Standard disclaimers apply.

*********

Epilogue

"If you ruin all my work again, I won't be treating you!" Megumi threatened as she wrapped a new bandage around Koneko's leg. "You're as bad as Sano!"

"Oro?"

"But I treat you with respect, Megumi-san!" Koneko protested.

Megumi paused just long enough to wave a bandage at her face. "You will, if you don't ruin my work."

"H-hai, Megumi-san."

"Maa maa, Megumi-dono," Kenshin pleaded. "Koneko-dono just came from a fight-"

"Of course I know that! Why else would you be here?"

"Kenshin!" Kaoru's concerned face barged in on them from the doorway. "Kenshin! Daijoubu desuka?"

"Sessha is fine, Kaoru-dono." The red-haired man grinned reassuringly at the Kamiya Kasshin instructor.

She smiled at him, brightening. "I'm glad."

"I'm done." Megumi announced, starting to gather her things. "Remember, no fights."

"Wakaremashita." Koneko answered, hopping off the table. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Megumi-san."

The lady doctor nodded as she set her things back in one of her cabinets. Koneko turned to the couple standing by the doorway.

"Kenshin-san?"

"Hai de gozaru."

She hesitated before answering. "I'm going back to the market. Would you...come with me? At least until we reach its entrance?"

"Hai!" Kaoru replied for him. "We'll go with you."

"A-arigatou." The three of them left, after saying goodbye to the lady doctor, and began walking to the market.

Koneko glanced at Kaoru, wondering what the other lady was thinking. She wasn't sure what the Kamiya Kasshin instructor might be feeling, after she had challenged her man. Even if she hadn't hurt Kenshin. But still, she had challenged him.

"Koneko?" Kaoru called softly.

"H-hai?"

"Why did you let the police take your father?"

Koneko looked at her, puzzled.

"Kenshin told me what happened."

Koneko nodded, considering her words for a moment. "My father hated Europeans. And since I can't convince him otherwise, I thought it would be best if he stayed in a place where he wouldn't be able to do much harm." She smiled sadly at them. "He had a lot of visitors recently. And not all of them were of the Ranmyaku-gumi."

"But wouldn't you have stopped him then?" Kenshin asked.

"I would," Koneko sighed, thinking of her fight. Her father had called her 'daughter'. Something he had never done in years. But it only made her suspicious. "But my father is the kind of man who wouldn't let anything stop him. Not even me." She stared ahead. "Family would have stopped him. But he didn't consider me as family. He wouldn't, not to his employers."

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Kaoru. "Gomen ne, Koneko. Your father is a hard man."

"Daijoubu," Koneko smiled at her reassuringly. "It would have been different, if he wasn't. And I have long accepted him for that."

"It's good that you understand, Koneko-dono." Kenshin commented. "Not many people do."

"Hai." She looked ahead. "Kaoru-san?"

"Didn't I tell you to just call me 'Kaoru'?"

"Gomen." Koneko ducked her head. "Then, you're not angry at me?"

"Angry? Why would I be angry?"

"I-I challenged Kenshin. I broke your trust. Aren't you angry?"

Kaoru laughed. "Koneko, I still trust you. You're my friend. And you didn't have a choice in that matter."

"Sano even challenged Sessha once." Kenshin added, bemused.

"H-he did?" Koneko stared at him. "Who won?"

"Kenshin, who else?" Kaoru said dryly. "Sano is no match for Kenshin."

"Of course." She grinned in agreement. "Not many can be a match for Kenshin-san." She grinned wider. "Except for Kaoru."

"Oro?"

"Nani?!"

Koneko laughed at the incredulous looks on their faces. "You two are so obvious! You may not be married but you already act like you are. You really should do it soon, you know."

"Orororo?" Kenshin glanced at his lady, both their faces red. Koneko just laughed again.

They had reached the edge of the market by this time, and Koneko started forward.

"Koneko?"

She turned back to them.

"I just want to know," Kaoru began. "Why are you going back here?"

Koneko smiled. "I thought I might join Chihiro-san after all. I don't want my skills to go to waste."

"That's wonderful, Koneko." Kaoru nodded in approval. "You could help a lot of people."

"Hai, that's what I thought too." She bowed to them. "Arigatou gozaimasu. For everything."

"You're welcome." Kenshin replied and turned to leave.

Koneko grinned as he absently caught Kaoru's hand in his own. "And Kaoru?"

"Hai?"

"If you don't mind, I'd love to go back and learn more of the Kamiya Kasshin."

***

A/N:

Finally! It's finished! Whoo! Now I can relax. Anyway, a few acknowledgements are in order. Thanks to Seychella, your questions helped me write this part and your compliment was the highest I've ever gotten for a fanfiction. Thanks also to Minakokiss, your early review got me pushing to finish this fic. To Kira and Venusskies, thanks for your reviews. You were the ones who really pushed me to keep writing as much as I can. And finally, thanks to Onna, for whom I wrote this fic.

For all my readers, thanks too for sticking with me till this part. It really means a lot to me since I'm not a big fan of RK. So now that you've given me my chance, I'll now leave the RK category to its real fans. Thanks once again!