Everlasting

Everlasting

by: Reiko-chan

Standard disclaimers apply.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6: Cards Out

"Kate," Meg fairly growled. "I remember telling the two of you, just a while ago, that you'll have some explaining to do once I find something fishy..."

"That means you'll have to spill everything and pronto!" Mikki's eyes were narrow slits. Kate eyed her two best friends uneasily. She moved a little closer to Kevin, as if for protection, but she quickly realized, there was nothing they could do but confess.

"Um," she began, very shakily. "Can we... settle this inside?" She grinned worriedly at her two girl friends, hoping they would understand.

"It is getting cold out here," Mikki confessed. "Alright. Let's go inside."

******

If I was there to witness the scene, I would have had a hard time stifling a snigger. There they were, inside the Laurence's living room, two of the party feeling betrayed, the other two feeling nervous.But I'd go to describing the place first: There were two sofas positioned opposite each other, both with three cushions. There was a long table table with a glass top separating them. A pretty antique vase with daisies decorated it. The teenagers were seated across each other, two per sofa. Mikki and Meg were beside each other in one sofa, while Kate and Kevin were sitting (rather closely) in the other. The latter two were feeling so tense under the furious stares of Kate's best friends, that they felt sweat trickle down their faces. Actually, Mikki was just disappointed for not hearing anything from one of her best friends, though quite angry for hiding the truth from her. It was Meg who was outraged. She sort of had the hots for the redhead who sat beside Kate. She was very angry and disappointed for not hearing about their relationship earlier.

"Well? What are the two of you waiting for?" Meg's stern voice made them flinch. "On with it." Kevin and Kate glanced at each other before finally looking into Meg's eyes. Finally, after a long moment's silence, Kate spoke up.

"I'm sorry girls for not telling you earlier," she apologized softly. "We really meant to tell all of you about 'us', but we just didn't feel it was the right time... rather, I didn't feel that it was the right time. I know I should've told you, my best friends, but..."

"Do your parents know about this?" Mikki asked gently. Kate nodded, turning to her.

"They were the first ones to know about it," she replied, looking again at Meg. "I'm so sorry." Meg's face remained the same, surveying her two friends closely with watchful eyes.

"Since when did you guys get together?" her tone was very serious, though not close to coldness.

"Since last Saturday," Kevin replied. "Saturday night, to be precise." Meg raised a brow while Mikki flinched. Meg's eyes were sharp enough to catch this though.

"Mikki," she said. "It seems you too have something you're hiding." Mikki shuddered a bit, and turned to look at Meg with a very guilty look on her face.

"Yes," she replied softly. "I have."

"Spill it," came all three voices at once, surprising Mikki to the very last nerve.

"Oh, um, well," Mikki began. "Kate isn't the only one..."

"You too?" Kate said in disbelief. Then, she grinned. "Oh. Tony. Right?"

"Um, yeah," Mikki confessed. "We've been going out lately. Ever since Saturday night, like you guys." Meg and Kate gasped.

"Misao-chan!" Kate scolded. "How come you never told me?" Suddenly, Kate realized she had done something wrong. She slowly averted her gaze to Meg, who looked totally aghast. The other three looked at her nervously. Her eyes were wide from shock, clearly showing the lines around them, lines she had tried so hard to hide.

"What the hell..." she muttered, her face still the same. "I thought it was all a dream... I thought it wasn't real..." She quickly rose from her seat and ran outside the house.

"Meg!" all three of them called her name, and rushed out after her. But then, she had already gone by the time they got outside.

"I made a big mistake," Kate uttered, her hand covering her mouth. She was close to tears, realizing how much she hurt her best friend. "I shouldn't have done that... I shouldn't have..."

"There there now," Kevin soothed her, walking beside her and taking her in his arms. "It's alright. She'll be fine." Kate let herself be coddled for a while, letting herself stay in his arms. Mikki let out a small chuckle.

"I envy you Kate," Mikki grinned. "At least he's 'always' there for you, ne Himura?" Kevin curled his brows for a moment, and then smiled at her.

"Right. I won't make the same mistake I made last time," he replied, tightening his hug. Kate flinched.

"Kevin, it's too tight." She managed to loosen his embrace, finding her arms a bit squished from his embrace. Kevin hurriedly apologized as Mikki laughed.

