Hello again! Thanks everybody for all the great reviews! I think, after careful deliberation, I have decided on a plot to work with for the rest of this story. Once every couple has managed to tie the knot and are living in (cough) wedded bliss, my job playing the most evil cupid in creation will end. And of course the special final chapter I promised earlier in the story. Okay, I have chosen my first victims and the catalyst that will make it that much harder for them. Can you guess who that catalyst is? Hehe!

Sister Weasel: Who knows, you might make it into the story sooner or later. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, I'm not telling! :-P

Sasura, Chibigreenwizardmon, Marstanuki, Midori: You asked for it, and you get it! Anyone who asked for Hiko, I promise I will get him in when the time comes.

Gypsy-chan: Glad you loved the laundry scene, I wrote it just for you! ^_^

Midori: You loved that line too? LOL

Hotohori: No more cliffhangers? That is just noooo fun! I am so happy you like my story anyway though!

(Sherah) Kajun Spice, Underachiever, Mon Chou, Leende, Cuzin Toadie, and any other I might have forgotten: Your identity crisis is MUCH worse than Saitou's! Please do us all a favor and get yourself (or all of you, as the case may be) some help! Can anyway recommend her a good psychologist?

And especially thank you to everyone who has stuck around and reviewed every chapter so far, or at least most of them! I really love you guys and it will be worth it to you in the end, just wait and see…

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters, but I do own my warped ideas about their private lives, much to their annoyance.



The Morning After

Chapter 9



The next morning dawned dark and cloudy for once. But as cloudy as it was, it didn't seem to want to rain. There was occasional thunder, but not a drop came from the sky. So to the occupants of the dojo, the day was very stifling and depressing. Kenshin couldn't get is laundry done AGAIN today, so he was upset, and Kaoru and Yahiko couldn't go to the shrine to practice like they had intended. Misao was the only lively one of the group, clinging to Aoshi like a barnacle. He was beginning to feel like he had grown another head. And everyone was looking at him like he had, too.

Eventually though, perky little Misao was bound to get tired of everyone's gloomy attitude, and she did. After trying everything she knew to create some excitement (including parading around with the rice bowls again) she was praying for a miracle. If something exciting didn't happen soon, she was going to go mad! (I personally believe it is really too late for that. LOL!)

Just when she was about to give up, God answered her prayers in the form of a guest. There was a knock on the dojo gate and then the visitor called out. No one could identify the voice. Of course, with all the energy she has, Misao was the first one to the gate, leaving everyone else eating dust. Standing in the shadows was a cute boy of indeterminable age wearing blue clothing, and he was smiling brightly.

"Finally!" she shrieked gleefully. "Someone who doesn't look like their dog just died! Come in!" Practically pushing him into the yard and around the corner of the dojo where everyone else was standing, she was shocked to see the suddenly fierce looks from both Aoshi and Kenshin. They were on their feet in an instant, Kenshin with his hand of the hilt of his sword.

"Greetings, Himura-san. I know you must be surprised to see me this soon after defeating me, but I decided wondering for 10 years was a bit long. To find the truth I am seeking, it would be much simpler to just follow you around for a while and try to be like you. I want to learn to be a normal person and have friends like you do!" He even pulled out a skabatou to prove it, all the while a smile was forever plastered on his face. Kenshin, stuttering, asked where he got it.

"Oh, I got it from that evil cop friend of yours. He said he didn't want it anymore because being like you was much too scary, and sold it to me." Everyone face-faulted. What was it with his enemies trying to act like him? Kenshin looked as uneasy as he felt and began to argue.

"I don't think you are going to be able to find what you are looking for by following sessha around." Kenshin protested. He was about to elaborate when Soujirou cut him off. "You don't know that. At least allow me to try! Please allow this poor rurouni a place to rest." Well, that was certainly the right thing to say, everyone who lives there is a sucker for a stray.

