Author's Note: Once again, I do not own any rights to the characters in this story; it is purely for nonprofit entertainment purposes. Also, once again, there is ALWAYS the possibility for STRONG lemon/mature material to pop up at ANY time in this story. I thank you all for your kind reviews, and though this chapter isn't very long, I hope you like it. Don't worry, there will be more :)

Misao, clad in a kimono, was walking as best she could down the mountain path without tripping. She really missed her old fighting gi, but it was no longer appropriate for a married woman to wear. She remembered how she had initially fought wearing kimono for so long, and it made her smile. It was Aoshi who insisted - and she knew why. He couldn't stand other men looking at the sight of her long legs. She giggled to herself, remembering that time that he spent the entire day, ominously in the corner of the Aoiya, staring down any man who dared to look at her. Most were smart enough to look away, but the ones that weren't got a brief verbal lashing from him. For his own sanity, she decided to dress properly, but she was still so clumsy - and so hot - in every kimono she wore. She carefully walked along, praying that her foot wouldn't catch on the hem, like it always did.

Her mind flashed to yesterday, when she had left the Aoiya, Aoshi, and Keiko behind. She remembered Keiko's tears, which rented her motherly heart. Calming her had been difficult, and Misao momentarily felt guilty for leaving. She might have been resolved to stay, were it not for one thing.

And that was the utter lack of emotion that Aoshi showed. Of course, he was never one to let his feelings be known easily, but after being with him for so long Misao had some inkling of his underlying thoughts. And as far as she could tell, he was still upset at her. He still thought she was taking a risk she shouldn't.

Easy for him to say! She thought. He never trusted her - he never thought she could care for herself. He always thought he had to do it for her - be her protector. It seemed as though he was blind to the fact that she had improved a great deal - her timing had quickened, and her ability to sense her environment and use cool, calm judgment had drastically improved.

Why wouldn't he realize that she wasn't as helpless as she used to be? Why did he always have to smother her?

Of course, she knew the answer to that question - it was because he had lost his longtime comrades and still felt guilty for it. Misao was positive that Aoshi saw them in her, in a strange way. He was trying to protect the last part of his past.

... ...

She finally made her way up the small mountain trail to the place Megumi had found. And it was amazing.

Sitting in between two jagged outcroppings of rock was a lovely inn, with a separate, smaller building. Both were built in a very fancy pagoda style, with a dragon perched atop each corner, as if standing guard. The outer walls of each building were bright red, with the roofs lacquered black. They looked just as fine as some of the famous teahouses in Kyoto.

Strange, she thought. It was very unusual to see such a fine place in the middle of the rural mountains. Then again, maybe the hot spring was special, or something.

She slipped off her geta and walked through the open front door. There was a lady kneeling at an old-fashioned desk in the corner. She was older - maybe fifty or so, give or take. She was strikingly fat, and had a slightly sour look on her face. She didn't look up as Misao entered.

"We're full, you'll have to go elsewhere," she said shortly. Before Misao could even bother to get annoyed, she raised her eyes. A different look overtook her and her face softened. "Oh, well, maybe we do have some room after all..." Very strange, Misao thought to herself.

"Actually, ma'am, I am here waiting for two other women. Their names are-"

Before she could finish, the three women she was about to name walked through the door from the back, wearing light robes as though they were going to be bathing soon. Kaoru's face lit up as she saw Misao, and ran toward her.

"Misao! You're finally here!" Kaoru's enthusiasm was intense, as always. She hugged Misao strongly. "How are you? It's been too long - at least a year and a half." That's right, Misao remembered. The last time Kaoru saw me, I was still carrying... him. My child. She worked hard not to let the thought show, but Kaoru, ever perceptive, gave her palm a slight squeeze.

"It's good to see you, Misao," Megumi said, in her foxlike way. At one time, Misao had envied Megumi so fiercely for her exotic beauty - but now that she knew her better, she was sad for her. Megumi had a great purpose in life, saving others, but her loneliness was sometimes almost tangible. The one man she loved belonged to her good friend. How she continued with such grace was something Misao couldn't comprehend.

"Hello, Misao," said the shy Tsubame, casting her eyelashes down. Having not seen her for more than three years, Misao was amazed. Tsubame was now sixteen - and soon to be married to Yahiko. She had grown into a lovely young girl - not a showy beauty, like Megumi, but pretty in a very quiet and feminine way. Misao could barely believe time had flown so.

"I've missed you all so much," Misao said, feeling true excitement for the first time in a while. This, she knew, was just what she needed.

... ...

