Title : One More Chance

Background: Meiji Era. Aoshi, 32 years old. Misao, 22 years old.

Warning: Some amount of OOCness and harsh language.

Summary: Misao left Aoiya without telling anyone where she headed.

Aoshi lied on his back while staring at the starry night sky above him. It had been a year since Misao left the Aoiya without telling anybody where she headed. He had been searching for her all over Japan. Every back-alley, train station platforms, temples and countless places. As the result, he found gawking priests, some mafias, rats and alley cats, blushing women on his way but Misao was nowhere to be found.

Aoshi arrived at Osaka city at morning and wondered through the city. Unfortunately, he ended up with nothing but some boxes of expensive green tea given by some unknown ladies who drooled over his appearance at the local market. He informed them about Misao's characteristics and asked them whether they have seen her in the city. But, all of them shook their heads and he was rewarded by their unexpected responses instead.

"I could be this 'Misao' girl if you want to," said the youngest lady.

"No, I'm better than her since I have bigger boobs." The other lady protested.

He immediately left the spot when the ladies started to fight each other since he didn't want to waste any second for such unimportant matters. Aoshi closed his eyes as he recalled his childhood memory with his precious one.

Flashback

"Aoshi sama."

Three years old Misao called him while running cheerfully. Her clothes, face, hands and legs were all covered in dirt.

"What is it, Misao?" He replied.

"Misao has caught a falling star." She smiled while showing him her tightly closed right fist.

"Show me." Aoshi kneeled down to take a better look. To his surprise Misao shook her head.

"Misao will show it to Aoshi sama later." She said.

"Why?" The eleven years old boy raised an eyebrow.

"Because Misao needs to make a wish first." She closed her eyes and mumbled something. Then, she opened her eyes and showed him what she had been gripping.

It was a tiny shuriken.

He was sure enough that Okina must have thrown it at the same time Misao saw the shooting star and told her that it was the falling star.

"You are bleeding." Aoshi said after he examined her right hand.

It seemed like she was gripping on it too tight since she was afraid that it might escape.

"Here's the medicine box, Sir." Hanya who was practicing nearby handed the medicine box to his leader. Aoshi took one of the medicine bottles.

"Misao sama, let me keep your star so Aoshi sama can take care of your wound." Beshimi kneeled down beside the small lady and was about to take her star when she immediately drew her hand back to her chest.

"No one except Misao is allowed to touch the star because when it happens the wish Misao made won't be granted." She said as several tear drops fell to her cheeks.

Beshimi let out a heavy sigh.

"What did you wish for?" Aoshi asked kindly.

"For Aoshi sama to stay by Misao's side forever." She muttered in a low voice.

"You don't have to ask the falling star to grant that wish." Aoshi replied.

"Why?" The girl stared at him confusedly.

"Because, I can grant that wish right away." He answered firmly. Misao's face turned red.

"Let me to take care of your wound." He demanded. Misao nodded and handed Beshimi her so-called falling star.

"Aoshi sama." She called him while wiping her tears.

"Yes?"

"Would you promise?" She stretched out her pinky.

"You have my words." He linked his pinky with hers.

End of flashback

He had promised her not to leave her behind. However, he broke his promise by leaving her to a journey with his subordinates when she was sleeping. Furthermore, he nearly sent Okina to heaven with the deadly blow of his swords when he was obsessed by his own selfish will to place a flower of 'the strongest' for his subordinates who died due to his careless mistakes.

He knew that any word of apology won't be able to repair the bitter past he had created with his own hands. But, to his surprise Misao was crying the tears of joy when she saw him coming back home from the battle with Shishio. She refused to take a rest until she saw him back home with her own eyes. He knew better than anyone else that a sinful man like him doesn't deserve a love from such an innocent girl. That was why he told her that she deserved someone better than him on their way back home after the cherry blossom viewing with Kenshin and the others when she told him that she wants to be by his side for the rest of her life. The next morning he was awake forcefully by Okina's weeping voice that was loud enough to be heard by all citizens of Kyoto. He hasn't seen Misao since then.

