I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW FROM THE STORY!

Saito's story has 8 or so chapters left and I just wanted to know whose story would you guys like to hear next? Any opinions?

Chapter Twelve

What is this…

"Ah, it's nice to kick back and relax after a few days of hard work."

"What are you complaining about, Shinpachi? All you did was shovel snow."

"Shut up, Heisuke! Besides, shoveling snow can be hard. Especially when your partner, a woman, decides to make you do it all on your own!"

Harada laughed. "Perhaps you should ask nicer next time."

"You have no idea how much of a shrew Tsukiko can be!" Shinpachi hissed. "It's like living with a Demon! I think she's worse than you, Hijikata!"

The other samurai reached forward for his glass and gave a grin. "Is that right?"

"Oh, you just have no idea!"

"Speaking of which, where are they?" Heisuke glanced around the room. "None of the girls are here."

"Oh, don't worry, they'll be here soon enough." Their leader grinned in a mischievous way.

"Kondo," Hijikata stared at his friend. "What exactly have you done?"

Isami gave a grin. "They are women, after all. And for a party, I couldn't just leave them dressed like they normally are, could I?"

Saito closed his eyes and just shook his head as the others continued to talk. It's not like he wasn't in a good mood, he just wasn't in a mood to hear them complain to one another.

"Lighten up, Saito," Okita gave the other man a grin. "Ever since you returned from that trip to Edo, you've been out of it. Did something happen out there?"

Saito shook his head. "No, everything's fine."

"It doesn't look like it." Okita grumbled with that grin of his and he lifted his glass up.

"It doesn't look like everything's fine," Inoue grinned at his friend. "Are you sure nothing happened while on the journey?"

"Don't bother him so much about it," Shimada grinned.

"Yes. I believe Captain Hajime would have done told us if something had happened." Yamazaki agreed.

Susumu Yamazaki and Kai Shimada had joined them, as well as Inoue and Sanan. At 5'5', Yamazaki was in his early 20's and had short hair, next to a long tail in the back, that was a light brown with alert eyes. He was normally seen in his ninja uniform but tonight wore a light green kimono shirt with a dark green trim and simple black pants.

Yamazaki held quite close ties to most of the captains and was very, VERY passionate about his work; he seemed especially loyal and respectful of Hijikata.

Shimada was in his early thirties with dark brown hair and brown eyes and still in his Shinsengumi Haori. He was a very friendly man and loyal to his superiors.

Saito appreciated Shimada and Yamazaki's words on his behalf. He didn't want to admit it, but he was a bit…strange after returning from Edo. Since finding out the secret behind Katsumi's past with the Orgo Bandits, Saito has found himself think of ways to try and…make her feel better? Lighten her attitude, perhaps? He felt sorry for yelling at her like he had when he kept her from killing the bandits at the Inn. He knew that he was doing the right thing IN saving the men, but still, he…

~What is this? Why do I feel this way?~ He asked himself as the others continued on with the party. ~Sure, her brothers are dead, but normally my sympathy for them, even Kondou, would have faded away after a few days. But for Katsumi, it didn't…~

It was true. Every time he saw the young woman, even found himself thinking about her, he felt a strange feeling in his chest. Sympathy for all that happened to her and her brothers. Remembering what she had told him about her blade, she must have found it in the alley the day she returned to the city after finding her brothers dead and their house destroyed. And then there was Satoshi. Her youngest brother hadn't even been found. Did that mean that the Orgo bandits had run off with the child, or someone else found him? Was the child even still alive? Something inside him made Saito want to find those answers for Katsumi, he just didn't know why.

Ever since they had arrived, Saito found himself thinking about Katsumi often, but just like everything else, he didn't know why. He didn't seem to understand a lot of things about women; especially not the one that had been assigned to be his partner.

~What is this…~

"Excuse me, good sirs," a voice sounded outside the door of the room. "But the rest of your party has arrived."

"All right," Shinpachi grinned, lifting his sake to his lips again. "Bring in the ladies!"

All of the men glanced at the group of women as they entered the room. Most of them, wore shocked looks as Kondou let out a huge grin and Daiki, the chef, gave out a whistle.

