Author Note: Sorry about the delay. I was taking a short break from this story to work on something else. I'm back now, and ready to go. Here's chapter 11.

Enjoy!

-----oOo-----

Detention: Progress

Misao eyed herself in the mirror while raking a comb through her hair. Her thoughts lingered on the conversation she'd had with the girls the other night and she found herself honestly thinking about taking Megumi's advice.

Well, at least until she'd woken up Sunday morning with a minor headache…After breakfast, she had sent the two packing while she spent the rest of the day strategizing.

Monday morning found her in the bathroom still pondering. In reality she had two options. She could be blunt and confront him about it or she could just pretend nothing had ever happened.

The Weasel found herself leaning toward the latter of the two. Misao tugged on a stubborn knot furiously before slamming the comb down on the countertop in frustration.

"Okay, nothing happened." Her reflection stared back at her with a serious expression.

No one knew, but them…and Himura, but something told her Saitou had remedied that little loose end after her departure...or at least she hoped he did.

Misao hurriedly braided her hair and stomped out of the bathroom, pouting.

She threw on some clothes and stalked down the stairs. She hadn't even seen the man yet and he'd already put her in a foul mood.

The moment she'd walked out of the house she knew. It was going to be one of those days.

-----oOo-----

"1…31…9"

Misao twisted the wheel on her combination lock impatiently. The thing refused to open and continued holding her school books hostage. She whined and punched the locker, denting the surface.

"Having some trouble?"

Misao's gaze flitted over to an annoyingly familiar smile and her mood soured even more.

"No, every thing is just perfect." She spat, angrily,

Kenshin's smile faltered at the girl's animosity. Violet eyes made note of the nasty dent on what he assumed was her locker.

Misao couldn't help her hostility against the man. How could he be so damn content all the time? She still failed to see why Kaoru pined over the math teacher, he was totally oblivious.

"I'm sorry; it's just that my locker won't open."

Kenshin's eyes softened and his smile returned.

"Alright, let's see what I can do."

Misao moved out of his way.

"What's the code?"

"1, 31, 9…I tried about ten times."

It took him a few minutes but it finally came free with a successful 'click' and Misao couldn't help but feel just slightly pissed.

More so, she felt like a moron.

"Thank you…"

"No problem, Ms. Makimachi. Have a good day."

Not likely…

"Hey, Himura!" She called after him.

Shut up, shut up, shut up! Her mind was shouting at her to cease, but she had to make sure.

"Um, about Friday, last week…" She avoided looking at him.

"I suppose you're going to ask me to keep things quiet. That there is nothing going on between you two, that what I saw was a mistake…" Kenshin finished for her.

Misao struggled for words.

"Yeah, that about sums it up…" She answered, simply.

Kenshin chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Saitou made it clear that there was nothing to be seen. You don't have to worry about anything, Ms. Misao. You have a wolf looking out for you, after all."

Her eyes widened as Kenshin turned and walked away.

"You have a wolf looking out for you, after all."

Misao rolled her eyes at the thought, as if…more like 'looking out to get me'.

----oOo----

"So have you decided on what you're going to do?" Kaoru asked while sliding out a chair across from her friend.

Misao poked at her poor excuse for food.

"I haven't really been thinking about it." She muttered absently.

Kaoru felt for her friend, she really did. She also admired the way she had been handling the situation. If it had been her in Misao's place and Saitou in Kenshin's, she'd probably never set foot on campus again.

"Well, you'll be seeing him in the next few hours, at least have ideas of what you are going to do by then."

Misao shrugged, "There is nothing to do other than act my normal annoying self. As far as I'm concerned, nothing happened." She stressed.

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at the Weasel in disagreement.

"You can't just go on and ignore it. It will eat you up inside."

"What do you expect me to do? Step up to Saitou and go 'Hey, about that whole kiss thing, yeah…we need to talk about that' do you?"

Kaoru frowned, "No, but…you know what I mean."

"No, I don't." Misao said.

"Look, let's just forget about this right now. I want to know what is up with Shinomori. I mean, do you really like him?" Kaoru asked.

Misao seemed to think about it before answering.

"Aoshi is-"

"Oh, so it's Aoshi, now is it?" Kaoru smirked slyly.

"Anyway, he's got detention with me and Wolfy, now, too." Misao smiled.

"Wolfy? Is that supposed to be some pet name? How adorable…"

"You are missing the point…"

Kaoru looked at Misao confused, "What do you mean by 'missing the point'. Shinomori is serving time for who knows what with you. I thought you'd be happy."

Misao paused, "Wol…Saitou doesn't like him too much."

Kaoru quirked an eyebrow at this, "Really, why not?" she questioned, concerned.

"He basically said Aoshi was up to no good. Whatever that mean…"

Now it was Kaoru's turn to shrug, "."

Misao nodded in silent agreement.

What indeed…

-----oOo-----

She took her time walking to 8th period.

If she knew him as well as she thought she did, he wasn't going to let the stunt she pulled on Saturday go. Misao doubted he'd actually do anything…well hoped, actually.

Pausing at the door, she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Lifting her chin high in defiance, she walked into the classroom confidently.

----oOo-----

Amber eyes darted to the clock on the wall…fifteen minutes.

Saitou leaned back in his chair covering his eyes in an exhausted manner as the students filtered in silently and sat down.

Peaking through his fingers the sight of a swinging braid caught his attention.

