DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN AND ITS PRODUCTS!

'Italics' flashbacks

'Bolds' lyrics from Westlife – Soledad.

Seeing is Believing

"If only you could see the tears in the world you left behind
If only you could heal my heart just one more time
Even when I close my eyes
There's an image of your face
And once again I come to realize
You're a loss I can't replace"

FLASHBACK

There was a man in the middle of the street staring at the massive amount of blood that was left from last night's incident, he stared in awe at the sight of it; the massive amount of blood that belonged to someone that he held dearest to his heart. He stared a while longer before a police man walked up to him and said, "Excuse me sir, but I must ask if you can leave this place because it is in repair right now and is off limits…"

The young police man stopped his talk as the man glared icily at him with his icy blue eyes hidden underneath his ebony bangs, the man then spoke with an equally icy voice, "I am permitted to be here…"

The young police man gulped a nervous lump down his throat when he saw the glare he receive, he then tried to push his luck once more before speaking, "May I please see some papers or something to prove that then?"

The other man pulled out a black wallet like object before flipping it open it reveal a police badge causing the younger police man's eyes to widen as he then apologized profoundly and dismissed himself afterwards. Leaving the man to go back into his thoughts as he stared back at the massive amount of blood in the middle of the road; his eyes seemed to harden slightly as he thought back to as to what happened that morning…

FLASHBACK

He woke up to annoying ringing of his phone, it had been constantly ringing since last night and he couldn't help but wonder what idiot was crazy enough to try to call him so late last night. And now he couldn't help but wonder what idiot would try to call him so early in the morning, turning over he noticed he was alone in bed. His brows furrowed together in confusion as he noticed the other side of the queen size bed was never touched. He knew he came home late a lot but usually she was here already and was in bed by then, but now he couldn't help but feel a foreboding feeling arise in his body as he stared at the cold empty space once more. Finally he was unable to ignore the cursed ringing of his phone as he finally got up and walked towards it picking it up almost violently he then spoke with a icy voice that was laced with annoyance at the person who had called him, "Hello?"

There was silence for a moment before the person spoke, but before they did so he couldn't help but feel that chill from before return as the person then spoke now, "Hello is this the Shinomori residence?"

"Yes it is…" he answered almost reluctantly; gone with the coldness and replaced with hesitance, his thoughts were scrambled with fear and anxiety and that feeling he was getting before wasn't helping either.

"Well I am calling to inform you that you wife, Makimachi-Shinomori Misao has died…" the rest was a blur to him, hearing those words 'Misao' and 'died' in the same sentence was enough to freeze all his thoughts. Her cute cheerful face popped into his mind once more as he thought of those words and her together, and he couldn't help but want to laugh out loud at the possibility of that. He couldn't help but hope this was all a sick joke his wife did to get his attention once more, she's done it before so why wouldn't she do it again? With that conclusion in mind he continued to listen to the person on the phone as he spoke, "I am sorry for your lost, and if you wish to see her body and claim it please go to Watanabe Hospital on…" and once more he was froze in his thoughts.

Though his wife desperately wanted his attention and had played this sick joke before, it never came to where there was an exact hospital and someone to persistently call him since the night before till morning. The fear he felt intensified as he hanged up suddenly on the person without letting him finish his condolences as he quickly dressed and ran out the door. He almost broke all speed limits on the highway just to race to the hospital to see if this was really happening; when he got there he suddenly wished he didn't.

"Soledad
It's a keeping for the lonely
Since the day that you were gone
Why did you leave me
Soledad
In my heart you were the only
And your memory lives on
Why did you leave me?
Soledad"

Everything that had happened in the hospital was a blur to him as he briefly remembered seeing his wife's beaten and battered body on a steel table covered with a pure white cloth hiding her body from anyone's view. At first he didn't believe it was his wife's dead body lying, he almost laughed out loud when he approached the table, pulling the cloth off the body underneath he expected her to jump up and hug him as she did last time…but she didn't. What greeted him instead was a horrible sight, consisting of his wife's body indeed only not what he had intended. Her once cute face was covered with blood on the right side, while the surroundings of her eyes were dark blue and closed shut; bruises, cuts, and many other things were found on her face even dirt from the accident. It practically covered her entire body as he gazed downwards, there was no place on her body that was not harmed, and her left arm was in an odd angle while her right arm lay next to her sides. Her legs were placed neatly straight but you can tell that one of them had a torn ligament or something seeing as her knee caps did not have a harmonious feature to them.

