Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama.

A big thank you to my new beta RenjiLuvah! She has become in a short space of time, both an invaluable source of motivation and inspiration. Thank you very much! And of course to everyone of my reviewers/readers out there, enjoy reading my new chapter!

Much Love ~The Blue Hydrangea

Chapter Ten

Where she ends and he begins

In the fleeting seconds before Okita had charged into her, time slowed down for Kagura, and she remembered wildly wishing for many impossible things. She wished fervently that Okita would change his mind mid-charge. And when she realized it was all impossible, a split second later, she hoped that someone would come to her rescue instead. Perhaps Gintoki or even Shinpachi. Of course, none of these things happened.

Before she knew it, the pain came - a jarring sensation that sent shock-waves throughout her body as she fell backwards into thin air…

In reality, the hard truth was that ordinary people can get hurt easily. And it was only then that Kagura realized she had become one of them. It was also then, lying there with the sharp gravel digging into her back, that she knew this for a fact: That she, Kagura, was no longer invincible.

When the dust finally settled, she coughed and opened her eyes tentatively, eyelashes unfurling into the surrounding brilliance. A silhouette swam into her consciousness then, a singular element marked clearly against the colorless horizon.

It was Okita. And he was standing a few feet away from her, smiling in triumph.

Kagura wondered vaguely why he looked as alluring as ever, even more so today, with his flaxen hair bleached gold in the sun. But at that moment, she also saw him to be surreal, and he felt - miles away from her, almost a stranger. Of course! Now that their previous status quo was moot, so was their reason to be near one another. After all, besides being rivals and sparring partners, what else did they have in common? Could they even be considered friends? Kagura realized that she could not place her finger onto their current relationship.

And hadn't Okita always despised weakness in other people? Now that she was weak, being temporarily lodged in that category, would he regard her with the same level of contempt? It was impossible that he would ever understand her current needs, so why, why did she even expect him to?

'' Come to think of it, Okita can hardly be considered the usual caring sort of person. Therefore… it must be my own fault for projecting foolish hopes upon him in the first place. Ahhhh… I am such an idiot for letting him get my hopes up…! Baka! Stupid! Stupid Sadist… ''

Turning around to face the gravel, Kagura closed her eyes, effectively shutting out the world. This stupid world with stupid sadists in it.. She wanted to disappear into the ground, or him to disappear, or both.

''Me, I can't keep up with him anymore, he is moving forward so quickly, how can I go on walking next to him? Okita-kun… you're leaving me behind?''

Meanwhile a few feet away, Okita was impatiently awaiting her answer, only to be greeted by a cold silence. Expecting to hear her usual sharp retort, he stared momentarily, and raised a finely-shaped eyebrow.

Kagura saw that he had opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it again. Vaguely, she wondered why.

And then smoothly, the confusion passed into his usual sadistic smile. ''Almost like a default expression,'' Kagura thought.

She also wondered why he seemed to be coming closer.

''Well, if China isn't coming over to me, I guess I had better head over.'' Okita shrugged light-heartedly.

In a few quick strides, he covered the distance between them and stood over her, frowning. As his most-esteemed rival, lying the ground did not suit her. With a well-polished boot, he gave her an experimental nudge on the ribs.

''Oi, China you still alive?" He said teasingly. "You look like road-kill just lying there, so get up already!"

Still, there was no answer. Kagura simply lay there quietly on the gravel, her expression shadowed by her auburn hair. Okita noticed that it's red color was spread out loosely over the gravel... like spilt blood.

''When did she stop wearing those telephone buns…?'' Okita wondered vaguely.

''Hey, China… are you ignoring me…?"

By now, Okita was feeling genuinely confused. She had always been loud and obnoxious, but never silent like this. It made him uneasy, and as if by reflex, Okita would feel automatically agitated. Not that he showed it. How could he, when it wasn't even something he openly acknowledged to himself?

Then, a sudden thought hit him, ''There was something very wrong with this situation here.''

And that thought simultaneously translated into, ''Have I done something wrong?''

