Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, if I did, the series would go on forever and ever and ever and ever…
Oh, I'm so sorry I takes months to update, but I humble myself before you…whoever you are. Forgive me! Any who enough groveling and more writing right? Good because I spent all night working on chapter 3 and I hope you enjoy it!
Chp. 3
Kenshin sat on the train and let out a long sigh. The day had been long and ruthless, straining all of his body and emotions to the limit. It was like one incident after another. First it was the tickets, which had to be bought early in the morning so that everyone could come along (Tsubame, Shinya, and Souzou were going to stay at the dojo). Coincidentally there was a large crowd at the train stations ticket booth, and poor Kenshin had had to slip, slide and maneuver his way to get the 7 tickets he needed. When he got home, he had expected the place to still be quiet, so that he could get a few minutes of sleep. But when he got thru the door he was attacked by a flurry of women, clothing and packing. All the women had pushed the men into a corner so that they would stay out of their way, while they packed all the needed necessities for the three day trip. So with no sleep, no food he had spent the last couple of hours listening to complaints of lost tabi, lost kimono's, Kaori's lost hair pin (that was found later to be in her hair) and finally lugging bags out to a carriage to be taken to the train station. The only moment of peace he had had all day was today. But what could he expect? The trip had been arranged quickly and messily since they had only three days till Saitou's men stormed the brothel. Brothel. Kenshin felt his insides burn with indignation and anger at the word. During the Bakumatsu, he had been taken to many brothels, on trips with other soldiers. Though he had been careful never to participate in the acts at the brothel, he knew what went on there. He had even seen a young man no older then himself there once. He knew what that boy must've been doing there, and he knew what Kenji must be doing himself there.
Kenshin immediately pushed the thoughts out of his mind. There'd be no use getting angry now, not yet at least. He focused his mind instead on his wife. Kaoru's head was resting on his shoulder and she had wrapped both of her arms around his. This day has been long for her to he thought looking down at her sleeping figure. Kaoru ,it seemed, had pushed away all the sorrow she had felt the night before. When she was packing with Kaori and Megumi and Tsubame she had smiled and laughed and had even beat up on Yahiko a bit. But the true purpose of the trip hadn't been lost on anyone. Kaori and Kai were going to see their long lost brother. Yahiko was coming to lend his support and power incase something happened. Though no one had said anything, all knew that Megumi was coming to do a proper check up on Kenji's health, and Sano was going wherever she went. Everyone knew the real reason why they were going to Kyoto, and it filled them with feelings of dread.
Looking around the compartment, Kenshin found that everyone had ran off, to go eat or get some fresh air. So Kenshin closed his eyes and leaned back his head, his mind drifting to all the questions that swirled around in it. Will Kenji want to talk to us? Will he want to live with us, if he already has a family there? Will he even remember us? He put his hand over his face to stop the imminent headache, and then finally drifted to sleep.
---
Kenji was on the roof of the brothel, looking up at the blue sky, when he felt a presence land beside him. He didn't even bother looking over because he already knew who it was. She gently nudged his side with her foot and laid down on the roof beside him.
"I heard what happened to you" the girl crooned into his ear, "poor guy, did you fight him back?"
Kenji almost hissed at her, and tried to get up and run away, but the girl grabbed his ponytail and pulled him back down on the roof.
"I asked you a question!" she barked at him tugging on his ponytail harder.
Kenji squirmed and flailed about trying to get out of her grasp, but her hands were to tight so he finally gave up and just laid face down on the roof. The girl giggled and started bouncing his head up and down by his ponytail. "C'mon Kenji, you can tell me, I won't tell Kido or Akira, just tell me!" She strained out this last part, bouncing his head harder like she was churning butter. Kenji merely closed his eyes and kept his lips shut. The girl let out a defeated sigh and let go of Kenji's thick mane. Kenji rubbed his scalp, relieved to be finally free from her, and prepared himself to go back to watching the sky. Before he could even get his back down on the roof, he heard the girl clear her throat loudly and he turned around.
"What do you want?" he growled at her, long tired of this game.