His ego was still sore from the blow she'd dealt him on Saturday. The fact that it was in front of an associate didn't exactly aid matters. All he'd heard about after he and Okita left the restaurant was how a "teenaged girl had gotten the better" of him…and how he'd supposedly "allowed it".

How was he supposed to know she'd end up lecturing him before patting him on the cheek and sending him on his merry way?

Saitou resisted the urge to hurl his stapler across the room instead moving to look at the clock again…twelve minutes.

Pushing himself out of his chair, he walked to the front of the class; the students immediately quieted and sat strait in their seats, attention on him…all except her of course.

The Weasel was slumped over lazily in her seat staring out the window with a bored expression on her face. She was just begging for him to make a snide remark…he couldn't resist.

"Ms. Makimachi, is it too complicating a feat for you to sit strait?"

Blue eyes switched from their position on the sky to him.

"Uhhh, yeah. 'Is it too complicating a feat for you to' keep your sarcastic comments to yourself?" She retorted.

He failed to conceal his smirk and some students gasped.

The gears in his mind were slowly turning as he tried to figure out a method of payback. Saitou agreed to himself that he didn't necessarily have to get her back at this moment in time. Besides, she was probably expecting it.

He preferred catching her off guard.

"Sit up properly Ms. Makimachi and pay attention, if that is not too much to ask."

She looked stunted for a second before shifting a bit.

"Since you asked so nicely...well, about as nice as you could ask, anyway."

Saitou glanced at the clock again…seven minutes.

"Read pages 435 to 437 tonight for homework. I'll expect a summery on my desk by the end of class tomorrow. You have the rest of the period to read. One peep out of anyone and I'll make you read the whole chapter, with a summery due at the end of class instead."

That was enough incentive to keep them shut up. Saitou was actually surprised to see Misao working. He took the time to observe her, noting that she tended to bite her bottom lip when she was concentrating.

A habit he would've found annoying had it been anyone else, it seemed to suit her, though. His gaze lingered on her bruised lip a few moments when he realized he had been staring and checked to make sure none of his other students had noticed.

Thankfully, they were all too busy scribbling down notes on their papers.

His eyes found their way back to her form again and he unconsciously began to stare at her again. The whole while his thoughts flitted back to Friday's after school event.

Saitou hadn't really thought on it much and it didn't look like she had either. Any other girl would've been fidgeting constantly on alert, but then again, this wasn't 'any other girl' he was thinking about.

His musings were interrupted as the sound of a siren pierced the air and he flinched.

"Alright, everybody out to the parking lot in an orderly fashion." He barked while grabbing something out of his desk drawer.

It was early September and the heat was already pounding down on them as soon as they stepped out onto the asphalt and away from the air conditioned building. Fire drills were frequent procedures, so the students knew it would take a while to make sure everyone was evacuated safely off campus.

Saitou and the rest of the faculty had been warned off the impending drill, so he'd thought it wise to bring an umbrella to shield him from the sun. His students, however, were suffering under the sun.

Misao had been startled by the sudden interruption. Standing out in the heat like a fool while the Wolf stood a few feet away in the shade was enough to cause her to go over and demand he share the wealth.

"The forecast called for mostly sunny today, but I guess you didn't get that memo." She eyes the umbrella.

"Umbrellas have multiple uses aside from protecting you from rain they can be used for shade as well."

Misao could already feel perspiration on the back of her neck.

"Would it kill you to share?" She stepped under the thing and into the welcoming dimness next to the not-so-welcoming owner.

Saitou looked down his nose at her before stepping back allowing the sun's rays to descend upon her again.

"No can do, if I let you then I'd have to let everyone else. It's called favoritism, and I highly doubt twenty-four students can fit."

Misao rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up, as if anyone else, but me, has the guts to get within a five foot radius of you." She sidled over and into the shade once more.

"You are one rude young woman. I wonder what your parents must think." He commented, absent mindedly.

She smiled sadly to herself, "They don't..."

"Don't what?" He questioned, a bit confused.

"Think, I mean…at least not anymore. They aren't exactly…alive." She finished.

Saitou had never wanted to kick himself more than at that moment, in fact he'd never wanted to kick himself at all before.

"I'm sorry…"

Misao laughed bitterly, "For what? It's not like you were the one that ran them off the road. Nope, that guy is sitting in a lovely little seven by twelve foot prison cell for the next forty-five years."

Saitou was stunned silent; he'd never heard her take on such a cynical tone. It was unnerving.

"Aw, did I make the Wolf feel guilty? I'm just tired of people saying 'I'm sorry'."

He finally found his voice again.

"What would you have them say, then?"

Misao sighed, "What does it matter, nothing they say would change the fact that my parents are gone. I'll never have a mom to argue with or a dad to walk me down the aisle. End of story."

"Such a negative outlook for such a young person…
Are you going to live the rest of your life thinking like that?" Since when had he become a psychiatrist?

"Enough with the psychiatric crap, its weird coming from you…" Misao smiled warmly.

Saitou just shrugged as they received the signal to go back into the building.

"I'm a teacher, it's my job."

"HA! Don't make me laugh…You know what, Wolfy? I think we made some serious progress in our relationship today, don't you?" Misao said while walking backwards facing him.

Saitou lifted an eyebrow, "Relationship?"

"As friends! Like I said, you have to take me out to dinner first if that's what you're after." She winked, teasingly.

At least they were back to their normal routine…

----oOo-----

Hehe, so yeah…review and tell me what you think. My feet hurt and my back is killing me…it's late, sorry for any grammatical errors…I'll edit them later.

Until the next chapter!