Kenshin was at a loss. He didn't feel Soujiro was dangerous, but still, did he really want someone like him hanging around all the time? The thought of seeing that smile day in and day out gave him the creeps. But being the nice person he is, he finally agreed to him staying a few days after consulting with Kaoru. I mean, it IS her home after all. (Not exactly a Kenshin-like thing to do, but he got to stay didn't he? So don't complain!)

Misao was extremely excited! A new person to liven things up was just what they needed! She didn't seem to notice the glare Aoshi was giving the dojo's newest guest. I know, I know, everyone wants to know what Aoshi is thinking again! I'll be nice and give in. {how dare he waltz in here and steal Misao's attention! So maybe it was getting annoying having a second head, but it's MY second head and no one else can have it! There he goes again, smiling at her! Ughh, now he's smiling at me! That is really creepy…} Okay, maybe we really didn't need to know that after all. -_-;

The group spent the whole afternoon learning of Kenshin's fight with Soujirou, and what he had been doing during his travels. No amount of pleading on Kenshin's part would deter him from his quest to be normal, just like Kenshin. (Considering Kenshin, that really is an impossible goal.) The group got along well for the most part, and nothing too significant happened, so I won't go into detail. The fun doesn't really start until the next day anyway!

***

The morning was bright with not a cloud in the sky today, and Kenshin woke up first. He was in a good mood today because for once he woke up and Kaoru was still in bed. That helped to sooth his wounded male ego a bit after the whole Sano bit, and he decided to be nice and go ahead and cook breakfast for everyone. He entered the Kitchen and his heart plummeted. He had completely forgotten about their guess for a very short but blissful time. Soujirou was standing in the kitchen waiting for him, wearing an apron and everything!

"Good morning Himura-san! I am starting my quest for truth, and since you like to cook and cook well, that is where I will start too. It is a very normal thing to do, and people like you for it. Shall we begin?" Kenshin couldn't believe his bad luck. Why would Soujirou want to learn to cook? Then he wondered…Kaoru had cooked the night before and almost poisoned everyone. Maybe that was why he suddenly wanted to know how to cook. If so, Kenshin couldn't blame him.

Resigning himself to the inevitable, he began to teach Soujirou how to cook the rice, chop the vegetables, and even how to make cute little animal rice balls. Behind Kenshin's back, Soujirou put fangs and claws on them, and behind Soujirou's back, Kenshin took them off. Despite the problems though, by the end of the lesson, Soujirou proved himself to be a very decent cook. Kenshin was impressed, but he decided to try once more to reason with him. "You could have learned how to cook from almost anybody, and it certainly isn't any kind of great lesson or truth."

Soujirou just smiled as always. "Oh, but I did find a truth in this! Cooking well is a very important thing you need to know to keep friends." Kenshin was confused. "How does knowing how to cook help you?" Again with the scary smile. "As I learned last night, if you kill off your friends with bad cooking, you won't have any!" (My goodness, isn't he brilliant?) Kenshin fell over. He had to admit that was very true! Poor Kaoru.

Anyway, after everyone was woken up and gathered, a very triumphant (yet of course humble) Soujirou served his very first meal to his new friends. Misao was very impressed in her usual hyper manner, and Kaoru was annoyed because he could cook better than her too! Yahiko really didn't care as long as it was edible, and Aoshi? He was jealous! {Now he is trying to cook to impress her! I can't let him get away with this! It's time to make an effort myself. Now what can I do…I have it! I will lose the little pride I have left, but I can't let him win!}

After everyone finished the meal, it was time for Kenshin to do his laundry. It had really piled up the past several days and he went to work with relish. He had barely gotten started though when Soujirou came up, followed closely by Aoshi of all people. Wondering what they could want, he soon found out!

"I want to help with the laundry!" Both declared at once, then turned to stare at one another. Aoshi's looks was challenging, while Soujirou smiled and looked politely questioning. Kenshin looked like he were about to faint at the thought of anyone else daring to touch his precious laundry! Misao happened to overhear this too, and was shocked speechless for once in her life. She thought about asking him what was going on, but finally decided she probably didn't want to know, and just sat back to watch.

