"Megumi-chan, let's close down shop for today."

          "But it's only 3:30 in the afternoon. What about later appointments?"

          "Well, Satoshi-san won't be coming in at four. I saw him at the Akabeko and his stomach pain is gone."

          "What did he do?"

          "I fed him an apple. So that leaves us with Ueno-san, but he won't be coming in, either. He was eating lunch with Satoshi-san and asked me to rewrap his thumb with a bandage his wife laundered. And that, Megumi-chan, leaves us open for a late afternoon picnic."

          "Picnic?" "The Himuras invited us. It would be nice to enjoy this fall weather, and you've been working too hard lately."

          She laughed as she stacked together the paperwork that cluttered her desk. "What shall we bring?"

          "I bought two watermelons on the way from the restaurant. Rather heavy, but I think we can manage."

          "All right then, let me get the key and we'll be on our way."

          The older doctor went to the well to retrieve the watermelons and met her by the front gate.

          "Yo, where are you two going?" the tall rogue said as he rounded the corner of the clinic.

          "Ah, Sanosuke, we're meeting the Himuras by the river for a picnic." The old man struggled as he lifted the watermelons.

          "You, too? That's good, I'll walk with you. And here, let me get that for you." He took the watermelons effortlessly and placed one on each shoulder. "Let's go."

          "Wah, we're lucky you came to help, I think I would've broken my back before the first bridge!"

          They all walked as Dr. Genzai remarked at the changing color of the tree leaves. Megumi was silently thankful for the early break. The breeze in the afternoons were much more enjoyable under the shade of a tree than inside the clinic. As the wind danced through her hair, she lost herself in her thoughts as a childhood memory slipped a grin across her rosy lips. Has it really been that long, the days of her youth? Her gaze lowered as she recalled mimicking her father with her own little mortar and pestle, grinding leaves to make medicinal teas. How fun it was for her to have her parents inspect the pills she made alongside those made by her father. Hers were not only three times as big, she thought that since they were bigger, they would be better. And so ensued a lesson in dosing technique. Oblivious to her surroundings, her recollection was interrupted by Sanosuke's deep voice.

          "Hey fox! Where are you going? The party's over here." She almost crossed the bridge over the river halfway. Embarrassed, she made her way to the tree under which a blanket was set. The Himuras' son and Dr. Genzai's granddaughters ran about, chasing each other on the grassy knoll.

          "I'm glad you two could make it," said Kaoru, slicing the cake and placing two pieces onto plates. "The children already ate some, would you like a piece?"

          Thanking them, the two doctors eagerly took a bite. "Aren't you glad to see me, too, 'Jou-chan?"

          "Yes, but you always make it whenever food is involved."

          After the laughter subsided, Kenshin produced a bottle of sake before the group. "Sano brought us something, too, so be a little easy on him." He opened the bottle and poured a shot for Sanosuke.

          "Ooh, give me some of that, Kenshin, that's the good stuff!" Dr. Genzai gleefully offered his cup.

          The men began talking about the comings and goings of their part of town, mostly of businesses that recently opened in their district. Megumi sat by Kaoru as they watched the men slowly unwind to the sake coursing through their veins. Uninterested with the topic, they started their own discourse.

          "I suppose it wasn't too busy at the clinic today, huh?"

          "No, and I'm really glad because I rarely have these luxurious breaks from the clinic. That cake is really good. From the Akabeko?"

          "You got it." Kaoru winked, then shifted her gaze to the running children. "They're growing like weeds. Kenji can write his name now, and we thought we should go ahead and enroll him in school."

          "I think it would be good for him, and it will give you guys a break from chasing after him." The breeze blew past them, cooling the tiny beads of sweat on the spectators' brows.

          "Are you happy, Megumi?"

          "What do you mean, 'am I happy'? I'm content."

          "Hnnn... you sure were content enough to halfway pass the bridge."

          "Oh, that... I was just thinking about my days as a little girl."

          "And do you miss it?"

          After a few moments of silence, "Yes, I suppose I do. But I'm an adult now, so I shouldn't dream like a little girl anymore."

          "So what do you dream about, Ms. Grown-Up Megumi?"

          The young doctor stretched out and rested her back against the tree. "Well, where should I start?"

          "Let's start with what you want to have."

          "Okay... well, for starters, I've always dreamed of my own home. You know, the kind that's big enough to hold little parties for my friends, like all of you, but small enough that I can clean it by myself without exhausting myself."

          "Wouldn't you be lonely? I mean, such a big home and you're all alone?"