Misao sighed as she slipped carefully into the almost uncomfortably hot water. The steam and heat sent prickles up her spine, relaxing her to the bone. Why didn't I do something like this sooner? she thought to herself. Getting away from a short while was just what she needed. Escaping the sorrow. Escaping the memories. Escaping the loneliness...

The darkness of the night. The endless hours of wishing for that which she couldn't receive. The quiet of midnight driving her and her body mad...

"Misao, are you all right? I don't think I've ever remembered you being this quiet," asked Kaoru, snapping Misao out of her reverie. Kaoru looked at her with slight confusion. "Usually you're talking so fast that we can't keep up." They had been chatting about Tsubame's wedding, and while Misao found it interesting, she couldn't focus on it.

"Oh, I'm sure it's just the warm water sending Misao to the daydream world," Megumi said wickedly. Misao blushed, but Tsubame blushed even harder.

"Tsubame-chan, you'll have to get over your embarrassment sooner or later," Kaoru teased, in a slightly haughty way. "After all, you'll soon be married - and I hope you know what's going to happen." She, Misao, and Megumi chuckled, but not unkindly. Everyone made fun of girls about to be married - Misao certainly hadn't escaped it - even though she wasn't a virgin when it happened. And she was pretty sure Kaoru wasn't, either.

"That makes me ask, Tsubame - how come you're here as well? Kaoru and Megumi didn't mention that you were going to come," asked Misao. "Of course," she added quickly, "I'm glad you came - I haven't seen you in so long." She smiled broadly. Misao and Tsubame had always gotten along quite well, perhaps because of their differences. They were about as opposite as women got, as far as personality.

"Kaoru asked me," answered Tsubame gently. "Yahiko is away right now, so I was glad to spend some time with Kaoru again."

"You mean, since you and Yahiko are attached at the hip, you feel lonely without him," Kaoru gently teased again. Tsubame blushed again; this time it definitely was not the effect of the hot spring.

"Oh, leave poor Tsubame alone," Megumi said. "After all, the one none of us has seen for so long is you, Misao. Tell us - how has married life been treating you? I still can't figure out how you managed to melt Aoshi's heart. Tell me, how are you?" As she said this, Misao felt certain she could nearly feel Megumi's eyes boring into her soul. She was certain that the lady doctor could sense the unrest in her heart.

"Yes," Kaoru said, smiling. "You never told us - is he any good?"

"Good?" Misao asked, genuinely confused at first. Then it hit her. Oh, great. Here we go. Now that she was older and wiser, she saw what Kaoru was doing. In order to spare Megumi's feelings, she was going to avoid talking about her relationship with Kenshin as much as she could. Tsubame wasn't married yet; and they had already been chatting about her plans for it for the past hour. Megumi was on this trip simply to try to forget as much as she could of the death and disease that surrounded her on a daily basis; it plainly wasn't something that she wanted to discuss now. And they had already asked about Keiko, and everyone at the Aoiya, and the doings in Kyoto while Misao was readying herself for the spring. There only remained one subject.

Her marriage. Her love life. Obviously, to everyone, Aoshi was one of the most mysterious people they'd ever met. They had no idea what to expect from him, and had no idea what married life with him would be like. They wanted details. After all, she would want them too, if she was in their shoes. And every time in the past that they had met, it was in the company of all the men. They hadn't had a chance to gossip, and here it was.

Great.

"Well... he's... ah... very good?" Misao answered uncertainly.

"Very...good? That's the best you can say?" Megumi said in her foxy way. "Certainly you have to know more than that."

"Oh, I don't know. He used to..." and her memory slipped back in time, to that one day. Before Keiko was born, she had lost another child. Their first, conceived from the very first time they made love. It was early, but she knew it for what it was. She had cried for days, inconsolable, for the very fact that it felt like she lost that very first time, in a way. She continued her sadness long after the miscarriage was over. Aoshi had held her, never leaving her during the entire episode. He brought her food, he wiped the tears from her eyes. When it was finally safe, he gently and tenderly held her, looking into her eyes, as he slipped her onto his lap and became one with her once again.

And after her boy, her beautiful stillborn boy, came into the world, he behaved like a monk. He was punishing her, she knew it. She couldn't stop the tears, which came as though floodgates had opened, silently. They took everyone else aback.

"He... used to hold me. He used to surprise me. He used to do things to my body that I don't even understand," Misao said, through the sudden tears. "But since we lost our son, he hasn't touched me in that way. He... he hasn't made love to me in more than a year." Saying it aloud made it feel even more keenly.

Kaoru looked shocked; Tsubame looked mortified. But was Misao imagining the small look of guilt in Megumi's face?