For a Favor

By Charmed Wolf

My disclamer here is that I don't own the characters of Rurouni Kenshin, they remain with their respected owner. This is just a fanfiction that I'm writing, so don't sue me.

Misao woke up finding a rose by her futon and a note written beautifully; Aoshi had been missing for over several months. No one could have found his body if something had happened to him, Misao is the only one that knew what happen to Aoshi one night while they were walking.

'I wonder how this lovely rose got here,' Misao thought to herself as she got dressed in some comfortable clothes, she went to what was Aoshi's room. She heard a noise downstairs which sounded like someone coming in; it was Saitou with news on Aoshi's whereabouts. "it's definately not a place for a weasel to go," Saitou smirked looking at Misao, she wasn't in the mood to be called a weasel. "But I am going if I want to, Saitou," Misao said with tears glistening in her eyes; Saitou just shook his head when he knew that Misao was going to cry. Later that same day, Kaoru and Kenshin came to visit to help with the search of Aoshi, Sanosuke was with them as well. "Misao-chan, i give you my full support," Kaoru hugged her friend comfortly; Kenshin agreed also hugging Misao. 'I must remain strong for Aoshi-sama,' Misao thought again going to sit with her friends, she had no idea that Aoshi was still alive somewhere. Saitou was just stating the obvious truth; Kaoru didn't want Misao to cry.

Meanwhile, Aoshi laid on a futon in an old healer's house unconscious covered in bandages over well toned muscles, whatever attacked him and Misao had severely hurt him. 'I wonder if Misao is safe at the Aoiya,' Aoshi thought as he started to open his icy blue eyes to wake up; he wondered how he got to the old healer's house. The old healer came to see how the young man she rescued was doing now, she was glad to see him awake. "How are you, young man?" the old healer asked bringing a bowl of some warm broth; carefully Aoshi sat up to take in some of the broth before laying back to rest.

Laying back after a quick change of the bandages, Aoshi laid back in the futon falling asleep from the warm broth. "I'm doing better.." Aoshi said with his voice a little weak from disuse, every once in awhile the old healer would give Aoshi some tea to help heal the injuries.

Kenshin and Saitou continued their search for Aoshi in the same area where they were in before, and only a scrap of a uniform was the only clue they had found. "It's a clue that Shinomori had been this way, Battousai," Saitou growled abit as he picked up the scrap of cloth; Kenshin was trying to imagine what happened with Aoshi. Saitou noticed the trail of blood heading to a small looking house that belonged to an old healer, Kenshin knew this is where Aoshi must have collapsed.

"My, my, you have to be the young man's friends," the old healer said ushering Saitou and Kenshin to where Aoshi was laying, Aoshi's torso was carefully bandaged to stop any bleeding.

Kenshin wondered what happened to Aoshi, to Saitou's surprise; Aoshi was still awake.

"So, Shinomori, what exactly happened to lead you to this condition?" Saitou asked sitting by the futon Aoshi was laying in, Aoshi didn't say anything at first because he really don't know what happened. The old healer took Aoshi's temperature, the temperature was fine and no concern as it once was when he was found on the ground bleeding profusely from several wounds.

"Himura, Saitou, I don't know what happen," Aoshi hoarsely said attempting to sit up.

Kenshin helped his friend to sit up to drink some tea that was prepared; that's when a man came to the house to warn everyone that there was a vampiress out looking for someone by the of Shinomori Aoshi. "But that's me," Aoshi nearly shouted, Kenshin wondered how could a vampiress be after Aoshi like that. The man didn't know and went away as quickly as he came to them; Aoshi held no emotion in his face and he was also worried for Misao's safety from him and this vampiress.

"Aoshi, you possibly wouldn't want to go out at this time of night," Kenshin said noticing Aoshi standing up to get his clothes on, and then Aoshi just collapsed on to the floor with pain.

Saitou moved to help Aoshi up off the floor, the old healer wondered what could have made Aoshi to collapse to the floor in pain. "I can gue-," Aoshi passed out from a poison that was in his system, the old healer told Kenshin to get Aoshi to a doctor and quick.

