Chapter 4

"I see," Kaoru said taking a sip of her tea as Rika had just finished the whole story. It was now dawn and they had been up all night talking. "Well, I guess its time for me to leave this room." Rika looked at the other woman surprised, she wasn't ready for that. Kaoru attempted to stand but as she got up she started to tumble back down. Rika quickly caught her, and helped her up the rest of the way.

"There is no need for you to do everything on your own, let me help you," Rika said as Kaoru looked at her and smiled. It was the first smile Kaoru had made in almost 6 months, or maybe even longer. Rika helped her walk out side in the breaking light and Yahiko, Akaki, and Kenji stopped their conversation to look at her. Rika helped Kaoru to the edge of the porch and let her sit down so her feet dangled and her toes grazed the dirt.

"Mother," Kenji protested as he walked over to them.

"No it is alright, I need some sun," Kaoru said as Kenji embraced her and she weakly raised her arms to hug him back. Kenji pulled back and looked his mother directly in the face, "I need to live, it is what your father would have wanted."

"Mother," Kenji said his face down as he held back the stinging tears. "You shouldn't live for that slob of a man; you should live because you want to."

Kaoru attempted a laugh but it came as a cough, "That is the last reason I must live, the first is to be strong enough to protect you and our friends." She put her hand on his cheek and brushed away the stray tear. "Will you help me protect them?" Kenji nodded and hugged his mother again.

Rika jumped off the porch and walked to the confused other two, "Kaoru has decided to live."

"What?" Yahiko's gaze never wavered from mother and son, it was amazing. "This is so great!" Yahiko no longer being able to hold himself back ran over and hugged both Kaoru and Kenji.

"If we all had that same attitude I think there would be a lot more people in this world," Akaki said as she bowed to her elder.

"True, I wish that if I ever get in the same situation that I can feel the way Kaoru does now," Rika said looking at the young girl, she was completely different from Misao. She had inherited her father's speech and attitude; she was very calm.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, and I am very sorry for telling Sanosuke-sama your secret," Akaki said almost in tears.

Rika's eyes turned sharply on the young girl, so that was why Sano had the balls to confront her about it finally. "Well thank you, and it's alright, its still a mystery to even me," Rika said patting the girl on the back as she sniffled. "Your father is probably back in the cemetery if you wanted to see him, you should leave with him whenever. I wouldn't want you trying to go back to Kyoto on your own; it's dangerous for a pretty girl like you." The door to Rika's bedroom opened and Issa came climbing out in front of Sano.

Sano walked over to the huddled bunch and Yahiko looked up at him with a beaming smile, "Kaoru is going to live and be strong again."

Sano smirked as Kaoru tilted her head to look at him, "Missy you are one brave woman, I'm glad you finally made the right decision after all these years."

"What do you mean years?" Kaoru's smile faded and she evil eyed Sanosuke.

"Sano how could you say something like that?" Yahiko screamed defensively, wasn't he happy like the rest of them.

"Nothing it just means that now you have the time to go to cooking school," He said off-handedly waiting for the usual reaction. Instead Kaoru smiled at him and nodded, a little put off Sano walked off smirking to himself.

"Momma!" Issa wailed as he sat in the bed room door way still. Rika was there in an instant to pick him up, "Hungy."

"You forgot the r," Rika said to him as she walked to the kitchen with the little tyke securely in her arms.

"Yes, mother you must be hungry, shall I bring you some food?" Kenji said excitedly looking at his mother.

"Why don't you bring me breakfast here and you bring yours and we can sit in the light and eat together," Kaoru said and instantly Kenji was off to leave Kaoru alone with Yahiko.

"Kaoru," Yahiko mumbled to himself, he was beside himself with happiness, it was truly going to be a good day.

"What is dying woman doing on the porch?" Ari said as he walked up to the two he crossed his arms like it was a challenge.

"Ari," Sano's voice came from the kitchen door, and his head suddenly peaked around it. "What did I say to you last night?"

"Um," Ari looked at his father before turning back and bowing to his elders, "Sorry," and he ran to the kitchen. When he reached the door he looked up at his father, "I forgot."

Sano smiled and let the boy in the door and pushed him over to the table, "Eat up so you can walk to the market and back." Sano looked at the table and saw Rika silently eating and helping Issa get food in his mouth and not his face. Instantly he felt angry, 'damn woman,' he thought to himself as he walked into the preparing part of the kitchen and decided to eat in there.

"What is wrong with him?" Basho said from his mother's side as he watched Sano. Basho was completely done with his meal because he and Guro were the first ones up and they had been talking in the kitchen when everyone else came in.

"Let me look at you," Rika said grabbing Basho's chin and studying his facial features, "God I still don't get it." She let go of his face and watched him rub the red spots. "Guro do you think it's actually possible?" She said looking at the young man with glasses sitting across from her.

