Aftermath

Part IX:

"Good morning," she all but purred as her breathing returned to normal.

He chuckled, a soft low growl in his throat. "Mornin' to you too."

Megumi shifted around to free one arm and traced little patterns on his skin. "You totally planned that," she said in a tone that was not really accusatory.

"Not really," he denied, not very forcefully. "You certainly didn't protest," he added softly, almost hesitantly.

He felt her tense, felt the sudden indecision. She started to pull away, shame clear on her face before she hid it from him.

"No. Megumi, stop," he said, in the same soft tone. "Koishii… My wife, my beloved," he whispered. "Please don't turn from me. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Believe me," and the slight grin entered his voice as well as flashed across his features. "You have NOTHING to be ashamed of. You're magnificent. In every possible way."

She was less tense, but still she trembled. "How can you not be repulsed by me?"

"Repulsed? Are you nuts?"

His honest, forthright reaction was the only thing that could have reached her. ~Still the same Sanosuke,~ she realized as she relaxed a little more. "I'm damaged goods."

"Che," he cursed. "If you're damaged goods, what does that make me? I'm so broken even you couldn't finish patchin' me up."

That brought a half smile to her face.

"Tell you what. I won't go makin' any sudden moves, or sneak up behind ya, and you'll drop this oh-I'm-so-disgusting crap," he said, tracing a pattern on her skin in turn.

"That might work," she agreed cautiously. She wanted to believe him. Sano had never been the sort to hide his feelings or his thoughts very well. His was an almost painfully honest nature; she could never think of a time he'd actually lied about anything.

~Unlike some people you could name, ne, Megumi?~ she sniped inwardly.

"You're the boss. You call the shots. As long as I'm with you, neither one of us has to be alone," he murmured.

She lay still for a long moment. "I can't decide if that's the most ridiculously profound thing I've ever heard in my life, or simply the most ridiculous."

"I vote for the former," the tall man grinned.

"Of course you do," Megumi sighed. She sat up. "The clinic isn't going to open itself, you know. Why don't you go back now to get your things while I prepare for the day? You really need clean clothes already. White shows wear quickly," she pointed out.

"Sure," he said, slightly cautious. He had a feeling that she had something up her sleeve.

He dressed quickly – she was right, he noticed, although he hesitated to admit it aloud. ~Old habits do indeed die hard, especially when you're as stubborn as I am,~ he grinned at himself. The new white kimono and hakama were showing three days' dirt rather clearly. Then again, working in a clinic was hardly the neatest job available.

Running a hand through his long hair, he decided to detour on the way to the Karitaku residence to find a job that would pay enough to allow him to contribute significantly to their household. Megumi's work ethic, despite her mercenary leanings, simply was not allowing her to live the kind of life he wanted for her. And, incidentally, for himself. He certainly didn't blame her, but he was determined to show her how serious he was. He was going to be the man she deserved.

He knew he was not suited for teaching. Although children no longer intimidated him as they once had, he had never been much for schooling before and that had not changed. Manual labor seemed the most likely option for him. Perhaps something in construction, he thought as he passed the site of a building in progress. Heavy lifting was no problem, and it was the sort of thing that produced a definite, tangible result.

It was, he mused, constructive work.

Oddly, the pun was what sealed it for him. He approached the construction site. He hailed the first man he saw.

"Excuse me. Who would I see about a job here?"

"A job? Wait, aren't you Takanisensei's new assistant?" The man, pushing towards his middle years, studied the younger one intently.

"Well, I started out that way, but… See, the thing is, we're married, and I wanna work somewhere I can bring home somethin' to supplement her income. I know a lot of people can't pay much, and she doesn't turn anyone in need away." He spoke softly, a little embarrassed at the admission.

"That proud woman…!" The man shook his head as though in disbelief.

Sano leaped to her defense. "Oiy! First off, that's my wife you're talkin' about! And second –"

The man waved his hand. "Oh, give it up! She's never said a word to anyone. She's a wonderful doctor but she's very hard to approach. And now, suddenly, she's married?"

"Very suddenly," Sano admitted. "As of today, really." He blushed.

The man chortled. "Oh hoh! I see how it is, then! Newlyweds… As it happens, I do need a few strong backs. Can you start tomorrow? I don't doubt you'll want to take today to spend with your wife," he grinned in a suggestive but not crude manner.

