AN: Okay - I've been depressed lately so this chapter isn't as good as I would like. Not sarcastic, pretty boring. I apologyze. I will rewrite it later, because right now I'm a bit too down to do so. So, please put up with this then?


I was having the weirdest dream…

Everyone I knew, including some others, were animals.

I was a raccoon, Misao was a weasel, Megumi was a fox, Sanosuke was a rooster, Aoshi was a polar bear, Soujiro was a cheetah, Saitou was a wolf and then there was this unknown dragon with crimson scales.

And we were all having tea.

I do believe I've never been more mentally disturbed before.

Well, you would be too, if Saitou – the biggest hard-ass in the world and just so happens to my landlord and an ex-police officer – offered you a cup of jasmine tea with the biggest smile that showed far too much teeth to be polite.

And just when the strange dragon had started to slink towards me…

Misao woke me up.

Can't say I'm not happy that she did…

But the principle of this matter is to let sleeping dogs die.

Wait.

Never mind.

"Kaoru! Wakey-wakey, sleeping beauty!"

I felt someone poking me in the shoulder.

"Attempt to kiss me awake, I will sodomize you with your own kunai."

I managed to open my eyes and glare at the stupid weasel.

"This is the thanks I get for informing people that we are nearly at the correct destination? The nerve!"

I swear she gets indignant about everything.

"Misao. You did nothing of the sort, you woke me up and we are still in the middle of a freaking highway!"

Which reminds me, how is she poking me and not crashing at the same time?

Oh god.

She killed us, didn't she!

"No we aren't, we're just entering the city. And don't look at me like that, you're alive so stop feeling yourself up!"

I glared again.

"I am not feeling myself up, I am checking for any bodily damage!"

"Well, for starters, it'd be mental damaged concerning you."

Oh, that one hurt!

"And concerning you, we aren't even going to go into detail!"

"We?"

"Yes. We."

She stared at me with that infuriating eyebrow lifted.

And poorly at that!

"Who is 'we'?"

"Me, Freddy, bob and bill."

I couldn't help but respond dryly.

"Freddy, Bob, Bill and I."

I blinked.

"Uh. Me, Freddy, bob and bill."

"No. Freddy, Bob, Bill and I, for fuck sakes"

Well… FINE.

"Fine then, you guys go ahead then. I'll just start my own 'we' with Jack! Fucking bastards."

She stared at me.

I stared back.

"You're insane."

"And loving every minute of it, ruining this banquet for the mildly inspiring andddd…"

"I don't know why you like that band so much."

Misao hated it when I sung.

I hated it when she talked but I didn't complain…

Often.

"Because they are unique and have long song names!"

I couldn't help but grin.

Even Misao got tongue-tied trying to pronounce the song titles.

"So, we still in the Land of Oz, Toto?"

"No, and I am not Toto, you moron!"

"No, you're a munchkin."

"And you're the wicked witch of the west then, right?"

It was kind of ironic that as soon as she said that, we passed over a bump.

A bump which made the drink I had rested in the cup holder beside me slosh onto my lap.

"I R MELTING!!!!!!"

More like freezing, really.

That drink must of turned into a slushie.

"Not on my car seats your not!"

"Really?"

I looked down and, sure enough, I wasn't.

Goddamnit.

I liked the thought of her ruined leather car seats.

Maybe next time then.

"Retard."

"Bless you."

That fly was back again.

Stupid bug.

"MISAO."

"… What, raccoon girl?"

I glanced in the small rear view mirror.

I had raccoon eyes!

Noooo!

Stupid mascara running while I was sleeping!

"Use your magical powers to spontaneously combust this fly."

She snorted at me.

"Why don't you?"

"… Uh… because I'm lazy?"

"Plus you're a bad cook."

I twitched violently.

So what if my cooking was hazardous to health.

It was an improvement from blowing up the kitchen.

Last time I did that, it had been at Megumi's house.

Needless to say, the firefighters came.

"And you're not allowed caffeine, we deal with it… more like rejoice."

She hit me.

Don't tell me she's still sensitive about the whole 'never allowed to have anything with caffeine in it, EVER AGAIN!' thing.

"I'm still upset about that so shut your mouth!"

I just said don't tell me!