"Hey, Kate, let's say we go look for her then apologize," Mikki suggested. "I'm sure she's not far. She's probably at home." Kate nodded and Kevin let her go.

"I'd better go home then," he said. "It seems I've no more business staying here."

"At least tell Mom and Dad that you're going," Kate said. "Please tell them where I'm off, too." Kevin nodded and walked inside.

"So, let's go!" Mikki grabbed Kate's arm and pulled her into the night.

*******

Meg kept on running until she reached her house. She stopped in front of the enormous black gate and let a single tear fall.

I thought it was just a dream, she thought. I thought it wasn't real... But then, why would Kate call Mikki 'Misao-chan'? Perhaps it isn't a dream... Perhaps it really happened... Perhaps... She turned to see a tall shadowy figure behind her with spiked hair. She recognized it as Sean, with a red band tied around his forehead, its tail billowing in the wind.

"Sean..." she uttered, staring deep into his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I just passed by," he replied simply, his voice soft, and... affectionate. "I was on my way home from judo ... You seem troubled." Meg looked away, her eyes turning to the floor. She wanted to tell someone about her feelings. She wanted to tell someone her disappointment. She wanted to tell someone about everything... including her dreams.

"It's nothing, really," she replied faintly. "You don't need to concern yourself about this." All the while, Sean kept his gaze on her. He was silent as he saw another Meg in front of him... This was the Meg inside of her... this tender, vulnerable creature was really her. Suddenly, he felt different. He felt... sad... Huh? Sad? he thought. What reasons do I have to be sad? After all I just had a fun time at the bar... Then, he realized that it was Meg's sadness that made him sad...

He really liked her, he couldn't deny the fact. He often delighted in his quarrels with her, for that was the only time she noticed him. She was very special to him, wether she liked it or not. He had liked her for a long time... he loved her.

"I know I don't need to concern myself about you, but... I want to," he said, moving a step closer. Meg looked back at him, her expression ranging from bewilderment to fear. "Meg... I..." Meg interrupted him.

"Let's settle this inside," she said meekly, pressing the doorbell of her home. Instantly, a guard appeared and let the two of them inside. Sean walked in, reluctantly. It was the first time he had ever set foot inside her house, and it was magnificent indeed. So, she really wasn't lying when she bragged about her house. It really was big. It was a bit smaller than a regular mansion though. She led him to the side of the house, to the back, in the gardens.

"Heh, I thought you're not letting me catch even a glimpse of this house," he chuckled softly as they stopped in between some trees. He stopped once he saw her sober face. "What is it?"

"... Have you been having dreams?... Weird dreams that is," Meg said softly, her back turned to him. "Have you ever dreamt of a girl... who had died in front of you? A girl... who was a really special friend... someone irreplacable... Have you?"

"Meg..."

"Have you?" she repeated her question, her tone getting firmer. Sean stared at her back curiously, before deciding to reply.

"...Yes..."

"So... it wasn't just me... everyone else," she uttered, looking up at the moon above. "Sean, in your dreams... did you meet someone like me?" She turned around to face him, her eyes true.. sincere...

God... her eyes... They made him melt inside.

"I remember that in my dreams, I was a fighter. Yes, I had a lady friend, whom I loved calling..." he raised a brow as he struggled to remember. "...Jo-chan. Yes. Jo-chan. She was a very special friend. If not for her, I would've spent the rest of my days rambling in the streets for life. But I met her and she offered me a home with her and her friends." He closed his eyes, recalling that memory.

"Then, we met this woman who was unwillingly involved in a drug syndicate. She made opium. Her opium killed my friend, which led me to feel anger and hatred for her. Then, she got kidnapped. My friends and I came to rescue her. I found out that she was forced to make that opium and she had no other alternative. I felt my anger subdue, and pretty soon, it was gone. She came to live with us, and she became a doctor... Months later, I fell in love with her." All the while, Meg was listening intently, her eyes never leaving his.

"Her name?" she whispered softly.

"Megumi..." he replied in a low, soft voice. There was a long pause. Then, Meg spoke up.