"Who'd have thought that the Okami pack of hard-ass women could turn into something as sexy as this!?"

"Shut it, Daiki!" Chika grinned. "You're embarrassing us."

"Embarrassed? Please, you all look amazing! Please, sit down." Sanan assured them, motioning at the opened seat beside him.

"It's not normal to dress up without the make-up you know," Yamazaki commented, sipping from his glass.

"Screw the makeup!" Heisuke grinned. "They're all hot enough without it!"

Ryoko's face turned a dark red as the rest of the girls giggled. "You're sweet, Heisuke."

"No, he's right," Sanosuke stood up and helped Yumi to her seat. "You all look exquisite. It's nice to see you all in something other than your regular clothes."

All seven of the women had changed from their western styled clothes into kimonos; even Tsukiko.

"Well, when Isami implored for us to chance for the party, how could we refuse him?" Asami asked. "You all have been so nice to us since we were forced to work together, so why not?"

"Besides," Katsumi continued with a grin. "If a guy wants to give me money on his birthday to buy a dress with, then I don't mind."

That gave laughter through the others in the room. All the women were indeed gorgeous in their new attire, but Saito's eyes were only drawn to one. The one that his mind had been stuck on all night.

Katsumi's long brown hair had been pulled back into a gorgeous swirled that held a pink chrysanthemum to pin it with. The Kimono was black, covered in all shades of pink flowers, and a few red ones, as her obi was a swirl of yellow and purple flowers.

Saito couldn't help but follow Katsumi as she sat between Ryoko and Shimada, a large smile on her face as she joined in with the conversation that Shimada and Yamazaki had been taking part in. Heisuke had been right. Forget the makeup; she looked good without it. Pure. Natural. She was…

~Stop it!~ Saito closed his eyes. ~You shouldn't be thinking about something like that…~

"God, it feels so weird to be in a kimono again," Katsumi was commenting. "We've been in pants for so long now that I had almost forgotten how to put one of these on."

"I know, right?" Fuyu laughed with her. "Maybe we should start wearing these again."

"I don't think that we would be able to fight in these, Fuyu," Tsukiko told the younger woman. "Pants are more moveable."

"I agree," Yumi nodded. "But dressing up like an actual woman every once in a while wouldn't be so bad, either."

"I agree with that one," Daiki raised a glass. "Hot ladies in silk are always a hell of a site for me. It makes me wonder what you look like underneath."

"And that totally just ruined all of this for me," Chika pulled a face. They all laughed at Daiki.

"Well, now that you have arrived, I say we get this party started!" Isami grinned.

"Before we do," Asami began. "From what you gave us this morning, we had some funds left over and the girls decided to use it on a present for you."

"A present?" Isami looked shocked.

"Yeah," Ryoko nodded. "What's wrong, have the boys here never gotten you anything for your birthday," The members around the table all coughed and looked away. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh, you bastards!"

"For-shame on all of you," Katsumi shook her head as Fuyu pulled out the wrapped package.

"Hey, we take him out drinking and stuff," Shinpachi replied.

"That's not the same, though," Yumi told him.

"Don't bother trying to explain it, Chika," Tsukiko began as she lifted her own glass. "He's either too drunk to understand already to where he won't remember it for next year or he's just too stupid already."

"Ah, come on, you and Nagakura can have your ego fights tomorrow," Katsumi told the woman sitting across from her next to Heisuke. "Go ahead, Kondou. Open it!"

"I know it's not much," Fuyu began to fumble embarrassedly with her hands. "But I hope you like it." She glanced to her right to see that Hijikata had placed a hand on her head and was giving her a grin. Everyone watched as the man opened the cloth before him. "We didn't know if you even had one, but Asami said that you can never have so many so-"

"The thought is wonderful," Isami grinned. "And Asami was right. You can never have too many." His present had been a sharpening stone for his blades. There was also- "And what is this?" He lifted up another object. It was an exquisite carving of a set of howling wolves on a cliff.

"It is said to be made from the ashes off of Mt. Fuji," Ryoko told him. "So you'd better keep it safe, got it?"