Kenshin remembered that Megumi had came with Sanosuke, Kaoru and him; may be she could help out with the poison. 'We will have to get Aoshi to the doctor, that we will,' Kenshin thought quickly as he quiely and quickly wrapped Aoshi in a blanket, Saitou had done his part by getting some help to get Aoshi back to the Aoiya before the poison had the chance to travel in his system.

Misao tried not to cry when she saw Aoshi being carried in, Kaoru held Misao rubbing the poor girl's back as the tears flowed from the eyes in streams.

"Well, I gotten whatever poison that was in Aoshi's system," Megumi said coming from Aoshi's room, the worse news was to come yet. Misao braced herself for some more bad news about Aoshi's condition, Megumi didn't want to make the poor girl even more upset. Misao was taken to Aoshi's room to be by his side, Megumi wanted Misao to see how terrible the condition was.

"Oh, Aoshi-sama, why did you take those hits for me?" Misao asked placing Aoshi's hand to her cheek as the tears fell from her eyes, then she felt the hand move gently against her cheek. "My pretty Misao, for a favor..don't..cry..for me..please," Aoshi said having a problem breathing; Misao was surprised to hear Aoshi's voice. She rewet the cloth that was on Aoshi's forehead and laying it back to try to bring down his fever, Aoshi had no choice but to let Misao to care for him.

"Misao, i got to check on Aoshi," Megumi gently said touching the shoulder, to the worse fear, Aoshi was getting worse. It sadden Misao to hear that Aoshi was dying, Kaoru tried to comfort her best friend. 'How could Aoshi be dying?' Misao thought without realizing there was a vampiress behind her, the vampiress smiled before going to Misao to talk to her for a bit. The vampiress quietly walked from behind to Misao, she knew that Aoshi wasn't feeling well. "It's because he loves you and cares about you to give up his own life so you could be safe, my dear," Naila said as she heard Misao starting to cry, she smiled wiping the tears from the eyes gently. Misao remembered was Aoshi had said when she saw him; it was all for a favor for her to stop crying over him.

'I will give her a present to keep her Aoshi from dying,' Naila though as she went to Aoshi's room finding him awake, she sat behind Aoshi holding him against her gently. She started to groom and heal the external wounds; Aoshi wanted his suffering to end and for Misao to be happy.

"My, my, you got yourself into a situation, haven't you, Aoshi?" Naila smiled as she stroked the side of the neck, Aoshi didn't know what was going on.

He wondered who the is vampiress was that was taking care of him, Aoshi wanted Misao to care for him until he died from this poison. "Who are..you?" Aoshi weakly asked the vampiress, she just whisper into his ear for him relax. Aoshi just relaxed in Naila's arms before she sank her fangs into his neck, she started to drink the blood without the poison affecting her. "You are to the point of death from the loss of blood, Aoshi," Naila bit into her own wrist for Aoshi to drink from, in which Aoshi drank from thus in order to keep from dying. Aoshi didn't want Misao to cry for him anymore; he got up and went to look at the night sky. "But why are you doing this, Naila?" Aoshi asked putting on his beige yukata that he always wore when going to meditate at the temple, but it seems that Aoshi had found his answer and his peace. That answer was a very special girl by the name of Misao, Aoshi didn't want to scare her to tell that he's a vampire; but he knew he still loved her.

"Misao-chan, I'm sorry, there was nothing i could have done for him," Megumi gently said to Misao until she heard footsteps from the stairs, to Misao's surprise, it was Aoshi walking downstairs.

"How could you be well now, Aoshi?" Misao asked reaching up to touch his face, tears ran down her face as she looked down. A gentle hand brought her face up to make eye contact, Aoshi held her chin with a gentleness. "I told you for a favor not to cry over me again, Misao,"Aoshi said brushing his hand against her cheek; he knew he had to tell Misao sooner or later that he was a vampire.

Hey, here is a new fanfic! Please read and review!