Aoshi stood up, cleaned his ninja uniform and started to continue his journey back to the Aoiya.

"Welcome home." Aoshi received an unfriendly greeting from Okina.

"I'm home." He responded plainly.

"Any news about Misao?" Aoshi shook his head.

"I see."

"Okina! we need some help here." Okon yelled in panic as she pointed at enormous number of customers queuing in front of Aoiya.

"Aoshi, get my kitchen apron!" the old man commanded.

"I don't know where it is."

"It's inside Misao's closet!" Okina replied harshly before he headed to the restaurant.

Aoshi climbed the stairs and slid opened the first room on the right. It was neat and he noticed some old paper cranes and a paper balloon he gave to Misao when they were little on the study desk. He opened her closet and took a box on which was written 'Okina's kitchen apron'. He removed the cover and his eyes widened in surprise when he found a small envelope with Okina's name at the attention row.

"Aoshi, what took you so long?" Okina complained as he walked into the room.

"There's a letter in the box." Aoshi answered as he handed Okina the white envelope. Okina flipped the envelope and gasped when he read the sender's name.

"It's from Misao!" He screamed happily as he torn the envelope and took the letter out. Aoshi stood beside his old man and read the letter along.

Dear Jiiya,

When you find this letter I'm sure that I already left the Aoiya. I'm sorry to make you worry. I know I'm being selfish but, I really need to do this to move forward. I'm going to give you a hint on where I'm hiding so read the following hints carefully.

Rice, Port

I'm sure that as a member of Oniwabanshu you can solve the riddle right away. I really hope I can see you again in near future and if I can't then let's meet each other in the next life.

P.S.: Please send my warm regards to Kenshin and the others

Cheers,

Misao

"My angel, Misao!" Okina started to weep. Aoshi took the letter from Okina's hand and re-read the hints.

"She's in the States." He concluded.

"What?" Okina shed his tears promptly.

"The word 'rice' is read differently when written in Chinese characters and it refers to the States." Aoshi explained.

"The States is not a small country you can explore in a night, boy. You have to be specific," Okina complained.

"She should've arrived in one of the major ports there."

"Major ports in the States would be…"

"New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Orleans." Okina had not finished his words yet when the Oniwabanshu ex-leader who's now working as the owner of Aoiya answered.

"You just have to check the immigration records when you arrive at those cities and you'll definitely find her," Okina beamed happily.

"I don't think I deserve the right to bring her back home." Okina gave a look of disbelief to the younger man beside him.

"Are you trying to run away from the fact again, Aoshi?"

"Definitely not. I have promised the former leader to take good care of her and I have come to a solution that it is best for her to find a better guy." He replied calmly.

"Misao is the one who decides what is best for her. Not you or the former leader!" Okina stressed his tone.

"It is irrational for a woman to choose a man who betrayed her twice." Aoshi added.

"No one needs to be a rational to love someone, Aoshi."

"You're not making any sense, Okina."

"You kept denying your true feeling toward her with your words but deep inside you were longing for her. That's why you kept searching throughout Japan the whole year and now when you found where she is you just walk away from the fact to protect yourself from being rejected. Open your eyes, Aoshi. Look at the coward you have become!" Okina gritted his teeth aguishly. Aoshi fell in silence.

"It is your duty to bring Misao back home." Okina concluded as he closed the door harshly behind him. For the first time in his life Shinomori Aoshi, the ex-leader of Edo's famous Oniwabanshu finally realized that he was in love.

Some months later

Misao curled up after she pulled the thin blanket to cover her body. She was wearing a white negligee with her shoulder length hair loosened. The temperature was low enough to make her shivered and she could not afford any heating equipment since she could only find an occasional work at the New York port due to incapability of speaking English. She sighed when she realized that the cold towel on her forehead fell to the floor. It had been two days since she ran a high fever. She rose up slowly from her bed and was about to get a glass of water when her front door sprung open revealing the figure of a familiar image dressed in black suits.