Sano's eyes widened in surprise. That had been astonishingly easy. "Tomorrow? S-sure!" Gratitude spread wide across his face. "Wait, isn't your boss gonna have somethin' to say about it?"

The man grinned. "I am the boss."

"That's great! Thank you so much!" Sano seized the man's hand, shook it vigorously, and started to run off in the direction of the Karitaku residence.

He skidded to a stop, turned around, and sauntered back, a little red in the face. "Ano… I'm Sa- Sanosuke. Takani Sanosuke," he said, sounding the name out with bemusement. ~I'm Takani Sanosuke!~

"It'll take time to get used to. My youngest brother moved in with his wife's family three years ago – and he still hasn't gotten used to it! I am Site Foreman Yamagawa Eisuke."

"Shokuchou," Sano bowed, addressing the man only by his title.

"Go home and tell your wife that you'll be making an honest living instead of mooching off of her, and I'll see you tomorrow," the foreman smiled. "But be warned, I'm not a gentle boss."

"That's okay," Sanosuke smirked. "I can handle a little hard labor."

"I'll bet you can," came the reply, but Sano was already off, making for his original destination. That had been frighteningly easy! But then, Aizu was still rebuilding after the Boshin wars and would be for a long time. Construction was probably one of the easiest fields in which to find work.

His long legs did not want to simply walk. His pace was more of a jog and he couldn't help the grin that insisted on spreading over his face. For once, he wasn't going to dwell on how easy things were going. Nothing would go wrong – he would not permit it. And after all, it hadn't been THAT easy. ~Oh, sure, the job… But getting that vixen to concede wasn't as easy as all that. It feels like we're both fighting her every step of the way. I know we can make this work. I have to believe in us. I just wish I could take her pain away and make it easier… for both of us.~ The smile faded, but not for long. ~Takani Sanosuke. It does sound goofy.

~And that's just the way I like it.~

So it was with a light heart that he arrived at the Karitaku home. He slowed his pace, not wanting to disturb the couple, but the wife was in the kitchen and heard his arrival.

"Aah, Sanosuke-kun! Welcome back," she said with a wry twist to her smile. "We were wondering if you'd gotten lost on the way back one night."

"I ain't THAT bad with directions," the young man protested awkwardly.

At that, the woman laughed. "Maa, maa, it's all right. Takanisensei has doubtless been working you like a dog. That one's a real cool one."

A protest lodged itself in Sano's throat as he thought about just how warm she actually was, but the flush on his cheeks gave him away.

"So working for her constantly over the last few days still hasn't swayed you from her, eh?" Karitaku Chiyoko shook her head.

"Actually," he said, the grin emerging once more, "I've come to get my stuff. I'm moving into the clinic. Moved, really. Three days ago," he added, trying to lessen the significance of the words.

After her discussion the day before with the doctor, the old woman was more than willing to play along. "Well, if you insist… It's our loss, and your stupidity," she said offhandedly. "You know where your things are," she gestured in the direction of the room in which he'd stayed.

Once he was out of the room, however, her own smile widened. She had slipped the red paper package in among the others just a few minutes earlier, and she wondered how long it would take him to notice it.

"Excuse me, Karitakusan? I don't think this is mine," he said, coming in with the package in his hands, unopened.

The old woman folded her arms. "If it wasn't yours, it wouldn't have been in with your belongings. Are you sure?"

At that he faltered. "Uhh, not really?"

"Why don't you open it and see?"

He did, slowly, careful not to tear the delicate paper. A flash of lavender met his gaze and he glanced up in surprise.

"How did you – where did this –"

"So it does look familiar? Go put it on. That white one needs to be washed already."

Bemused, he wandered back into the room and changed slowly. ~That vixen! She must have bought it that first day, and brought it here when she mailed her letters… He fingered the soft fabric and hoped he wouldn't look too silly in the color. He swapped the white hakama for black, knowing it would present a more dramatic appearance. He still couldn't get the hang of the sleeves after so many years of not wearing kimono. He managed, however, and when he was dressed he gathered the rest of his belongings and returned to the main room where Karitakusan still waited.

"Looks good on you," she said with a smirk.

"She told you?"