Stupid, unable-to-read-minds weasel.

"ENOUGH. Use the your magical powers, woman!"

"Urgh, will you leave me alone if I do?"

I just gave her the large puppy dog eyes that I was famous for.

One look with these eyes and Yahiko gave me his pudding for the rest of the year!

Buahahahaa.

"Fine. Uhm. Bibbity, bobbity, boo! I command the fly to die!"

I peered very close at the still fly against the window.

A bit too close.

She drove over another bump.

A bump that had my head smack forwards into the window.

"DAMN BITCH, LEARN TO DRIVE!"

She giggled.

So, I turned around to glare at her.

Only she burst into such hysterics that she had to pull over to the side of the road near a large doctors building.

"What, may I ask, is so fucking funny?"

She laughed even harder, slamming her small forehead against the steering wheel while she cackled away.

I glanced in the mirror.

And promptly screamed so loud that I was surprised that the windows didn't shatter.

There.

In the middle of my forehead.

Was the fly?

Smooshed basically into my skin.

"THERE IS FLY GUTS ON MY FACE!"

I screamed again which caused Misao to start laughing even harder so that she was gasping like a fish out of water for oxygen.

"GET IT OOOFFFFFFFFFFFF!"

And that's how I spent three minutes staring at myself in the mirror, screaming, which Misao hacked her organs up.

I stopped when Misao handed me one of those washcloth things that they had in KFC.

She laughed all the while I cleaned the guts and bug remains off my forehead.

Once I was certain that my face was clean, I threw the paper out the window, regardless of the dirty looks I got.

There was silence in the car.

"What do you know, I am magical!"

"… Not another word."

The sound of her screeching laughter echoed in the street as she hightailed it out of there.

--

"Mou! Surely we are there by now!"

I sighed irritably, glaring out the windscreen while Misao sighed as well.

"Yes, Kaoru, we are here!"

Whoot!

"About bloody time too! Why did the lovely pair have to chose to move us here of all places?"

"Uh. Because, for one – we have new jobs here and two – it's the best place for Yahiko to go to school at!"

Ah, that's right.

Our new shiny jobs.

And the brat's education, of course.

Misao was off to become a fully-fledged ninja with the help of Aoshi.

And I was a waitress/bartender at a funky new nightclub and small, attached restaurant called the Akabeko.

Joy.

And until Misao and I could get our own apartments or even share one, we get to stay at Sano's and Megumi's!

No offense to my dearest older cousin, but how she manages to put up with that oaf Sano is a mystery to me.

But I'm not going to say he's a bad bloke.

Sure he's a freeloader, teases me and filches my food when he thinks I'm not looking, but he's really like an older brother to me.

Yet his suggestion that we all stay at his place while we looks for our own place to stay was idiotic at least.

Five of us under the same roof.

We're all going to die.

"Yeah… hey is that the place!"

We both stared out the window at the large apartment building that loomed before us.

We gulped.

"Can Sano even afford a weeks rent at that place?"

"Meg is a doctor."

"Oh, that's right."

I looked at the small piece of paper with Misao's handwriting scrawled across it.

Reading the address and looking up at the number plate on the large building, I managed to come to a conclusion.

"It's the right place."

Misao slowly pulled into the large driveway and parked the car in a visitor space that was empty.

"Well, let's go then!"

"Sure, but there is no way that Yahiko and Sano are getting out of baggage duty."

Misao and I gave identical wicked grins as we both exited the car, slamming the doors shut behind us.

Stretching languidly, I managed to feel a moment of giddiness at the fact that I finally got to see my cousin and be out of the car!

Linking arms with Misao as she finally finished locking the car, the pair of us skipped into the building and headed for the elevator.

Time to greet our lovely hosts then!

--

"Mou! Open the damn door up! What the hell are you doing in there? Creating Sanosuke Junior? HELLO? FAMILY MEMBERS OUTSIDE IN THE COLD, YOU MORONS! DO YOU HAVE NO HEART?"

I am an impatient person.

There was a muffled curse somewhere in the apartment along with some chuckling noises.

Finally, the door swung open with a bit more force than needed.

"Tori-atama! About time!"

Misao and I pushed past him into the warm apartment, Misao managing to poke him in the ribs as she went.