"It's nice and all," Heisuke looked at her. "But why would you get that for Kondou? Isn't wolves more of your thing?"

"Well, the Shinsengumi are also called the Wolves of Mibu, aren't you?" Katsumi replied. "Besides, it's a token of us as well."

"Of you?" Isami raised a brow.

"Yes," Asami closed her eyes. "Everyone agreed on it. Eventually, the Okami Pack and the Shinsengumi will be on their separate paths again, even if that does not happen until a year or so in the future. But if you ever need us afterwards, just remember us and call for help. The Okami pack will come."

Things were silent for a moment, leaving Isami to stare at the grins on all the faces of the women that sat around the table. He looked like he was about to cry. "This…this…"

"Aww, don't cry!" Fuyu leaned over and pulled the man into a hug. "It'll make me cry, too!"

"If might have been a little over half a year since we first ran into you guys, but we like you. A lot. Any other Samurai would have been pissed that women wanted to join them in battle. You actually letting us work with you and whatnot kinda…made you guys special to us," Katsumi told them all, rubbing the back of her neck.

Isami rubbed his tears away and pulled a huge smile on his face. "I appreciate it! If the Shinsengumi ever need you in the future, you will be found!"

The party continued well into the night, everyone having fun and enjoying the others. A few of the group had already returned to the base, leaving the real partiers to stay longer around the table. Sanosuke was currently entertaining everyone with the scar he held on his stomach. Shinpachi and Heisuke were laughing as they held onto the other as Yumi looked like she was about to die. Asami and Hijikata were in a deep conversation with Sanan and Fuyu. Fuyu looked like she was about to pass out and Yamazaki and Shimada offered to escort her home; Ryoko and Chika went with them, Okita following after them.

Saito was still there. He and Tsukiko had been in a conversation with Katsumi about future events before Katsumi decided to join in with Sanosuke and the others as Tsukiko had been called over by Asami, leaving Saito on his own. He found himself watching as Shinpachi drew a face on Sanosuke's stomach around his scar and go off into another roar of laughter.

His eyes found themselves on Katsumi again. Her face was a light red from laughter as she sat there. Her hair was beginning to fall from its swirl, the pink chrysanthemum already removed and placed on the table. Saito didn't know what it was, perhaps it was the sake finally taking its toll on him, but he reached forward and grabbed the said flower from the table and stared at it for a moment before lifting it to his face and taking a breath. The flower smelled like it normally would, no doubt about that, but there was also another sweet smell to it. Katsumi's smell. He had first gotten this smell in his system that night he had grabbed her before she could kill the Orgo bandits. And then it was there again when she had returned his scarf to him that night in Edo.

He still had yet to wash that scarf…

"Wow, I didn't think that it'd be you, Saito," Kondou laughed. Saito ripped the flower from his face, her heart in a panic as Daiki and Isami took a seat on either side of him. He felt his face growing hot. "It thought for sure that it would have Heisuke or ever Sanosuke, but for it to be you!"

"Me?" Saito asked him.

"To fall for one of the women, Hajime."

Saito's eyes grew wide. Is that was these feelings- "My apologies, Kondou, but I'm afraid that you're mistaken."

"Oh, come on," Daiki gave his friend's shoulder a shove. "You're sitting here, smelling the flower that had been in her hair. Don't be embarrassed and try to hide the truth." Saito closed his eyes. He could feel his face getting hotter and hotter. "And between you and me, you picked a hottie, my dear friend. I'm a bit envious."

"You both…"

Kondou laughed at one of his captains. "Don't worry, Saito, you'll get her in the end, I'm sure! After all, not very many women ran resist the thought of a man that could protect them."

"Isami, all seven of those women can protect themselves. Your captains aren't needed. Actually, the only one I haven't seen fight is Asami. I wonder how good she is. To be the leader, she has to be the best. I think Tsukiko falls second in line, too."

"Yes, I think that too." Kondou nodded.

As the two men continued to talk about the strengths of women of the Okami pack, Saito's vision returned to the pink flower that he still held in his hand…

Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)