          "Hmm... I never really thought about that... but now that you've brought it up, yes, I suppose I might be lonely. But I'll be so tired after treating patients I won't even have time to sulk about being lonely. I'd like a part of that dream home to be a clinic."

          "Kind of like Dr. Genzai's?"

          "Yes, but only bigger."

          "Sounds like to me you want a hospital, not a house."

          They both laughed. For Megumi, this was truly rewarding for all her hard work: conversation with a good friend, cake on her plate, and cool breezes against her face.

          "How about sharing that big house with somebody?"

          "You mean an assistant?"

          "No, you silly, I mean a husband." Megumi dropped her angled neck towards Kaoru and rolled her eyes.

          "You know that's out of my equation."

          With a mouthful of cake, her companion asked, "Why not?"

          "Well, what man will want to marry me, a woman whose profession is domineered by men? I think it would be intimidating to the poor fellow. And besides, it's too late for me."

          "What? Are you crazy? It's never too late. Did you hear about 'Baa-chan Yamazaki and her new husband, 'Jii-chan Sato? Can you believe it, those two are in their sixties, way past the age of marriage, and they didn't let that stop them! So personally, I think you're holding out."

          "Holding out for what?"

          "For a certain somebody whose name I can't really mention." Kaoru smiled and quickly looked at Sanosuke, now laughing at Dr. Genzai's silly jokes and unaware of the ladies' musings. The flush of her cheeks betraying, Megumi hissed at Kaoru.

          "Good grief, you can't possibly be serious! That's like marrying a street dog! No way!"

          "Come on, Megumi! Just give him a chance. He doesn't bite."

          "How can you be so sure? At least Ken-san is there to protect you if he does strike to bite. Who's going to protect me? There is no cure for rabies at this moment."

          "Mou, I promise he doesn't bite and he won't bite." And with a wink, she rose and walked to the children, kite and string in hand. Turning around, she added, "Megumi, sometimes you don't notice things that are right in front of you." She watched Kaoru as she approached the children. Well, maybe it's because that particular thing is so ragged and unrefined. Letting out a sigh, she glanced over to the men and saw Dr. Genzai sleeping peacefully with a grin on his face. Kenshin joined his family on the field, leaving her with the tall ruffian all alone. She leaned her head against the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes, praying silently that he wouldn't talk to her.

          A few minutes passed by and she fell asleep. From the corners of her mind came her childhood memories; she saw herself running away from her father who chases her around the backyard, her mother nursing a pet cat after it had given birth to kittens, her parents patting her back affectionately after the same cat died of old age. She thought that medicine alone could let her pet last forever.

          'No one can live forever, Megumi-chan. Doctors and medicine can only make the physical body feel somewhat better. But in the end, every one dies. The good thing to know is that you've made people live their lives a little easier, and that living life is what you make of it. No matter how well we can help heal the body, it is up to the patient to decide to live life to its fullest. We are not gods, Megumi. We are public servants. We take what we've learned and use it to help people. And you've helped 'Tou-chan and 'Kaa-chan so much, you even helped old Shiro-kun. But every one lives a life that has a limit. Shiro-kun's time just ran out. Do you understand, Megumi-chan?'

          Sanosuke was minding himself, eating a piece of watermelon when he glanced over at Megumi and saw a tear trickle down her porcelain cheek. He rose silently and crept alongside her, using his sleeve to wipe her escaping tears. She roused.

          "Are you okay? You were crying in your sleep."

          Disoriented and vulnerable, she let him dry her tears.

          "There. You know, you're much too pretty to cry. But you're far more beautiful when you're picking fights with me."

          Somewhat surprised with his comment, she let out a small chuckle. Letting out a yawn, she asked, "How long have I been asleep?"
          "About half an hour or so."

          "Oh."

          She scanned the field for the Himuras and the children, and the girls and Kaoru were braiding flowers into their hair, while Kenshin and Kenji flew the kite.

          "So, you gonna tell me which prince charming had the guts to unnerve you to tears?"

          "What prince charming?"
          "Isn't that why you were crying?"

          "Oh, no… for some reason I dreamt about my parents and my cat back in Aizu…" She stared out at the field, at Kaoru and the girls and the flowers in their hair. It was a scene from some fairytale, with the golden rays of the afternoon sun striking them with ethereal glow that made her think of angels.

          "And?"
          No answer.

          "I see. I guess I'm not important enough for you to keep a conversation." He took a watermelon seed the fell on the blanket and flicked it at her cheek, startling her into an irritated reply.

          "What was that for?"

          "I asked you a question and you ignored me!"

          "Well, I didn't mean to, so stop being a child!"