"Geez, Jou-chan, a little louder next time?"

"I'll do my best then, sir!"

Sano slammed the door behind him.

"Any troubles for you two on the way here?"

Misao and I glanced at each other before smiling and shaking our heads in unison.

"I take that as a yes then."

This man knows us too well.

"Where is my kitsune of an older cousin?"

"Right behind you."

"… Shit."

Turning around, I stared up at my taller cousin with an impish smile.

She didn't hear anything at all.

Nope. Nada. Nothing.

"Kitsune, eh? You're one to talk, starting a new fashion with those eyes?"

"What, blue?"

"Honestly, you are so oblivious it hurts, you know that?"

"I think I should be more oblivious, don't you?"

"Shut up and give me a hug!"

I did so and I seriously regret hugging her… or more like her breasts.

Not a nice feeling, seeing as my head is in level with her chest, really.

"Can't. Breathe!"

"Oh? Oh, I'm sorry! I forget how tiny you are… and Misao, of course."

I heard a muttered 'Gee thanks' from Misao somewhere behind me.

"I am not tiny. I am full of womanly curves. I'm merely short for my age."

Even Yahiko was taller then me now.

But, at least I was taller then Misao.

"Of course you are. Now, please go freshen up, both of you."

With one look at our ruffled and dirty appearances, Megumi pointed a manicured finger towards the direction of the bathroom.

"Dinner will be ready shortly so be quick! And don't walk around half-naked, we do have guests."

I managed to scowl at Megumi for bringing that up.

It only happened once and it was because Sano conveniently forgot to tell me that his college buddy was coming over.

"You spoil my fun, kitsune!"

--

After scrubbing off the black stains on my face, I managed to get dressed in something casual just as Misao walked in on me.

"Aoshi-sama is here!"

I gagged, glancing at the way her eyes seemed to sparkle at the mere name of that Icicle.

"I was wondering why it was cold all of a sudden."

Misao glared and swiped at my head.

"What are you, a thermometer?"

I sneered back at her, flicking her forehead.

"Aren't you looking flashy, weasel-girl? Intending on helping Aoshi-samaaaaaaaa remove that stick from his ass?"

I snorted.

Misao didn't know what inconspicuous was even if it danced in front of her, naked.

Dressed in a mid-thigh little black number, Misao had probably pulled out all stops for this.

"You can say that."

Oh, ew.

That was not cool.

I gagged again, turning back to the mirror.

Yep, time to go.

"May as well face my doom now, come, Ice-sucker."

Misao blanched at the nickname and I had to run out of the bathroom to avoid her flailing limbs.

"KAORU! I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THAT ONE!"

"MOU! YOU ICE-SUCKER!"

I giggled insanely into the living room, not looking where I was going.

Smack.

"Fucking wall!"

"… Are you okay?"

Hold up, hold up…

"Can walls talk?"

"I don't believe so."

Ah, must have asked that aloud. Damn.

A hand came in my line of vision and I grasped it.

"I'm Kenshin and you are…?"

Kenshin …

Oh right, Meg's 'Ken-san'.

"My name is Kao…"

Ladies and Gentlemen: You have not seen anything as handsome as this man right here.

I knew I was staring and probably drooling too, but give me a break!

"Kaoru. I'm Kaoru."

Red hair, probably a bit shorter than mine.

Deep amethyst eyes swirled with tiny flecks of amber.

Oh la la!

But, he was extremely short…

Only an inch or two taller then me.

Heh.

Midget.

"Kaoru…"

I felt my toes curl at the way he said my name.

No man should have a voice as seductive as that.

"Pleasure to meet you."

I smiled brightly.

"Very."

Suddenly, the image of a golden-eyed dragon flashed before my eyes.

One tiny glance at the predatory gleam in his eyes was enough to make me consider running.

But something told me that this man would enjoy a chase far too much.

"Megumi! Is dinner ready yet?"

I ignored the fact that my voice was higher then usual.

I blame it on the road trip.


Thank-you everyone who reviewed. It meant very much to me and I feel bad for making such a cruddy chapter. -sad- So, I'll make it up to you all, I promise. And yes. I know. Hardly any sarcasm.

Is it too much to ask for reviews?

Trance.