2/6/10: XDrAnDomPeRsoNXD - I had some free time this weekend for once and wrote what I've been brainstorming. I'm glad they were good, I wasn't too sure. Lol. I hope they keep being good. Thanks.

3/9/10: I know it has been over a month but its been really busy during school. Now that's it's Spring Break, I'm hoping to write some new chapters.

4/6/10: As you may have seen on my profile, I've had laptop issues and have recently gotten mine back. I do hope to work on stories as the school semester moves to a close within the next month.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin

Chapter Twenty-Five

//Tomoe walked down the hall toward Hinageshi's room.

"Sister." Enishi exited his room. "Sister where are you going?"

"Enishi, what are you doing up so late?"

"I was studying sister." He looked up at her with pleading eyes.

She looked down the hall and back to him. "I see, well please don't stay up for too much longer Enishi."

He nodded. "Of course sister."

She patted his head and kissed him on the cheek. "Good night."

He stood in the hall and watched her disappear. "Good night." He knew she was looking for Hinageshi.

Tomoe glanced in Hinagesh's room but she was not there. For an hour Tomoe sat in the room waiting. Finally she stood and hurried out to Masanori's training building. Candles were lit and over by the weapons' wall Hinageshi slept; Masanori's favorite katanas clutched tightly in her arms. Tomoe knelt and touched her cheeks softly. Hinageshi's face was wet with tears.

"Master Masanori." Hinageshi mumbled. "Don't go."

Tomoe lifted her up and held her close. "Hinageshi? Please don't cry anymore." She rocked the girl for a while until Lord Yukishiro bursted through the door.

"Tomoe, drop that child! She isn't to be babied."

Hinageshi's eyes flashed open. She looked up at Tomoe before jumping up. Tomoe stood. Behind Yukishiro, hiding in the doorway, Enishi stood. Tomoe eyed him.

Yukishiro grabbed Hinageshi. "Listen to me, girl. I brought you into this house to protect my children not to sit around crying about a dead man." He released her harshly. "From now on you'll be under the strictest of my commands.//

"Mama." Lila repeated, pulling at Lina's kimono.

Lina shook her head and looked down. "Oh Lila, I'm sorry sweetheart. What is it?"

"I want to go on a walk, like we used to back home." She pulled on Lina's sleeve. "Please mama."

"Alright, alright." She stood. "Let me just leave them a note so they don't worry." She had finished dinner early. Kaoru had yet to return from her lessons. Kenshin left earlier for some place. Yahiko went to town. Sanosuke was back at his own house. After she finished with the note she picked Lila up and went to find Iwao and Shinta; both, were in the backyard. "You boys up for an evening walk before dinner?"

"Yeah!" Shinta jumped up and ran to Lina; taking her hand into his small one.

Iwao smiled and walked behind them on their way to the country side of Tokyo.

Kogoro lounged about sipping saki. He dreamed of all the things he'd finally get to do to Phoenix. He smiled to himself as the waitress brought him more to drink. He grabbed her. "Tell me something, wench. If you were going to die, how would you perfer it? Slowly? Or perhaps immediate?" He chuckled. The woman shrieked away from him and rushed out of the room as soon as he let her go.

Kogoro held the glass up to the open window, the sky a darkening blue. "To you my dear sister and to you Phoenix, to which I account for my heartaches." He gulped the remain pitcher of saki and then fell asleep.

When Shadow arrived the room was a mess and Kogoro was passed out, half off his futon. Shadow cleaned up and straightened Kogoro on his bed. Kogoro mumbled but Shadow ignored him. Shadow sighed. "She'll pay, no doubt about that."

Kenshin was the first to find Lina's note and decided to prepare warming the dinner for everyone when they all got home.

Kaoru and Yahiko were not far behind. Kaoru washed up and helped Kenshin with dinner. "It's getting dark. Do you think they'll be back soon?"

"I don't know. Lina left a note that said to eat without them if it got too late."

"I hope everything is okay."

"I wouldn't worry, that I wouldn't. Lina is a strong fighter. As are Iwao and the children. Besides all she said was that they were going for a walk, so I'm sure everything is fine."

Kaoru gave a small smile and nodded. "I'll go set the placements then. I'm sure Sanosuke will join us also."

Iwao carried Lila while Lina carried Shinta. Both children were sleeping. The sky was mostly midnight blue; some orange remained visible in the west.

At the bank of the river they stopped and laid the children down on the grass. Lina strolled down the water's edge and ran her hands along the rocks.

"Lina." Iwao came up behind her.

"I know who it is Iwao; who's been behind this scheme the whole time." She said after a while. "I should have known from the start."

"You're going to fight him again aren't you?"

Lina nodded. "It's inevitable, the end."

Iwao sighed, glancing down at his hands. "This is where I would ask you to come back safe but I know that would be asking too much this time. So instead I'm just going to ask that you do your best." He gazed at her. Her head was lowered and her hands shifted the ripples in the river. "Lina." He whispered.

"I know," Her voice was low. "I've been selfish these past eleven years Iwao." She turned on her heels. Her violet eye glimmered from the shine of the near full moon.

He touched her forehead with hers. "Why do you do that? Why won't you let me say what I really need to say?"

She smriked. "It's my nature."

Shinta stirred. "Mom? Dad?" His called out sleepily.

Lina pulled away and got up. "Coming Shinta." She hurried over to him, picking him up.

"I had a dream, mama, where you and dad disappeared leaving Lila and me all alone."

Iwao walked up and lifted Lila up. Lina eyed him. "We're here Shinta. We're not going anywhere."

He snuggled up to her, tightening his arms around her neck.