Back at their apartment Otohime set to work packing a few things that she and Kishiko would need. Making sure to pack light so they can move fast if those things showed back up again. While Kishiko went to the computer and started her research on the Shinsengumi. Looking up all the key places in Shinsengumi history.

"I know where all we need to go."

"How do you know for sure?" Keisuke turned and arched an eyebrow at Kishiko from their bay window.

With a glare Kishiko sighed. "Simple. I looked it up. I can't find anything other than Shinsengumi this and Shinsengumi that, so names are out of the question. That sucks. But the towns of Suita, Neyagawa, Hirakata, Nagaokakyo, Minami and then of course Kyoto. They had some sort of headquarters in each one of them and spent time in each town or city during the civil war."

"Do you know how big some of them are?"

With a glare over her shoulder to shut him up Kishiko crossed her arms. "You know I may not have been to college like you but I am not stupid. I already figured that out. That building right across the street, is the site of the headquarters that they had here in Osaka. With another smaller hideout so to speak about seven blocks that way."

"That is close to where my apartment is."

"Well then I will write down where the site of them use to be or still are and we can head out first thing in the morning." Then Kishiko starts to write down where they needed to go and the address of the ruins or building that sits where they use to be.

Otohime comes out of her bedroom with a smile as she sits two backpacks on the floor by the front door. "Well that is everything that we are going to need. A couple outfits and smaller personal things."

With a smile Keisuke went back to the window, but instead of looking at the city his eyes were now on the mini mall complex across the street. Trying to remember what it would have looked like when he was a Shinsengumi.

Seeing what he was looking at Otohime walked up next to him and hugged herself. "Trying to remember what it looked like aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

With a smile Otohime sat on the seat in front of it and hugged her knees to herself. "I have done it since the day we moved here. I didn't know what I was trying to imagine it as until now. But I always felt like I knew the place. But it wasn't because of the mall it was something else."

With a sigh he nods. "You and Kishiko need to get some sleep. I will take first watch."

Worry filling her eyes nearly instantly Otohime grabbed onto his arm. "You need just as much sleep as we do Sannan."

"And I will get some just not right now. Someone needs to keep watch for those things if they make it here."

Casting her eyes down Otohime nodded then turned to curl up on the couch when she noticed that Kishiko was still at the computer. "Aren't you going to get some rest too Kishiko?"

"Yeah I will be there in a second. I am trying to see if I can find something that looks close to those things and the only thing I can find is vampires. And I doubt that is true."

With a smile Keisuke turned and looked out the window again. His mind going back to his dream once more. He hadn't brought it up to the girls, mostly cause of the emotional roller coaster that the entire situation had on Otohime, but he couldn't help but wonder. 'If those kids are their kids how do we find them? Or would they be with other members of the Shinsengumi? And if they are their kids are the red and black haired guys their husbands? Or someone else?'

With a heavy sigh he sat down on the window and watched out of the corner of his eye as Kishiko moved from the computer to the couch and laid down on the other end with Otohime. He wondered how two girls with such different personalities could have ever become friends like they obviously were. Kishiko was more confrontational and annoyed while Otohime was extra sensitive and would cry at the drop of the hat. But in some strange way they seemed to complete the other one.

X

Sanosuke sat holding his infant daughter as he watched his sons playing in the small court yard. The only thing missing was her. The woman in his nightmare that he died trying to save. He just knew that she was not only the mother to his children but his wife as well.

But the dream he had last night was very different than any other one before. The nightmare he had up till last night was always the same thing. It showed him standing next to her with his daughter in her arms. While his sons played with a man with glasses. Toshizo and his wife next to them. Then he watches as the children are ripped from their mother and slain. He rushes to try and save them all, only to be killed himself. Then it shows his hand reaching for her hand. Both covered in blood only to drop lifelessly a breath away from each other.

But last night his dream was more calm. It showed him how he met her, their wedding and the birth of their kids. But he still didn't know her name. He did know without a doubt that he was destined to be with her and would be one day.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Looking up to see one of his twin boys racing toward him holding something in his hand he smiled as he leaned forward. "What is it Katsu?"

"I caught a butterfly! Just like mommy taught me!"

His eyes filling with tears Sanosuke just smiled. 'You will see her again. Soon I hope.' "That's good. Don't wait too long to let it go or it might die."

Stepping up behind his friend Toshizo smiled as his own boys joined Sanosuke's. His Toshiro was five years old, Yukito four, and his daughter he held in his arms was three. And Sanosuke's twins Katsu and Matsu were the same age as Yukito.

"Baby daddy."

Sanosuke smiled up at Fuko and nodded. "That's right Fuko. Baby Hanako."

Toshizo sat his daughter down and smiled for a moment as he watched her point at the new born in Sanosuke's arms. Then he turned somber. "Did your dream change last night?"

"Yeah. It wasn't a nightmare this time I…."

"You saw how you met her, married her and the birth of your kids didn't you."

"You did too huh?"

"Yeah. It is this place. I am sure that it has something to do with it."

"Maybe we can remember more being here."

"I hope so."

X

Susumu Yamazaki sat alone in his room. That was the only place in the house that he shared with his mother that he felt peace and calm. The second he stepped foot out of his room the torment started again. But this time something told him that something was about to happen. And soon.

"Susumu! You bastard get down here right now!"

With a glare from his amethyst eyes Susumu stood and walked out the door of his bedroom and down stairs to find his father glaring at him like he was the devil himself. "You called me?"

"How did job hunting go today?"

"Put in applications. No one has called yet."

"Because you are a freak!"

"Dear….."

"Don't you dear me! We got a divorce cause of that little bastard and how you want to defend him when there is something clearly messed up!"

Susumu saw his father's hand raising like he was going to slap his mother, again, and darted forward pushing his mother out of the way in time to take the slap himself. "If you insist on hitting someone, father. Hit someone who has a chance at fighting back."

"Like you?"

"Exactly."

His mother was now on her feet and crying. "I can't do this anymore Susumu. Since you started those horrible nightmares it has been nothing but bad and drama for our family. I want you to get out! I am going crazy trying to figure out why you have them and defending you all the…"

Susumu touched his mother's mouth with one of his fingers as he smiled at her. "You at least tried to understand which is more than I can say for anyone else in the family. If you want me to leave then I will. I will always love you mother." Then he kissed her forehead and turned to punch his father, knocking him out as he walked out the door. For the first time in his life he felt free.

And heading out straight to that old warehouse. He was always drawn there though he didn't understand why. "At least I am free now. To figure out what this life has in store for me."