But still, Okita felt that he had not done anything out of the ordinary… Hadn't they always fought here in the park every Thursday? And sometimes even more often? So much so, that even the little surprise on his part was nothing new. She knew him too well for that. And yet…

''Just what was China trying to pull by this silence?'' He wondered, ''And yet… She looks so small and fragile, just lying there…''

In times of crisis, Okita often fell back onto his early quickly reminded himself that as a warrior, one, there are no gender distinctions in a two, the battlefield is exempt from society's rules. It is both an environment and an entity all of its own.

And as he grew older and more experienced, Okita saw them to be the absolute truth. In black and white, the world was so much easier to understand. After all, confusion during a battle was not something a samurai could afford. Often, he could pay with his very life. That was what Hijikata-san had told him.

And therefore, treating China now with the cursory feminine respect would be tantamount to acknowledging her as weak. The China he knew would never ever accept defeat! It must be a bad joke of some kind… And besides, succumbing to confusion during a battle is little more than weakness.

Pleased by this piece of affirmation, he eyed Kagura, who was still lying on the ground in a fetal position, turned resolutely away from him.

"Trying to get my guard down weren't you? You can't think that I will actually fall for that…" He said coolly.

Cold-bloodedly, he pushed a foot beneath her back, intending to turn her over. She cringed visibly away from his roughness, but maintained her silence.

"What is the matter with you today, China?" He queried lazily.

"… And by the way, I do not like repeating myself."

Still nothing.

"So, is it my fault now, huh?" Then he added more urgently, "Why don't you say something China... "

''Please don't treat me like I'm not even here'', He dropped his voice into a mumble.

Unbeknowst to Okita, Kagura had heard his last words. Her shoulders shuddered delicately as she drew in a breath to speak, but she couldn't bring herself to.

''… Okita-kun.''

Hearing no reply from her, Okita's patience finally wore out, and he snapped.

''CHINA! TALK to me dammit!" He burst out, more loudly then he had intended.

… Huh?

Someone was pointing a wooden sword behind his head. Whipping around, he saw-

-Shinpachi standing behind him.

There was an unreadable expression written on his face, but the air around him was unmistakable. It was a feeling Okita himself knew well from long experience- cold anger.

''What were you doing to Kagura-chan?" Shinpachi asked, sheer politeness masking the underlying anger he felt.

Okita saw that Shinpachi's eyes had traveled from China, to his foot still tucked beneath her back… Oh crap!

"Back off Megane, no one interferes in my battles." Okita stated nonchalantly, but his hard eyes glittered.

Shinpachi stared back calmly, but the grip on his sword hilt tightened. Okita saw that his knuckles had turned white.

"I am sorry Okita-san, but I have to this time." He stated firmly.

Sadaharu who had returned with Shinpachi, hurtled towards Okita, lips stretched back in a feral snarl. He growled bestially, in a shocking way that even his young mistress had not been privy to witnessing.

''Ganging up on a police officer, eh?'' Okita smiled frostily and turned towards them, lazily flicking his sword in a clean arc through the air. The blade was so sharp that it made no sound.

''Too bad just the two of you losers aren't going to be enough.''

"STOP!" She screamed.

Okita started violently, and both Shinpachi and Sadaharu stopped in their tracks. They all turned to her, frozen.

"… Just go. Can't you see that this baka means it? I can take care of myself!" She heaved herself slowly onto her palms, and managed to flash a cocky smile, ''See? I'm JUST fine!"

"SO, GET OUT OF HERE! BEAT IT!''

I don't want anyone to get hurt… Any one of you! She thought in a panic.

"Shinpachi-kun, Sadaharu… I'm sorry. But this is between me - and him."

''Ahhhh, so you're ready for another round China? I'll be most happy to oblige" Okita turned his attention back to her, smirking. Slowly, he let out an intake of breath and got into a fighting stance.

Well… at least things have gotten back to normal now. Okita thought.

Sadaharu sat back onto his heels and whined in confusion.

''… Kagura." Shinpachi was amazed but kept his stance. He wasn't about to back down when he had his mind made made up.

It's my duty to protect Kagura-chan now.

He braced himself and faced Okita, and was just about to give him the customary bow when-

- Sadaharu gave off a loud volley of welcoming barks.