Without waiting for an answer, Aoshi bent down over the tub and stared into the water with everyone watching. After sitting like that for several moments, he asked "Now what do I do?" Kenshin really did faint this time! The thought of someone so unskilled handling his laundry was just too much for him. Unfortunately, it left his laundry as fair game. Soujirou bent over the tub and they both stared together. Finally getting brave, Aoshi plunged one hand in and pulled something that was probably women's undergarments out. He turned beet red. Now that he had the clothes, what was he supposed to DO with them?

It seemed Soujirou was in something of the same predicament. He had pulled out one of Kenshin's bright pink gi's and smiled at it, not knowing what else to do. Finally deciding it was probably clean after sitting in the soapy water, he pulled it out and slung it, sopping wet, over one of the bamboo poles. Not wanting to be outdone, Aoshi starting doing it too! What a mess! Kenshin is going to have a heart attack when he wakes up! After all was said and done, each bamboo pole was covered with dripping wet, wrinkled lumps of clothing. It was a very sorry sight, and Misao had long since recovered from her shock and had laughed till she was in tears. {Too bad Kaoru-san and Yahiko went to the shrine today, they would love this!}

When Kenshin woke up and saw his laundry, he took all the rest of the morning having to get it to right and teach the two how to do it RIGHT! He can be a scary taskmaster if he is crossed! Poor Aoshi had never had to work so hard in his life! Muscles burning from the long hours spent bending over the tub, he was more than ready for some simple cooking lessons to make lunch. At least he THOUGHT they would be simple.

When Kenshin found out Aoshi wanted to learn to cook as well, he obliged. What could it hurt? Soujirou had done well. But as he soon learned, not everyone has natural talent, and Kaoru wasn't just a fluke of nature. By the end of the lesson, Kenshin was convinced Aoshi and Kaoru must be related somehow! The rice was burned and the rice animals were falling apart. Even the face of the burned fish looked scared, and Kenshin didn't know whom to feel sorrier for, Aoshi or the fish!

By the end of the day, Aoshi seemed a little depressed. No matter what he did, he just couldn't seem to show up Soujirou! He had tried cooking, laundry, cleaning (he broke three dishes while washing them, and almost knocked himself out by running into the wall while cleaning the floor.) Aoshi just wasn't cut out of that sort of thing, and he knew it. He was down to one last idea to get Misao's attention, and he just hoped it would work!

Approaching her that evening when she was alone, he decided to pop the question. Looking nervous (wow, the man is learning to show emotion!) he cleared his throat. "Misao…will you…please…"

Misao was drooling. {YES! This is it! Just spit it out!} Practically hopping up and down while he stumbled over his words, or lack of them, she finally couldn't stand it any longer. "Will I marry you? YES!" Screaming in delight, she once again clung to him like a barnacle. And he was worried? Silly man! I think he has a lot more to worry about now, don't you agree? (Mental image pops up of one big Aoshi surrounded by a bunch of little ones, all sitting and staring at the wall. In runs a bunch of hyper little Misaos, and they all pounce on the big Aoshi, crawling all over him like fleas on a dog. I think the big Misao is in there somewhere, but she's so little I can't say for sure.)

Aoshi did look worried, especially after that mental image. What had he gotten himself into? Only the future will tell!



That wasn't really a cliffhanger was it? I tried hard! Next time I think I will still be concentrating on Aoshi and Misao and Soujirou. Will they get married? Will everything fall through? Will Soujirou ever quit smiling? Guess you will have to wait and find out cause I don't know yet either! LOL! Please read and review and tell me what you think. Is this marrying everyone off a good way to finish things up? Weddings are a great set up for disasters you know. If everyone reads and reviews, you will get the next chapter quickly, as usual! Thanks!