"I guess, I mean there is no other way to explain it, but the only place I have ever heard of it happening is in ancient Greek stories," Guro said being the only one who knew what Rika was talking about. He was sure that it could happen, two fathers, two different eggs, but it would have been done at the same time. According to Rika there was about a 2 week difference, either they were both Sano's or both Aoshi's. Either way it didn't matter, Sano had raised them both, so that legally made them his.

"I mean I don't know," Rika said quietly so only the little people around her could hear.

"I could tell you what I ultimately think," Guro said looking over at Basho who was completely confused.

"Which is," Rika said looking him desperately; Guro looked back behind him at the closed door to the cooking area. Rika smiled at him, "You really think so?"

"Well yeah," Guro said before he felt a hand on his forehead pushing him back as Rika crawled over the table and ran into the room.

"What do you want?" Sano said as he looked at the crashed mess of Rika on the ground. Rika straightened up and closed the door behind her before she looked at him sternly.

"I mean, what was the only reason why Miah didn't look like the rest of the kids? It was her hair, and well, that was the only thing different about her. I mean she had your slacker attitude and everything, she wasn't as different as you think. There is no way that Miah wasn't yours, so ha!" Rika said pointing an accusingly defensive finger at him.

He grabbed her finger, "Why do you always point this thing at me! It's scary," he said letting it go. "You're an idiot," he said eating more of his scrambled eggs.

"Wha-?" Rika said as she knelt next to him with her arms in front of her on the ground. "Why am I an idiot," she said reeling backwards standing up and crossing her arms all in one motion.

"Because I already knew that," he said looking over at her with those eyes.

Rika fell back to her knees and looked at him, what was he talking about? He already knew what? Rika was trapped in his gaze, that gaze of understanding that she always felt that she could never return. It was his charm; she wished she was as charming as him.

"It doesn't matter now, so lets stop talking about it," he said and she faltered falling flat on her face.

She flipped on her back and looked up at him with a bright red face and started to flail your arms, "You drive me crazy!"

"You're going to throw a fit like that? You spend too much time with Issa," he said ignoring her tantrum. "You will never be mature."

Rika instantly stopped and sat up looking down at her hands in her lap. "I am mature, I am as mature as Kaoru, Misao, and even Megumi," she said feeling a hand on her lap.

"No you are not, but you should know that that is the reason I love you," Sano said grabbing and holding her hand. "You always keep me on my feet, and I love your face when you are mad at me," he said and she looked up at him. He had set his plate down and was now totally facing her. "Understand?"

"Yes, I am sorry. I'm the oldest woman here and I act like I'm 16!" She said as she let her self fall forward onto his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and sat quietly. Rika remembered what Sano had said he was going to do that day, "Are you taking all the boys or just the 2 oldest?"

"Depends, can you go a day without Issa?" He laughed and she pushed off of him and looked at his now happy face.

"Um, I can try," she laughed she was completely attached to her youngest, but she guess a day without him wouldn't be bad. He could bond with his brothers and father, it couldn't be a bad thing.

"Good," he said standing up and walking back into the dinning part of the kitchen. "You guys ready?"

"Yeah!" Ari said standing up at his place at the table knocking his dish to the floor. Luckily it didn't shatter but Ari looked horrified, was he going to get in trouble even if it didn't break. He watched his mother emerge from behind his dad laughing; he smiled rubbing the back of his head.

Rika walked over to Issa and cleaned him up before handing him over to Sano. Instantly Issa began to squirm but Sano held on to him firmly, "Stop that you want to walk to town?" Issa as if he understood stopped moving and all the Sagara boys set out to the Tokyo market.

Guro, Kenji, and Yahiko kept company with Kaoru on the porch most of the day. When she said she was ready for a nap they were going to help her back to her room, but she wanted to sleep outside on the porch. They set up a makeshift bed for her to sleep on, and all sat quietly watching the birds and listening to the sounds around them.

Around 2 o'clock one of Sano's gambling friends came to the dojo with a little 4 year old boy. The three men went to greet him and the young terrified boy, who was dirty from head to toe.

"This is Sakujo, his mother recently died and told me to take him to his father to raise him," The friend of Sano said as he pushed the little boy in front of him.

"Who is his father?" Yahiko asked as he got a wiff of the stinky child. He needed a bath right away, how could anyone stand to smell themselves like that?

"She said Sano, but she hasn't seen him in 10 years, so she just knew that Sano would be a good father to him," he said and they all looked at him shocked, who was this woman? The man turned and was instantly out of site and they all looked down at the stinking 4-year old.

Guro sighed and held his hand out and the little boy grabbed it, "Lets get you a bath first of all." He said and they all agreed, Guro lead the boy to the tub as Kenji ran ahead to get the fire going. Yahiko went to ask Rika for some fresh clothes for him, Ari's clothes would suffice. He didn't know if he should tell them the real reason the boy was here, for now he would make something up.

