*Disclaimer* I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. My imagination is not that good. This is for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 2

Aoshi slowly made his way to the courtyard for the evening. He knew he could defeat Misao if he were blindfolded, but decided to do a few exercises anyway, more to clear his mind than for any other reason.

Everything Misao had just said to him was true, or so she believed. It still saddened him that she felt that way, but he couldn't yet find a way to change it.

Misao was so challenging, sometimes. He knew that he should show her some kindness, but he wasn't sure how. He'd spent too long trying to become the strongest there was, while all the time he was destroying his own soul. He had forgotten how to love a long time ago, and he was just now trying to re-learn. He was pensive and withdrawn by nature, but events in his life had caused him to become so impassive that he couldn't show even the slightest tinge of emotion to anyone. He was still consumed by fear.

And pride, he admitted to himself. He had tried to find a way to apologize to Misao for causing her so much pain, but every time he wanted to, the moment didn't seem right. It felt awkward and insincere. And as Aoshi never said anything unless it was worth saying, the words never left his lips unless they conveyed exactly what he meant.

As he began to go through his exercises, his thoughts ran. I can't believe that girl still intends to go to Tokyo. Even after I told her about the possibility of being raped! Okina had spared the really bad stories, which was a move Aoshi found to be unwise. Hearing about the girl who had had her tongue cut out, her body and clothing slashed to ribbons, with blood running down the inside of her legs, might have scared Misao into staying.

Foolish girl, she's impossible, he thought. He really did admire Misao's willful attitude, but it could be very difficult at times like this. Okina thought he was keeping Misao from getting into trouble by insisting she fight Aoshi, but Aoshi himself knew her better. He quietly sat a few feet from her door, listening to her sniffle for half an hour after running from him. After that, he was positive that she sat up, said, "Of course! It's too easy!" and started to move around her room. I'll need to be up early to keep an eye on her, he thought.

After an hour of practice, he bathed, went to his room, and lay on his futon. His thoughts raced.

I didn't know that Misao wanted children, he thought to himself. He then wondered if she even knew how children came to be, until he remembered that she was now a woman. She still seemed so young to him. Her body may have matured, but her mind was still that of a young maiden. You could change that, said a small voice in his mind, that he immediately chased away. He knew that there was something more to their relationship than just friendliness - only a fool couldn't feel the energy that crackled between them. But he was terrified of hurting her like he had hurt his closest friends.

His thoughts turned uneasily to them, until he finally succumbed to the inevitable nightmares.

Misao hopped from tree-top to tree-top, running from Kyoto. The cherry blossoms, so brief in their beauty, were beginning to shed their petals. They fell to the ground, to be forgotten shortly by the world. Just like my life will be, she thought gloomily.

She had waited until she was positive that everyone was asleep - especially Aoshi. Two hours after his light went out, she ever so carefully creeped to his door, listening for even breathing. Then, she left a little surprise on his floor that she knew would slow him down. Satisfied, she set off on her journey.

Finally! I'll be free for a while! She thought. She knew that Jiya would be angry at her, but she would send him a letter once she reached Tokyo safely. He would forgive her once he saw that she wasn't as helpless as Aoshi obviously believed her to be.

I can't believe he doesn't think I can fend for myself, she thought. He'll never see me as anything but a four year old child. She wiped a small tear from her eyes. I don't care!

But she knew it wasn't true. She had tried to hate Aoshi, back when he attempted to kill Okina and Himura, intending to take the title as the strongest. It was impossible for her. It was like asking her stomach to hate food, or asking her lungs to hate air. She would love him as long as she lived - as a friend, and as something more.

Don't think about that, she told herself. So she didn't.

She traveled over the course of several days, sleeping in the wild, never stopping at inns, where her safety could be more easily compromised. Sleeping up in a tree branch, as she had learned to do, kept her quite safe. She didn't have enough money for an inn, anyway. And she was hearing more and more about that rogue Yakuza gang from other travelers. The stories were horrifying, and she was positive that they were somewhat embellished. But she wasn't taking any chances.

Finally, after a week or so, she made it to Tokyo. She went straight to the dojo where Kenshin and Kaoru lived, and knocked on the door.

"Misao-chan! I can't believe it's you!" Kaoru's large and shapely form waddled right up to Misao, catching her in an excited embrace.

"Misao-dono, it's so lovely to see you," said Kenshin, grabbing her arm and helping her through the threshold. "Thankfully I have made us some dinner tonight," he said, immediately regretting the emphasis on the word "I" after getting an incredibly angry look from Kaoru. He mumbled something and immediately escaped to the kitchen to finish what he was doing.

Kaoru motioned Misao into her parlor and knelt on the floor. "Yahiko is at the Akabeko talking to Tsubame, and Sano is out most likely doing something I would rather not hear about. Megumi-san will be down tomorrow," she said, pouring some tea for both of them. "I'm so surprised that you actually decided to come! Kenshin told me right after I sent the letter that a dangerous gang of Yakuza was terrorizing the area around here, and I immediately wished I hadn't send it! I didn't hear about any of this, because obviously I'm not in any condition to leave the house," she looked down at her stomach and groaned. "I love my child, but I can't wait for him to come!"

"How do you know it's a him?" Misao asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh, I just know," said Kaoru. "I knew from the moment he took root in my womb," she said, and blushed, after realizing what it implied. "I'm so sorry - I probably shouldn't have said that in front of you!"

"Oh, nonsense, Kaoru, I don't care. I know the secret of life, though I'm positive Aoshi-sama still believes that I think that babies are made from rice dough," said Misao, slightly bitterly.

"So I guess he hasn't warmed to you at all, has he?" Kaoru asked, sadly. "Well, sometimes I think he might be," said Misao. "There was that one time when I slipped in a puddle, fell down, and managed to catch his umbrella with my feet. I know that I saw him try not to smile then," she said. "But he still thinks I'm a child, and I can't defend myself. He tried to keep Jiya from letting me come here."

"Oh, he was perfectly right to do that, Misao! It was dangerous indeed! And don't you see that that means he cares about you? If he really didn't he wouldn't have said anything at all and he would have let you run headlong into danger."

Misao had never seen it in that light before. Could it be true? Did Aoshi-sama feel something for her? She brushed the thought aside. I doubt it, she thought. "I need a break from thinking about Aoshi-sama for a while, Kaoru. And spoiling you and your new son is exactly what I have in mind. But first, I have to send Jiya a letter saying that I got here safely. I, uh, kind of left without getting his complete consent."

"What?!" said Kaoru. "Oh, Misao, I don't want you to upset your family!"

"No. Don't worry about it - Jiya will understand. I could tell he nearly let me come. It was Aoshi-sama who changed his mind."

"Well, go ahead and write. Hopefully it will get to them soon so that Aoshi doesn't come running down here anyway."

Misao had never considered this possibility. Could it be true? Yeah, right, she thought.