In the distance, a figure walked slowly towards them. He was carrying his JUMP, and a plastic bag of ice-cream.

''Damn weather… so hot,'' he complained whilst scratching his hair, which was so devoid of pigment as to be almost near-white. Even at a distance, Gintoki had an unmistakable presence. Everyone saw him pause, taking in the scene before him.

Nan desuka? What the hell is going on? And is that Okita, that Shinsengumi brat? And what was Shinpachi doing, was he attempting to pick a fight with the sadist-prince?

Gintoki felt a ripple of apprehension. Something somewhere had gone terribly wrong.

''Ah. Gin-san you're back." Shinpachi said simply, nonplussed at the unexpected turn of events. But the non-confrontational aspect of him could not help but feel slightly relieved, ''let Gintoki take charge of the situation if he wanted to."

After all few people were foolish enough to pick fight with Okita if they could help it.

''The hero always shows up at the crucial moment eh? Hopefully he would be able to settle this peacefully."

Gintoki walked towards Kagura, and glanced at her, sprawled onto the dirt.

''Gin-chan! You're back!" She called out happily.

''Huh?''

He had ignored her and turned instead to Okita.

''Danna…'' Okita looked at him, surprised.

Rapidly, Gintoki's expression hardened. ''What is going on here?'' He demanded grimly.

"… We were having a fight, Danna," came Okita's deadpan.

"… Yeah? It looks pretty one-sided to me. Didn't your mother teach you not to attack defenseless girls?"

''But… Danna.''

Waving a dismissive hand at him, Gintoki turned his attention back towards Kagura, calling out lazily. "Are you okay, Kagura? Did you break anything?"

She threw him a look of annoyance, before struggling painfully to her feet.

''Uh uh, nope. Anyway, I don't need you to wipe my ass, Gin-chan."

'' I can take care of myself,'' she thought silently.

''Ah, good to hear. Here's the ie-cream I bought for you guys."

"Wow! Thanks Gin-chan!" Forgetting all about her throbbing wrist, she clung to him and smiled gleefully.

''Aaaah! But I want to eat them now!"

"Okay, okay, just stop clinging to me already. You're so childish, Kagura." Gintoki tried to wriggle away to no avail.

Meanwhile Okita was silently watching them both, a foreign feeling consuming his insides. The previous feelings of agitation intensified even further, causing his heart to throb painfully in his chest. A wave of unpleasant thoughts rushed across his mind.

Why did Danna have to get in the way of MY fight? And why did China let him- had she forgotten all about us? She had definitely, NEVER done this to me before. And what was with HER ignoring ME, only to cling onto the master freelancer instead? The incessant Gin-chan! Gin-chan! It was so sickening!

He could feel himself getting angry. No one gives Okita Sougo the cold-shoulder and walks away like that, especially China!

And before he could stop himself, he found himself saying,"You're wrong, Danna, on both counts."

His sadistic smile was back, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

Taken aback by the bitterness in his voice, Kagura involuntarily took a step away. What is that jerk saying now?

Even Gintoki's lazy eyes widened a fraction in mild surprise, ''It wasn't like Okita to lose his cool in front of others… could it be because of Kagura?''

"I said, you're wrong, Dana. First of all, China isn't defenseless,'' he silently noted her stricken expression, '' And secondly, you can hardly call her a girl can you?"

''You take that back!" Kagura screamed at him.

He had touched a raw nerve, and she looked genuinely angry… Good.

HIs eyes swept across the Yorozuya trio, languidly taking in their stricken expressions. Smirking at her, he ruthlessly continued on.

''I SAID, China cannot be categorized as a girl dessa.'' He paused, before carrying on smoothly, '' Not with that brute strength of hers, I guess you can call her a monster instead. She certainly fights like one.''

There was a stunned silence.

Gintoki stared hard at the young samurai before him. Then he spoke, in a low even voice. "Take back those words, Okita-kun. The fun stops here, apologize to Kagura, now."

''No."

''What. Did. You. Say?" Even Gintoki was getting annoyed.

''I just said that I won't. I never take back anything back,'' Okita's red eyes flickered, ''Especially for stating the truth.''