"Rika can I borrow a set of Ari's clothing or something?" Yahiko said as he walked up to the woman taking the laundry off the line.

"Why?" Rika said looking at him suspiciously, "You want to see if you will still fit into a child's kimono?"

"No, we took in an orphan and he needs some clothes," Yahiko said trying to think of something that could actually happen.

"How noble of you," She said handing him one of Ari's training outfits, "How old is he?"

"Thanks," Yahiko said running away ignoring her last question. When he had gotten to the bath house they were already done cleaning the boy up. They got him dressed and took him into the kitchen to get him some food. They watched as the boy scarfed it down, before asking for more.

"For a 4-year old he sure has a big appetite, maybe it is Sano's kid," Kenji said watching the little boy in disgust. "What is your mom's name?"

"Uki Sagara," the little boy said as he finished his second bowl of rice, "And I am 5 year's old."

"Got a mouth like Sano I see," Yahiko said not remembering hearing any thing about a Uki or even him being married in the past.

"Who is this Sano?" The little boy said sharply and they turned their attention back to the boy.

"Um, I guess your father," Yahiko said as he heard commotion as Sano and his son's return.

"Is that him?" Sakujo said as he ran to the front yard to see a tall man with a red bandana enter with 3 other kids. "Sanosuke Sagara!" he screamed and they all turned to look at the little boy.

"Who is that brat?" Ari asked looking up at his father, who looked just as confused as he was.

"I am his son," Sakujo shouted as he ran at Ari and stopped right in front of him.

"No I am!" Ari shouted back in his face, he had never seen this kid before he was not his father's son.

"Well then you are my brother," Sakujo said smiling an evil smile at Ari, they were already rivals, it was fine with him.

"I am not your brother stupid," Ari said as he hit the boy on the top of the head. He felt his Sano's arm in front of him holding him back.

"Then who is your mother?" Sano said looking at this kid who was claiming to be his son.

"Uki Sagara!" The boy said as he was rubbing the small bump on top of his head.

Sanosuke started to laugh and they all looked at him, "Thank god, kid I am not your father, I am your uncle. Uki is my sister." He felt relieved hearing this, he wasn't sure how he would have a kid this little. He hadn't been with another woman other than Rika since Megumi, and Megumi by the looks of her never had a kid.

"What? I was told," Sakujo said and Ari hit him on the head again.

"Cousin," he said before walking away from him.

"You have a sister?" Basho asked looking down at the little boy, he wished he could punch the little brat on the head too. Ari and this kid were amusing together.

"Yes but Sagara was not her last name, last time I saw her she didn't realize who I was. The old man must of told her or something," Sano said as Basho handed Issa over to him before walking away. Sano set Issa down on and watched as the little boy walked up to Sakujo.

"Cousin?" He said trying to punch the boy but Sakujo grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

"You are not supposed to hit your kin," Sakujo said smiling at the little boy, he was suddenly in a good mood. "Well I glad that you are just my uncle, I wouldn't want an ugly man like you as my father."

Yahiko and the other 2 laughed at this joke, and Sano looked at them hard and they stopped. "Why are you here?" Sano asked looking around to anyone who could answer.

"Your friend just dropped him off and said that Sakujo's mother had died and left him in your care," Yahiko answered for the rest of them.

"I see, what about your uncle Outa?" Sano said looking from Yahiko back to the little boy. If his sister was dead, what happened to his little brother?

"He ran away a long time ago before I was born, he is fighting some war in China," he said and everyone stood silent until they heard the voice of Rika across the yard.

"Is this the orphan Yahiko?" Rika asked once she had joined the bunch, Issa ran to her and she picked him up and put him on her hip.

"Well," Guro said looking at Yahiko wondering if they would all just play with the story.

"This kid is my nephew, my sister I guess has died, so he is our care now," Sano said looking at Yahiko, he was right to lie to her until they found out the truth.

"Wow you sure are big for your age, you fit in Ari's clothes perfectly," She said smiling at the little boy in front of her. "Sano I didn't know you had a sister."

"Yeah, and a little brother, but I guess not anymore, they haven't really been my family since I left them when I was 9 years old," he said looking at his wife who didn't seem to be bother by all of this.

"What is your name?" Rika said talking to the boy as the other men talked around them.

"Sakujo Sagara," He said and Rika's eyes widened, Sakujo thought this strange woman was scary. He ran away back to the kitchen and hoped no one would follow him.

"What did you do that for?" Yahiko said looking at Rika who seemed to be in a state of shock.

"I didn't mean too," Rika said closing her eyes, so he was the little boy she had seen named Sakujo. She would not let this kid die so young, it was wrong; would she have to tell someone though? No, telling them that she had seen pictures of all her friends when they had died, it was to strange.

A/n: Can I get at least one review from the 20 people reading this story?