Turning his attention back to her face he noticed that she still had not stirred after he had pulled the cloth on, for all he knew all of her features now could have been all part of her 'scheme' to get his attention once more. It was all wonderfully placed made make-up he had to admit, it's able to fool his incredible observing abilities after all so how can it not be? Placing his huge hands on her delicate shoulders he gave her a slight shake as he spoke, he couldn't help but cringe after hearing a sickening sound of bones grinding as he did so. "Misao, this is no time to play I have to get to work soon…"

Shaking her once, twice and again she still did not react, his blue eyes widen at the revelation: Misao's dead. She's dead, not sleeping, not 'playing,' and most definitely not trying to get his attention once more. She's gone…nothing more and nothing less, gone just like that. He didn't noticed he was screaming until people started filing in, and he most definitely did not know he had passed out until he opened his eyes to be greeted with the familiar sight of the hospital's white ceiling.

"Walking down the streets of nothingville
Where our love was young and free
Can't believe just what an empty place
It has come to be
I would give my life away
If it could only be the same
Cause I can't still the voice inside of me
That is calling out your name"

He got up and out of the hospital as soon as possible, grabbing his trench coat he quickly made his way out into the parking lot and into his car. Driving out into the highway and into the police station, he quickly gathered what he can about his wife's incident last night. It seemed it was a drunken truck driver, alcohol was found in his car and his slurred speech, flushed cheeks, and bad breath was certainly a dead give away. After reading this he couldn't help but feel anger burn its fiery rage within him, storming out of the police station after being given kami knows how many apologies for who knows what. He left to where the accident had occurred…

END OF FLASHBACK

He now stood before the accident, and couldn't help but feel the stinging pain of tears hit near the edges of his eyes as he stared at the massive amount of blood on the cement ground. Finally, not able to hold his tears anymore he left before any could spill from it's confinement; he walked down the street not bothering to answer his ringing cell phone, he couldn't hear it, walking onwards not caring if he bummed into anyone in the crowded sidewalk because he couldn't feel it. Walking onwards without a destination he continued on and on, until his roaming feet finally came to a stop.

Looking up with a tearful face he noticed this was a park, not just any park but 'their' park, it was the same park where his wife and he had first met. After their first meeting she insist he come back the next day, and continued to meet him there until finally they had to go to school. Luckily they went to the same elementary, middle and high school; it wasn't coincidence that was for sure. Misao and he applied to the top schools and of course top schools mean hard entrance exams, but that never stopped them instead they worked towards their goal together. Study sessions, library sessions and more; they practically did everything together even eat together!


"Soledad
It's a keeping for the lonely
Since the day that you were gone
Why did you leave me
Soledad
In my heart you were the only
And your memory live on
Why did you leave me
Soledad"

Walking around to all their childhood play sights, he couldn't help but smile bittersweet smiles in remembrance of it all. They would be called what the old folks call 'good ole' days…but the fact does not change; Misao is dead.

"Time will never change the things you told me
After all we're meant to be love will bring us back to you and me
If only you could see"

As he walked he remembered how they use to be; they use to walk to the store together, she smiled brightly at him while he gave her secret little smiles when no one was looking. How they use to go to sleep and in the middle of the night she would wake up and whisper 'I love you, Aoshi' to him thinking he was asleep. She would always talk about her day and ask about his, but recently he was busy with his new work assignment and because of that work she was soon ignored by him. He never met to hurt her, not to mention ignore her but working as an undercover cop doesn't make his life easy. He had his comrades to look after and responsibilities to hold up; he couldn't just abandon it all for her if she wished it.