Seeing no point in further dissemination, she nodded.

Sanosuke huffed.

The old woman shook her head in amusement. "So you're annoyed that she spoiled your big news? It's okay. You can surprise me with the details on just how you've managed to get her to marry you."

"Nothing is sacred, is it." But he wasn't truly annoyed. His heart was too light.

"Go on, your wife is waiting for you," the older woman laughed, more interested in seeing her new young friend happy than in hearing the details.

He bowed deeply, thanking her. "I have the week's rent, too." He pulled out the envelope in which he'd put the rent money.

"No. You paid for the week when you came, remember? Besides, you're going to need that. You have a wife to support now."

"Well, I just got another job in construction."

"Well! This is quite a week for you, young man!" The old woman smiled.

"No kiddin'," he said.

"Go, then. It's not getting any earlier, and you should be spending the day with your wife."

He bowed and thanked her again, and with his bag over his shoulder set off on the short return trip to the clinic.

His step was light and people smiled to see him striding down the street; by now he was no longer the frightening figure of three days earlier. He was, however, still a romantic one in the eyes of the young women of Aizu. He almost hated to break their hearts… Almost. He had rather enjoyed his brief stint as the tall, dark, and mysterious stranger who had appeared on the doctor's doorstep from out of nowhere. Ultimately, however, he definitely preferred things the way they were turning out.

~Takani Sanosuke. Still sounds better than Higashidani Sanosuke. And, if I had to admit it… I like it even more than Sagara Sanosuke.~

It was that thought which was foremost on his mind when he returned to the clinic.

But the clinic was dark and the door closed. He tried the door to find it locked. Concerned, he strode around to the back and saw a note tacked to the door.

We have the doctor. Do not come looking for us. We will contact you.

It was unsigned.

"Shit!" The remnants of his good mood evaporated immediately. There had to be some clue as to who had taken her!

He did not think to try the back door. If he had, he would have found it unlocked.

There were no signs of a struggle.

He imagined the worst had happened, and he hadn't the slightest idea where to begin looking.

Long strides took him back to the front of the clinic, where he spotted the familiar figure of the local constable. "Satomura!"

"Saga- Takanisan?" Evidently, word of his marriage had begun to spread; Sano filed the information away for later consideration. "What's wrong?"

"Megumi's gone. There's a note on the door. Someone took her."

"Takanisensei? But I just saw her fifteen minutes ago with Miyokosan and Ogawa Keikosan and several other women." His concern softened with dry humor for a moment. "Admittedly, she looked rather irritated, but she seemed just fine."

"Then explain this!" Sano dragged the confused constable to the side door with the note.

Upon reading it, Satomura did the last thing Sanosuke expected: he threw back his head and laughed.

On the verge of beating the cop within an inch of his life, the newlywed demanded an explanation.

"I'm sorry, Takanisan," he said, still chuckling. "This is Ogawa Keikosan's handwriting. She thinks she's funny, sometimes… I suspect the women have 'abducted' your wife for truly nefarious purposes: they are… Well, actually, I don't quite know what they're doing." He scratched the back of his neck. "It probably has to do with her newlywed status, and whatever it is that women do. Personally, I think we're both better off not knowing.

"I'll tell you what, Takanisan. I'm still working, but I'll get a few of the guys together and we'll take you to lunch if she's not back by then. Say in an hour?" He reached out and opened the door. "We'll meet you here."

Sano glared at the door.

"Ahh, we'll stop by in an hour and you can let us know then," Satomura said, deciding that this was one of those times when discretion was indeed the better part of valor. Quietly, he stepped away and resumed his beat.

Finding himself with a lot of anger and nobody at whom to safely direct it, Sano clung to reason by his fingernails. His eye fell on the woodpile and he decided to add to its bulk; wielding an axe and practically annihilating a few dozen trees had a certain appeal.

Half an hour later, that was how Megumi found him upon her return. Stripped to the waist, long hair gleaming in the sun, his tanned physique glistening with sweat and his jaw still taut though he no longer trembled with rage. He looked up as he heard her enter the yard.

"Megumi!" Relief and anger blended in his voice as he spoke her name. Letting the axe fall into the stump, he approached her uncertainly. He was torn between the desire to pull her into his arms and the need to shake sense into her.

