well, except of being his 'notorious rake' of course. You wouldn't want you to fall into such a man. Once is enough. Well in other perspectives, even though the man was not blessed with Adonis' looks, he should be charming and responsible, traits that I can go abide with - you, I mean." He meant for his peace of mind on leaving her mother into good hands. "And one more thing, he should be more tolerable at some of your worse tantrums."

"Tantrums?" she asked inquisitively, seemingly innocent as his proclaim to her. "Since when did I have such short comings, little boy? You talk as if you knew all about me, acting that you are wiser than the one who raised you!"

"There you see! I have no further proof to tell and lay on the table." He had victoriously cornered her mother at her very own harsh reaction.

They laughed as soon as their eyes made contact at each other. They were more like siblings than a mother-and-son tandem without forgetting her real role as his parent as a guidance. She made certain than she will have this kind of close relationship with her only son - free to talk about things in life , even to the most private ones. She could teach then proudly watch him grow as a good man like his late father had been.

The breeze gently swept over them, touching their weary skins. Aoshi hugged her mother, placing his chin above her head. She sensed her son's change. He had grown so tall, devilishly handsome and on the developing age into a fine young man that women could easily fallen in-love to just by looking at his face and physique. He is 'his' replica but some had been altered, only minor. But nevertheless, he looked more of his late father...drats! Like he was molded into the same crater.

The silence between them had been broken. "And one more thing, Aoshi. Even though we don't talk too much about him, there is one thing that made me always remind his memories to me."

"What's that, mother? Care to tell this poor little boy of yours the secret?" He only didn't grew physically but emotionally. He also thinks maturely, a trait she loved on him the most besides his bluish eyes and shiny raven-colored hair.

"You look exactly like your late father, Aoshi. I bet that the devil himself played on your whole physique to remind me of him. That is one reason why I cannot let you go out on me though I should respect your independency. You are still my little boy, Aoshi. Don't you ever forget that."

His mother really did love his late father that much. How could she do such a thing, being so ever loyal to the man that she shortly knew and been with. It had a great effect on her and Aoshi wondered many times about it.

Then things began to mellow, allowing silence again to become a part of their world together. He smiled, happy at the thought of her mother about his looks compared to his admired, late father even though he hadn't had the opportunity to meet and know him fully. His aunts told him about his great resemblance at him; even his old steward and loyal servants said it so. It was a remarkable one, indeed. Most of his Japanese relatives though it so as if the man didn't die, continuing living with them. And in time, he will be like his father, physically, minus the follies he usually had done when he haven't met the right woman who will tame his fire on desire. He will love that 'woman' and cherish her like his father had done to her mother.

Half-breed he was but the Caucasian blood showed more rampant than the other lineage. Having the skin possessed by the whites, height of almost a giant, and pointy nose, that had settled the first score. Then his blue eyes ended it all.

He thanked his late father for giving him those features to be proud of though he didn't make it so much to boast for. As long as he knew that he loved him the moment he firstly laid eyes on him, that is enough. He loves him equally to his Japanese mother.

He also knew that his late father had been a half-breed too. There had been many things in their lives that were common between them. If he were only alive...

At the tips of his tongue, on his lips, he proudly said, "I know, mother. I know."

tbc...

A/N: next chapter starts the wild goose chase...