"In my dreams, I was a sole survivor of an assasinated clan. I was kidnapped and forced to make opium. One day, I got away from the syndicate, and met two men, one redhead, and one brunette," she said, still looking into his eyes. "They led me to their home, saying I'd be safe for a while. There, I met a girl... Kaoru-chan... a girl whom I learned to love as my own sister. She offered me her home and her friendship in exchange for nothing. She was a treasure... Later on, I received a threat concerning their lives. I was so scared for them that I ran away and returned to the syndicate in exchange for their lives. But my friends ran after me and rescued me... I didn't know that. Then I decided to end my life then and there... The brunette stopped me, and made me realize that I had to live for my sake... for my deceased family's sake... for everyone's sake... Later on, I felt myself attracted to the redhead, and endlessly flirted with him. I never realized it though, but I was really in love with the brunette... Sanosuke..."

"Megumi..."

"I thought it was all a dream," Meg cried under the moonlight. "I thought it was all a nightmare when Kaoru-chan died... That's why I refused to believe everything. I thought it was all a bad dream... She was so special to me... She was part of the family I lost... and I lost her again!" She surrendered to her feelings, crying torrents. Her body weight forced her to her knees, crying bitterly. Sean swiftly caught her even before she hit the ground. Meg felt his strong arms support her, and she ceased her tears. She gazed into his warm eyes, suddenly feeling very different. She felt light and wonderful all of a sudden... And she realized, she had felt it before... Love... It had always been there for her to discover... She had just denied it for too long.

"You thought it was all a dream?" Sean said tenderly. "You thought it was just a nightmare? How could my love for you be a nightmare? We were destined to be together. I love you. I loved you even before I realized who I really was. My dreams only explained my attraction to you. I love you Meg. I love you... Megumi." Meg started crying again. This time though, she was crying out of joy. She smiled at him.

"I love you too," she beamed through her tears. "I love you... Sanosuke."

*******

"Hey, Jefferson, is Meg in there?" Kate asked the guard.

"Yeah," Jefferson replied. "She just came in a while ago, with a guy I've never seen before." That alarmed the two girls.

"What did he look like?" Mikki asked quickly. The guard paused for a moment to think.

"Well, he was tall, I don't know the color of his skin since it was dark," he replied. "He had spiky hair on his head..."

"Spiky hair?" Mikki repeated. "That sounds like Sean!"

"Can we come in Jefferson?" Kate asked the guard. He nodded.

"Sure! You're Miss Meg's best friends right?" He opened the door and let them in. "Oh, and by the way, they went to the gardens." The two girls nodded and headed to the gardens around the back.

"I wonder what they're doing there," Mikki thought aloud. "And at the garden."

"I don't know. We're here to check that out right?" Kate replied, smiling. It took them a while to reach the back of the Pryce residence, which seemed a lot like a mansion. Getting quite tired from walking such a long distance, they reached the gardens. They looked for Meg noiselessly, not wanting to startle her.

"Sheesh, this garden is like a maze at night!" Mikki exclaimed in a whisper. "I can't seem to find a clear path! Ouch!" She felt some thorns prick her palm.

"Watch the roses," Kate uttered into the night. Mikki sighed in exasperation.

"Now you tell me." Suddenly, Kate's hand appeared in front of her, motioning her to stop. She did, and finally saw wat Kate saw. There, in front of them, just behind some trees, was Meg, in Sean's arms. Mikki had the sudden impulse to break up the two, but Kate, realizing what she was about to do, stopped her just in time and covered her mouth. Mikki's complaints came out as muffled sounds as she tried to break loose from Kate's grasp. She stopped, once she heard Kate utter, "Sanosuke..."

Sanosuke?... Ah... Mikki smiled. Sanosuke and Megumi...

Hey, Kate. Kate could here Mikki's voice in her head.

What?

Let's go home. I feel that they deserve a little privacy.

Yeah. I guess so. Let's leave them be. Then we can tease them in the morning.

Mikki stifled a giggle. Yeah. Tease them both in the morning... hehehe. I wonder... A smirk crossed her face.

Author's notes:
Alright! I'm done with what I'm supposed to do... I guess not. I still haven't done with Yahiko and Tsubame yet... (sigh) This is story is going to take long to write. And I have so many ideas for another fic!... (sighs again) I have to finish this one first though. Sorry if I take so long to upload... I'm actually done with most of the story, until Chapter 8, but I'm kinda lazy to put up the chapters... hehehe. Hope you bear with me!
Thanks for the nice reviews everyone! Although I'd like to apologize for the mistake of saying there isn't any kendo in the US. Thanks for pointing it out! Please R&R!