          "Hmph." He sat up straight, took a big bite of the watermelon piece in his hand and purposely swung his head away from her.

          "And why do you care, anyway? You've never cared for much in your life other than that big gut of yours."

          Sanosuke choked upon hearing her words. "Listen, you… you… fox! I care for lots of people and things in my life, and it's none of your business criticizing me about it." So annoyed was he that he ignored the juice that gushed and begun to dry from his mouthful of watermelon.

          "Neither is it yours to pry me for the content of my dreams!"

          They stared at each other with piercing eyes, their little spat leaving their breaths a bit ragged and mouths ready to spew out fire.

          Then for a moment, her gaze lowered to his mouth, with the sticky evidence of sloppy eating manners plastered below the corners of his mouth. Good God, he is a child. She smiled.

          "What are you laughing at? I was just trying to help, and here you go stroking me the wrong way…"

          She took out a handkerchief from her obi and wiped the residue off his mouth, forcing him to gape in astonishment.

          "So was I, chicken head, so was I…"

         From the distance, the redheaded swordsman and his wife looked on at the previously bickering pair, the children sitting around them.

         "'Tou-chan, why do they always fight and then be nice to each other again?"

          All of them laughed at the little boy's innocence. Even the old doctor's granddaughters understood that theirs was a bond layered with affection and witticism.

          "Because, Kenji, they don't know any better." Kaoru lifted the boy and sat him on her lap. Her husband wrapped an arm around her and supported his weight on the other. It was amusing to hear about the rogue and the doctor from his five-year-old son's point of view.

          "Well, can't they just kiss and hug like you and 'Kaa-chan do?"

         With a merry laugh he tickled his son. "Why don't you go ask them?"

         "Kaa-chan always said to mind your own beeswax."

         All four laughed in unison as the little boy continued his remark. "I think they're silly. Being angry makes you tired all the time."

         They fell to the ground in laughter, thinking that this picnic was truly a great idea. It was entertaining to hear knowledge from the mouth of a babe.

         The sun was barely visible across the horizon when they decided to pack up and head home. After saying their goodbyes, the old doctor, refreshed from his nap, led his two grandchildren down the road, while their two awkward and silent companions straggled behind.

         He was too bitter to tell her. Why was he even walking down the same road as she? He should just take another route home.

         Why do I like torturing myself?

         "Hey fox," he muttered, kicking a small pebble out of his way. "I'm sorry I flicked that watermelon seed at you." He felt as if he was shrinking inside himself, as if apologizing devoured all his pride and gusto. He debated which was worse: feeling hopelessly defeated by this woman beside him for apologizing or having to suffer through days without her pardon.

         She didn't utter a word.

         All right, it's time to panic.

         "Hey fox! You got wax in your ears? I said I was sorry."

         They arrived at the clinic's gate and the party before them bade him goodnight before disappearing into their home. She proceeded to go in and she was halted by his plea.

         "Oh Megumi, please don't ignore me. I was just playing around. Like I said, I'm sorry."

         She turned around and looked at him.

          "You know, Sano, you've just made me the strongest woman in Tokyo."

         Oh boy, here it comes.

         "And what makes you say that?"
          "Because the most feared man with the most powerful fists in Tokyo is nervous and afraid of not being noticed by a little woman like me. I'd say I'm pretty incredible for having that effect on you."

         "Hey woman, you've got some nerve—"

         "You better believe I have nerve! Lots of it!" She made a little girl face and pouted at Sanosuke. "Oooh, so starved for affection, here's a watermelon seed in your face. Not being paid any attention, boo-hoo all over the place!"

          His jaw dropped slightly ajar at how well she took advantage of him. Wasn't he just there ripping his chest out with his apology in hand? And here she was making fun of him! The nerve!

         She was now laughing at him, a familiar and playful tone that always made him want to laugh with her. Admiration replaced irritation; she was especially beautiful when she was happy.

         He decided to accept defeat.

         "All right already. But seriously, I didn't mean it."

         Her laughter subsided and she eyed him quietly. "I know. And I really didn't mean to ignore you."

         "So does this mean we're not at war anymore?"
          "We were at war?"

          "It always seems like it."

          "All right, then I suppose we can call a truce."

         She held out her pinky finger. He looked at it skeptically at first, and then understood their private contract. He clasped his around her slender finger and sealed their agreement. "A truce."

         "Thanks for carrying the watermelons today. Goodnight, Sano."

         Letting his reluctant finger go, she turned and went inside the clinic.

         Sanosuke stood outside for a few more moments, thinking back to her words earlier. She's right, she is the strongest woman in Tokyo. She's got me wrapped around her little finger. And he walked off.