The girl didn't look the least bit affronted by his penetrating glare. She simply folded her arms and walked to the very edge of the roof and stopped. "Well" she said suddenly very business like and formal, "I have something very important to you, and if you don't tell me the answer to my question, I'm throwing it away!" And with that, she jumped off of the roof and into the brothel's courtyard, running all the way. Kenji sat stunned for a minute and then cursing all the while, went running after her.
---
Prostitutes screamed and little brothel children laughed as they watched the girl and Kenji go running up and down the corridors, Kenji threatening the girl and the girl giggling wildly holding something to her chest. They knocked over laundry, stepped on a tall prostitutes foot and even knocked Kido down. They ran thru the kitchen, thru the meeting room and all over the brothel till they finally reached a hallway. Someone had spilt something in the hallway and the girl and Kenji both running like Maenads had tripped over it. The girl landed on her back and Kenji landed on top of her. They both laid there for a moment, trying to catch their breath and remember why they were chasing each other in the first place. Kenji remembered first.
"Give…it to…me" he said in between deep breaths.
"Not…until" the girl replied holding her package closer, "You give me…my answer"
Kenji gritted his teeth. He hated divulging anything about what went on behind those paper thin walls and he hated it even more when he was forced to. But it is her, Kenji thought looking at the still smiling girl, its her and she won't tell anyone.
Kenji bent over the girl and put his lips close to her ear. "I fought back," he said, his lips movements barely perceptible, "I hit him…there are you happy now?"
The girls wide brown eyes widened and then smiled at him, the corners of her eyes wrinkling. "Really? Did you really?", she asked smiling her grip on the package loosening. Kenji got off from on top of her and sat beside her. " Of course I did" he said, frowning at her, "I'm no liar".
The girls smile got even wider. "Good then!", she said holding out the package, "Take it, it's yours!" Kenji took the package and opened it, frowning. "This isn't mine" he said turning the box of sweets over in his hands, "where's the thing that you said was important to me?". By then the girl had gotten up and was halfway down the hallway. "Oh that?" she said turning around, "Oh I lied, I didn't have anything of yours, those candies are a present for you!" and with that she flounced away, her long black hair bouncing behind her.
Kenji sat dumbstruck on the hallway, with the box of candies in his hands. "Obaasan" Kenji said still looking at where the girl had gone, "I know your hiding over there, you can come out". Fujita scuttled over from where she had been hiding and threw Kenji a knowing toothy grin. "I don't know why you and Chizura don't just run off and get married somewhere", she chuckled out, walking by Kenji down the hallway. Kenji was still sitting in the hallway long after she was gone staring straight ahead and fingering the candies, till he finally got up and handed them out to some of the brothel children, leaving barely any for himself to enjoy.
---
When the train finally stopped Kaoru's neck ached. She had been lying on Kenshin's shoulder the whole ride and she was feeling sore. She wiped a little around her mouth and looked around the compartment. Everyone was already up though somewhat groggily moving about grabbing luggage. She felt and tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Kaori's face a sleepy lopsided grin plastered on it. "C'mon Mama,", she said yawing and wiping her eyes, "We have to get off of the train". Mama. Kaoru at first didn't even react to what Kaori had said, until Kaori shot her a worried look. Kaoru nodded and started grabbing her things. It had been so long since anyone had called her Mama. Maybe Mom, or mother, but Mama was so much more intimate, so much more like what a child would say. In fact Kenji had called me that all the…no, Kaoru suddenly thought narrowing her eyes, I won't think of it. I've had my moment of weakness and until Kenji is back where he belongs with me and everyone else, I won't even think about the past. I won't cry until I see him again with my own two eyes. And with that she stepped off of the train and into the sunlight.
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Ah, nothing like seeing strength in a woman! Am I right girls, am I right?!
Of course I had to add a friend his own age into Kenji's character, it wouldn't make it seem very real if he didn't have any.
I'll try to start updating on a schedule, I really will. But, just like all my other resolutions(like that one to lose weight, and to stop eating Chex Mix so much) there's a 99% chance its going to bomb
But don't lose hope on me yet I'm getting there! Thank you for reading, I appreciate it I really do!