''Why you insolent brat…"

Gintoki felt his hand twitch.

Then he sighed and turned away. ''Do whatever you want."

"I will," said Okita defiantly.

"But - " Over his shoulder Gintoki glared coldly at Okita, "-don't you dare come near her until you've apologized, bastard.''

He walked towards Shinpachi and the others. ''Shinpachi-kun, Kagura-chan, take Sadaharu and let's go."

''Gin-san! Kagura is gone!" Shinpachi's alarmed voice traveled towards them.

''WHAT?"

The two men looked up, shock clearly registered on their faces.

"You have overdone it, Okita-san." Shinpachi accused fiercely. "Why did you have to say such mean things to a girl? Don't you know that…"

''That's enough, Shinpachi, what's done is done," Gintoki cut in swiftly.

Although he refused to express his apologies, Okita also felt that he had crossed the line. Already he could feel the sour feeling of bile erupting his gut. He cursed himself for letting his weak insecurities speak for him. Had he traded in his current relationship with her for a moment of self-gratification?

"But Kagura-chan can't run away by herself! Not having her condition she can't!" There was a slight hysterical note in Shinpachi's voice now.

''Crap! I forgot! Sorry, Souchiro-kun, I will deal with you another time."

''Wait Danna! China is having a- condition? Tell me!" Okita grabbed onto Gintoki's sleeve in a panic. ''Was that the reason why she was acting all weird on him just now?'

Gintoki's saw that the boy's eyes were glazed over with unspoken anxiety. Inwardly, he felt amused. What an inexpressive, stubborn boy he was. It kind of reminded him of himself when he was younger. Still, it wasn't HIS problem. It was Kagura he was bothered about, not Okita.

Anyway, Gintoki always believed that men should always deal with their own affairs, let him handle his own mess.

''Keh, let her tell you herself… It's her business not mine!" With that, Gintoki shrugged out of Okita's restraining grip. Nodding at Shinpachi, they sped off together. Sadaharu right behind them.

''What… just happened?''

In a daze, Okita watched their silhouettes disappearing into the distance. And now, he was left standing by the ruined bench alone. He ran an impatient hand over the cracked wooden surface. F*** everything! There was definitely something going on that only he did not understand, but… what was it?

… Ow! A splinter had strayed from its wooden-graining and buried itself into his hand. Almost instantly, a crimson stream of blood erupted through his skin. And as he apathetically watched its course, a singular thought rang in his head.

''Kagura… I'm… really bad at this, aren't I…?''

Quickly, Okita pushed all guilty thoughts out of his mind, those can come later. China had all his answers, and so, the important thing was getting her back.

Kagura had quietly slipped away.

Otose's advice was still ringing in her ears.

She craddled her umbrella tightly to her chest, stumbling and crying as she ran blindly through the streets, not caring who she bumped into, which was a an easy thing to do on the crowded streets of Kabuki-cho. Unfortunately, it was also a rather foolish thing to do.

''That sadistic bastard… I hate him!" She choked back a shuddering gasp as she ran.

Straight into a burly Yakuza.

''Ow! Watch where you are going girlie!" He yelled.

''Yeah? I'm in a bad mood today, so shut it, shit-face!" Kagura yelled back, before she knew what she was doing.

Ah crap…

Hey guys... I hoped you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I have writing it. The characters are getting deeper as they are put through unexpected situations which bring out the best and the worst in them. Still it makes them more solid and complete as characters, with their strengths and flaws and all. I try to keep them in character as much as possible, given the fact they they're all growing older and experiencing new changes in their lives. Please drop me all your comments and suggestions that you would like to bring to my attention. It is a great pleasure to read through them. =D

Btw, Its my first chapter I've published with a Beta having gone through it. We will edit my older chapters slowly one by one. This is to ensure you guys have a smoother reading experience. Don't be afraid to leave constructive criticism in your reviews. You'll find that I am pretty open-minded! =)

Cheers! ~ The Blue Hydrangea

Author's note:

***Ps. Check out my Deviantart Acct on my Profile page for original 'Moonstruck" drawings. =) ***