He lost his comrades once and he was not going to do so again, only he didn't noticed he was so into his work and dead serious about protecting his friends and comrades that he never noticed her frowns when she watch him disappear out of their door. He never noticed the tears the flowed down her face at night while they sleep, nor did he ever noticed that she usually wait for him at night on the couch of their little living room for him to come home. She always smiled but he never made her feel better behind that fake smile of hers, she promised to always make him happy and so she did her end. By smiling for him and always wishing him good luck in his work and safe trips, cooking his meals that were usually left to go cold now and usually thrown away in the end since he never ate it. She did all she could to support him and his work, but never had she had her work been rewarded.

They no longer shared the same bed; he would usually disappear for weeks at times and would come home to her after worrying her so much she even made a fool out of herself at his work place. She didn't care though because in the end she still had him, he came home and that was all for her, but soon he left her for eight months….EIGHT! It wasn't regular, and so she ended up planning a scheme for her beloved husband to come home to her. She didn't care any more if he was angered by her scheme nor was she worried about the outcome, all she wanted was to have him back here with her again. And so, she soon stared her scheme using some connections here and there to get the whole plan started.

Her plan worked too! He came home faster than you could say, 'That was incredibly fast…' and was at her side by then. When he came and pulled the white cloth off her body she couldn't help but jump up and cling onto his board shoulders in excitement and relief. Because he was home…he was here…and that was all she needed, sure he'll leave again but still. In the end he was there and she received a huge lecture of doing something so 'irresponsibly stupid' but she didn't care, because he was there…

"Soledad
It's a keeping for the lonely
Since the day that you were gone
Why did you leave me
Soledad
In my heart you were the only
And your memory live on
Why did you leave me
Soledad"

He never noticed any of the little things she did, so now here he is…staring at their bedroom once more, alone. Walking up to their nicely made queen size bed, he noticed there was something on it. It was a knitting set, which was rather odd he had to admit. His wife was never one to have that kind of patience to even think about knitting, so why the change of heart? Bending over he noticed now that what she had knitted had taken shape. It was little sock like object or so he guessed, it wasn't finished but after a few more knots it was sure to be finished. He couldn't help but feel another bang of grief hit him as he remembered what the doctors had told him.

FLASHBACK

He stood there in the room, staring at his wife's body with a blank yet surprise look as a male doctor came in asking, "Are you Shinomori Aoshi by any chance?"

He didn't answer but the photo the doctor had of him was proof enough that he was indeed Shinomori Aoshi and for that he continued, "Well I'm sorry about what had happened to your wife, it was an unfortunate accident she had. And not to mention she was pregnant too…"

It was then that he turned his attention to the doctor who looked at him perplexed at the look he was receiving as he asked, "You did not know?"

The man before him merely shook his head dumbfounded before the doctor continued, "She was seven months along and it was a shame to have lost it before it could have been born. I had presumed she told you earlier since I am her doctor when she was pregnant; I was in charge of the whole process for her. She told me a lot about you Aoshi, she was rather ecstatic to have that child…" the doctor shook his head before continuing sadly, "but now it seems she wouldn't be able to have her wish after all…"

The man turned his astonished eyes back to his wife's deflected body as he spoke one word…"Why?"

END OF FLASHBACK

The man clenched his fists as he thought of it, all that time she never told him all because he told her not to bother him no more if it wasn't 'important.' He never thought about the possibility that she would be pregnant and would be crazy enough not to 'bother' him with the news of their child. If he knew he would have quit the assignment right away and went home to her, but she didn't and now…all he had left to look forwards to was nothing. The room wasn't empty but for some reason he felt that way, it wasn't cold either because the heater was certainly working but somehow he just couldn't feel that either. All he felt was a numbness that took over his body, leaving a cold feeling spreading quickly from his chest and throughout his body as though water. Washing painful waves of grief, sadness, anger, hate, self loathing and more in his body, back and forth, in and out came one emotion and was quickly replaced with another afterwards.

Painful tears stung his eyes as he thought more about it, he couldn't help but feel it's warmth flow down his eyes as his numb and cold body continued it's punishment on him for his stupidity.

END OF FLASHBACK

Author's Note: Okay, I know it's sad but who said life's fair right? So yeah, if you like it so far please review it's not finished but I can finish it in the next chapter. Tell me if you want a happy ending or a sad one, okay? I will count the votes and give you a ending then. Thanks for reading please don't flame, and hope you will give me some advice here.