"A-Aoshi…sama..." She uttered weakly.

"Misao, let's go home." He walked closer then took her right hand.

"Let go of me!" She snapped his hand and grabbed the edge of her bed to keep her balance.

"Misao..." A look of hurt was shown in his green blue orbs.

"Leave me alone. You only think of me as a burden." She requested weakly.

"Listen to me, Misao." He pleaded.

"I have been listening enough to all of your excuses and I don't have enough patience to hear more." She covered her ears with both hands. Tears fell down both of her cheeks as she sobbed hard. He frowned.

"Hannya kun and the others may be unfortunate but I believe that they're satisfied since they managed to protect you." She continued.

"Misao..." He called her.

"Aoshi sama, please don't turn me into an unfortunate living dead by denying my presence all the time." She chocked painfully. Her endlessly falling tears have caused her difficulty in breathing properly. Aoshi leaned forward and embraced the girl in front of him lovingly.

"I'm sorry, Misao. But, I need you by my side." He whispered while caressing her locks. Misao gasped at his words before she slowly moved her hands to hug his lower back.

"Let's go home, Misao and let's start from the beginning." He continued. After a while, Misao nodded to his request.

Aoshi removed his jacket and covered her tiny body with it before lifting her up in bridal style and stormed out of the house.

"Way to go, love birds!" A guy in his early fourties from the neighborhood raised a thumb at them.

Misao could feel her face burning with something other than fever. After running for about half an hour, they finally arrived at the port. Aoshi bought two one way tickets for them before they climbed the stairs into the ship. He placed her on the bed when they entered their room. From her weight he found that she has lost some pounds. He managed to order a bowl of chicken soup, so he placed it on the table nearby and helped her into a sitting position. She obediently ate the soup until the last drop before she lied back to her former position. Her cheeks were rosy red due to her high fever and she was trembling.

"Aoshi sama, what are you doing?" she got panic when she saw him started to remove his upper clothes.

"Reducing your fever with my body temperature," he answered plainly.

She shut her eyes tightly when he took off her clothes. Misao felt her heartbeat pace rose up when their bare skin met each other. He hugged her shoulders and drew her closer to his muscular chest.

"Aoshi sama."

"Yes?"

"I thought I could get a new guy and start a better life at the new place. But, I realized that I was mistaken." He did not dare to give any response.

"Whenever I go to sleep I dreamed about you. No matter how hard I try, everything my eyes caught just remind me of you."

"Enough, Misao." He told her.

"Aoshi sama, please let me stay by your side. You are the only one that I love and it is tearing me apart to live in a world without you in it." She sobbed. He pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed the top of her head.

"Misao," he whispered.

"Yes, Aoshi sama?" She replied after wiping her endlessly falling tears.

There was a long pause.

"Would you give me one more chance to love you from the beginning?" Aoshi said after he swallowed the lump in his throat.

Misao felt tears welled up in both of her eyes again.

"My pleasure." She replied. He smiled at her. She was glad when she noticed that it wasn't an artificial smile. For the first time in her life she was finally able to retrieve his real smile.

"Aoshi sama."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember when you came to Aoiya late at night and I was just finished taking a bath?"

"Yes"

"Did you saw me naked?" After a moment that seemed like forever Aoshi nodded.

"You pervert! You shall take the responsibility." She chuckled.

"Is that a marriage proposal?" He asked playfully. Misao could feel her face heated up when she heard his question.

"What would you say if it is?" She asked him nervously.

"Yes, of course." He answered firmly.

She smiled as tears of joy fell from both of her eyes. Aoshi leaned forward and locked his lips with hers in a long and passionate kiss.

To Be Continued