"I cannot believe those women," she said, although she didn't seem entirely displeased. "They demanded I close my clinic and come with them out of the blue." She looked her new husband up and down. "You could have opened the clinic." She lay down the bulky bundle she was carrying as she spoke.

Though her tone was not critical, he took it badly.

"You think I was cutting wood for fun? Damn it, Megumi, why didn't you leave a note? I came back and the place was dark and you were nowhere to be found!"

"Ogawasan said she was leaving a note," Megumi said, confused. "She wrote it and tacked it to the door as we left."

"THIS is her damned note!" His dander up once more, Sano all but shoved the letter into Megumi's face. She read the three short sentences quickly then crumpled the page.

"That…" She cast around for something suitable to call the woman. Failing to find anything both appropriate and not terribly improper, she sighed. "You know, Sano, I suppose I ought to give her credit. She's very devious."

"No more so than a certain Kitsune I know," he muttered crossly.

"This time, I've been outfoxed," she admitted, drawing a startled look. The admission in combination with the pun threw him off.

"I had no idea what she wrote. I think she's a little annoyed, actually," the doctor said thoughtfully, seeming amused by the notion.

Sano's own curiosity was piqued. "Oh?"

Megumi nodded. "You married me rather than choosing to give her a chance."

"Really?" It wasn't exactly a question.

She nodded. "Really. Ogawa Keikosan is a little bit husband-hungry. She's a good enough woman, I suppose. She's not entirely unattractive, and if she is rather a gossip, at least she's lively and entertaining." Megumi shrugged. "Still, if I were a man, I wouldn't marry her."

"I'm glad."

"For?"

"Couple things. First, that you wouldn't marry her. And second, that you're not a man."

"And that's second?" Megumi asked archly.

"Nah. I guess it could be first."

"You guess." Megumi tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

"You know, I might be persuaded," he said in a soft growl, a sultry smile on his lips.

"Sanosuke! It's the middle of the day!"

"Exactly," he purred, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her close. "Come on, Kitsune, you can give me what I want."

"Sano!" She was genuinely scandalized.

"Whassamatter? Not up to makin' lunch for your man?"

She went rigid, a little embarrassed and a lot annoyed. "Sanosuke no baka!"

He ducked but was not quite fast enough.

She nailed him in the bruise she'd given him when he'd walked in on her changing.

This time, he was not fortunate enough to lose consciousness.

"I wasn't in the mood for a knuckle sandwich but I guess that'll do," he said mournfully – or at least he tried – from halfway across the yard where he'd landed.

"You poor thing," she cooed. "Let me kiss it and make it better."

Sanosuke scuttled backwards, fear in his eyes. "No, no, that's fine, just a little ice," he begged as she advanced.

"Takanisan?" They heard Satomura's voice and Sano did not bother hiding his relief.

Megumi looked startled by the police officer's appearance at the clinic. "Satomurasan! Is everything all right?"

"Forgive me, Takanisensei! I didn't realize you were back… I ran into your husband earlier while you were out. He seemed upset so a few of us were going to treat him to lunch. But since you're here, we'll leave you two alone."

"Oh, no, please! Be my guest! If you want to cater to this bottomless sponge, I'm hardly going to object!"

"Ara?" Satomura seemed quite a bit taken aback by Megumi's annoyed dismissal of the man she'd only just married. He looked from one to the other.

Sano nodded. "Yeah, let's go before she changes her mind." He grinned at his rescuer. ~Never thought I'd make friends with a cop,~ he mused. ~But for saving my ass from her, I think I'd even make friends with THAT cop.~

Megumi turned her back on them, mostly so they would not see her smile – or her relief. There were moments where she wondered what she was thinking. What on earth was she doing, getting married to anyone – much less Sanosuke! What kind of proper wife could she possibly be, she worked long hours and often rose at odd ones to run off on some emergency or other? Spending the time she had with the women – socializing – had been very pleasant. She'd genuinely enjoyed herself with them, joining in their banter and listening to their gossip – as a learning tool, she told herself. Not that she actually believed such a line.

Mostly, however, they'd talked about married life… in exhaustive detail. The married ones had alternately raved or ranted about it and the unmarried ones had spoken of it as though it were the only goal worth achieving. They'd also extolled the virtues of her new husband, which she had finally dismissed with a curt, "Trust me, if you knew him as well as I know him, you'd also wonder what the hell I was thinking." They'd all stared at her in various states of confusion.

