A Life Lived

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Kenshin shifted the weight of a large bag of rice from one shoulder to the other. He only had a few hundred more feet to go, but after the long walk from the market to the dojo, his scarred back and his often-injured right shoulder were burning with pain. His knees felt weak and his breath came harsh in his chest.

He shouldn't have bought quite so much rice, but the price had been good and he'd convinced himself he could carry the big bag home. He was master of Hiten ... oh, hell. Didn't matter. He was going to die of a heart attack (Immortality or not) before he made it to the storeroom with the rice.

With a grunt, Kenshin started walking again, legs wobbling beneath him. He could do this. He could ... almost there ...

"Hey Father! Need a hand?"

Kenji crossed the yard with leggy, easy strides and grabbed the bag of rice from Kenshin's hands. He casually tossed it over his shoulder, and walked off with it as if it weighed nothing. Kenshin propped his hands on his knees, relief warring with embarrassment as he sucked cool air into his lungs. In the cold winter air, his breath steamed. He was exhausted -- he just wanted to sit down on the ground for about a year until his heart stopped pounding in his chest and his legs quit quaking, but he kept to his feet and retained that much dignity by sheer force of will.

Kenji, at well over six feet of solid muscle, was quite useful -- but still. Still. He was the father, he shouldn't need his son's help with things like this.

"Himura-san! Are you okay?" A female voice asked -- he'd been aware of the other person in the yard, but her ki had been completely non-threatening and he'd been too focused with catching his breath to really pay her any attention before.

Kenshin looked up through a fall of sweaty red bangs. The voice belonged to Marshall's niece.

"Jessica-dono." Wincing a bit as pain seared through the old scars and down one leg, Kenshin straightened up. His back popped audibly. "Good afternoon."

"Are you okay?" she repeated.

He glanced after Kenji. "Oro! I am fine except for being short and skinny and in a great deal of pain."

She laughed, merrily, at his aggrieved tone. She teased, "And old."

"And getting absolutely no respect, that I am not," he sighed, comically. I like the niece, even if I think her uncle is a bit on the slimy side.

She sobered, and said seriously, "My uncle said to tell you that he's sorry for what happened. I don't know what he means ..."

"I do," Kenshin said, quietly, letting nothing of his distaste for the man appear on his face for Jessica's benefit. "Just tell him I said I think he needs to drink less."

Jessica sighed, suddenly, and folded her arms, and looked distinctly uncomfortable.By her expression she had at least a suspicion of what had happened. Kenshin didn't like that at all; it implied the man's unpleasant behavior had happened before. But Kenshin forced himself to say gently, "Oro, he was just way too drunk, Jessica-dono. Tell him all is good as long as he doesn't do it again."

Bastard doesn't even have the honor to issue an apology in person. He sends his niece. Either he's a terrible coward or he underestimates just how offensive I found his behavior. Perhaps both. Or there's a third option -- he is a very high ranking man and I am not. He may feel he simply doesn't owe an honest apology to this one.

"I will." Jessica said, yanking his attention back to her. Her expression cleared a bit, and she glanced towards the returning Kenji. She dimpled, suddenly, as Kenji smiled at her.

Kenshin shot Kenji a questioning look, which Kenji correctly interpreted as a, "Why is she here?" inquiry.

"Jessica came by because Megumi sent her here with some liniment that Kaoru had asked for." Kenji said, easily.

"... Megumi-san did what?" Why would she send Jessica?

"Oh. You don't know, do you?" The young blond woman blinked, surprised realization crossing her face. "My father was a doctor. I was studying medicine at London University before I came here." A frown crossed her face, and a hint of sadness touched her blue eyes. "... I only had about six months to go before I took my exams."

Something bad happened. Instinct told Kenshin that, as well as logic -- if she only had six months to go, why wouldn't she have completed her degree?

"I've been helping at the clinic -- I'm not sure what the patients think of me ..."

People have enough issues with Megumi; heavens know what they make of a Western woman! Kenshin thought, with some concern.

"... but Megumi-san says she needs the help. And it's been interesting learning about Eastern medicine."

It probably goes both ways if I know Megumi, and I'd wager Megumi sees this as an equal trade. Kenshin thought. Though if I don't miss my guess, Jessica's got as much kitsune in her soul as Megumi does and it should be entertaining to watch the two of them work together. It was funny -- he didn't think much of the uncle, but he found himself liking this Jessica Marshall quite a lot.

"And on that note, Himura-san, I must take your leave -- I'm helping Megumi with variola vaccinations this afternoon."

Kenshin almost instinctively itched his arm, where he had several vaccine scars lined up -- though recent vaccinations (required by law every five years) at least hadn't left him with any scars. Then he noticed the look that Kenji was giving Jessica, which was wistful and longing. He impulsively said, "Jessica-dono, why don't you join us for dinner?"

She dimpled again, and said, "I'd be honored, Himura-san. And I think your son might enjoy it too."

Kenji made a strangled noise, having been rendered wordless by Jessica for neither the first nor -- by far -- the last time. Kenshin gave her an utterly innocent smile -- he supposed he should have been shocked by her forwardness, but then again, the love of his life had challenged him to a duel the first time they'd met. He said, "I hadn't noticed he was interested in you at all."

She laughed, gave Kenji a wave -- Kenji turned a brighter pink than his father's favorite color of clothing -- and made her exit.

Definitely fox, Kenshin thought, grinning after she had left. This woman is a very good match for my gentle son. She's fire to his earth.

"Father!" Kenji protested, "You're meddling!"

"I am," Kenshin said, cheerfully. "Would you rather she not come to dinner?"

"Well, no ..."

"So?"

"You're cooking, right?" Kenji said, with a sudden new worry.

"It is Kaoru's night ..."

"Father! Please! I beg of you! At least have that much pity on me!" Kenji's pleas were exaggerated. The young man's eyes were gleaming with sudden excitement. Kenshin could well imagine the joy that Jessica's teasing had brought to his son's heart.

He hasn't exactly had a lot of female attention -- at least, not from the girls he likes. There are many parents who would not approve of a union between their daughter and my son, either because of my past or the rumors that I'm really a demon -- Kenshin was well aware of what some of the more superstitious folk were saying these days -- or because Kenji will always be gaijiin to some people no matter how long he lives here. We are not exactly the most conventional of families.

"Okay, I'll cook, that I will." Kenshin said, smiling, letting no trace of his thoughts touch his expression. "And Kenji, I do like Jessica-san, that I do."

Kenji smiled. "So do I, Father. So do I ..."