It had been young Hanako – her sisters had not come – who asked what they'd all wondered. "Then why did you marry him?"

Megumi had not answered for a long time. The silence had grown distinctly awkward when her attitude changed. From her pensive pose, she had risen abruptly and tossed her hair over one shoulder. "Who else would be stupid enough to marry a woman who puts everyone else before her husband or herself?"

Only a few of them had even understood any part of what she was saying.

The gathering had essentially broken up after that, and while she knew she would become friends with some of the women at last, she had wanted to go home and think. Sano's going out with "the guys" would serve her purpose well – and give him a chance to make other friends. ~After all, we're married now.~

It wasn't until he arrived at the restaurant that Sanosuke remembered he hadn't told her about his new job outside the clinic. ~Later,~ he promised himself. ~We'll have plenty of time to talk. After all, we're married now.~

But upon his return, he found that Megumi, wrapped in her thoughts and medical records, had fallen asleep at her desk.

He gazed at her tenderly as he carefully lifted her and placed her on the futon. ~We're going to need a new one,~ he realized. He looked around the sparsely furnished room and his eye fell on the unwieldy package Megumi had carried in with her from her outing. It looked like it might be the right size for a futon for two… He decided not to open it, however, without her.

"Takanisensei? Takanisensei!"

Sano answered the clinic door swiftly, before Megumi even stirred. Satomura had told him that pretty much everyone already knew of their marriage and so was leaving them alone, so Sanosuke was surprised to see two men from the construction site at which he was due to start work tomorrow supporting a third.

"Takanisan! Forgive the interruption, but it's an emergency…"

"I see that. What happened?"

"Midoriyama was carrying some heavy boxes and tripped." The men with him helped their injured comrade to sit and Sano saw the deep laceration that went down from the man's mid-thigh to below his knee.

"Kuso," he breathed. "That's gonna need stitches. I'm no good at that." He glanced over his shoulder towards their private quarters where she still slept.

"Wait here," he said after a tense moment that was not as long as it seemed.

He strode into the back room. This time she heard him and stirred. "Anata? What is it?"

Sleep was still in her voice; the way she had called him "anata" – darling – made him want to forget everything but being with her.

"Koishii." He let the word linger for a brief moment. Beloved. "I'm sorry, but there's an emergency. A man needs stitches. It's a long laceration, not too deep, but a bit jagged." He explained further as she rose and they headed for the clinic.

Tense minutes passed. "There's no risk of losing the limb, but you're going to need to take it easy for several days. I'd say a week of bed rest, and avoid any rapid or strenuous movements. I'll look at it in a week to see your progress."

The three men thanked the couple profusely and bowed deeply. "We'll see you tomorrow?" they confirmed with Sano as they left.

"Tomorrow?" Megumi looked to Sanosuke.

"Yeah. This morning, while I was out," he said, fingering the lavender sleeve that matched her own, "I kinda got a part time job in construction. I wanted… I didn't want to be a total leech off you anymore."

"A job?"

"Aa."

"But I thought you were…"

"I'll still help around here. I'll still do the setup and a couple days a week I'll stay as your assistant. But Kitsune, you can't live on what you've been earning. Two of us certainly can't. So I'm gonna make an honest living."

"Sano…"

"I don't want you to regret marryin' me. It ain't gonna be easy, I know. But damned if I'm gonna give you any reason to have so much as half a second thought."

"I don't think I gave it half a second's thought," she said in a tone he couldn't quite interpret.

"I didn't want to wake you," he finally said, changing the subject. "But Midoriyama's wound was beyond me."

She nodded. "You did the right thing. Somehow," she said, with a flip of hair, "You usually manage to do the right thing."

"Yeah," he said with a crooked grin as he reached for her, tugging her hand lightly until she came into his arms. "I know."

The look they shared was as full of exasperation and amusement as much as tenderness.

[AN] There is absolutely no cultural significance to Megumi's "abduction". The women simply got fed up with her standoffishness and used her newly married status as an excuse to try to make friends. The only reason she refused to admit that to Sanosuke was her pride. [/AN]