Thanks for all the reviews! I know the Sano and Megumi thing ended a bit suddenly, but K&K are my favorite couple and I was just getting anxious to work on them! Soujirou and Hiko will still be in it, but I am gonna try to concentrate on Kenshin and Kaoru the most now. I hope you like it, and like Koishii too!

Shinsetsu: (Author sweat drops) I dunno how to make a cross-dressing rice ball. Do you? LOL and Yahiko is still around, but he doesn't seem to fit into most of what goes on in my story.

Nim: Glad you liked the rice balls! That had to be my favorite part of that chapter! And thanks for the compliment, although by next year this fic will have been forgotten, lol…I could try to keep it going that long, but by then it would have a million chapters, LMAO!

Sister weasel: Forget about Sano, your married too, remember? (Shakes head in disgust) Poor, poor Dave…

Gypsy-chan: I knew someone would ask about my nickname sooner or later, so story time boys and girls! Gather around and sit on the floor indian style. Okay, that's it! Sister Weasel, Kajun Spice, quit hitting each other! Hey, stop hitting ME! Gypsy-chan, sit between them please! Kenshin, protect me! Thank you! Now, as I was going to say, my name actually doesn't have anything to do with the Artemis on Sailor Moon, even though I do love cats and Sailor Moon was the first anime I ever watched. Kajun Spice and I were looking for matching nicknames one day, and we settled on Athena and Artemis. But those are used a lot on the net, so we tacked on Sun and Moon to the ends of them. But miss "Can't keep a nickname for five seconds" trashed hers long ago, but I liked mine, so I kept it. LOL, make sense? ^_^

Fujifunmom: Well, Kenshin is cute, but I saved the best couple for last to torture!

Asaka-chan: I loved your rhyme, it was really cute! But Saitou probably would have gotten far, far away before they could have finished it, LOL! ^_^ And thanks for putting my on your authors list!!!

Midori: You and Kajun Spice and those rice balls…LMAO! Maybe I should just write a whole story about them…The rice ball gumi!

Chibi-Angel: (looks at her in dismay) I didn't realize it rhymed! I really didn't, ROFL! You're obviously more observant than me, and thanks for pointing it out! I had a nice, long laugh over it!

Firuze: You shouldn't resent the part about the mental hospitals, because really, those are the people who have the most fun! Why would they need sympathy? LOL! And you asking if Enishi is here, huh…maybe he is, maybe he isn't…

Okay, okay, I guess I should write the story now! But really, author's comments are so much fun!



Disclaimer: I am not responsible if you go crazy after reading my story, and I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.





The Morning After

Chapter 16

(Kyoto - Aoshi & Misao)

"See? That wasn't so bad."

"Why is this wedding kimono so big on me?"

"I got it second hand to save money."

"But the fronts flapping open! How big was this woman's chest anyway?"

Aoshi's face was dead pan. "I don't know, but she didn't need rice bowls."

Misao began to wail loudly. "To fill this up, I am gonna need the rice bowls AND the rice!"

Still deadpan. "That's fine, it's still cheaper than getting a new kimono."

Can we say "dead Aoshi-sama"?

****

(Tokyo – Sano & Megumi)

"Who says I have to get a job!"

"Oh hohoho! I DO!"

"And what if I refuse?"

"Does the word 'celibate' mean anything to you?"

"Um…no. Is it some kind of food?"

Megumi face-faulted. "IT MEANS NO SEX YOU BAKA!"

Understanding dawned, along with a look of horror.

Megumi smirked. "That's better!"

****

(Tokyo – Kamiya Dojo)

During the walk home from Dr. Genzai's, Soujirou had a lot of time to think. He kept the smile on his face, but his head was down and he stared at the ground in determined contemplation. No other expression crossed his face, so none of the people he passed could even begin to guess what he was thinking. He met no one he knew on his way back to the dojo, so he made fairly good time.

Soujirou finally made it back to the dojo where he was staying and found quite an interesting little scene on the back porch! You are never going to believe it! Hiko and Kaoru drinking together! Soujirou stopped in his tracks and sweat dropped. Kaoru was very tipsy, but Hiko seemed okay. He looked quite happy too, having found a drinking buddy!

Soujirou approached the drunk Kaoru and noticed Kenshin was nowhere to be found. "Kaoru-chan, what are you doing?" She glared at him, and then with a hiccup and slurred speech, answered. "Kenshin and I are the last single ones, (hiccup!) and he hasn't asked me to marry him!" she wailed. Hiko started laughing loudly. Soujirou just looked baffled. "How did you find out about Megumi-san and Sano-san? I just left them!"

Kaoru hiccuped and sniffled alternately. "Bad news travels fast, Sou-chan." Hiko offered her more sake, and she took it without hesitation, gulping it down all at once. "Baka deshi's evil girlfriend isn't so bad after all! HAHAHA!"

Kaoru gave him a watery smile before she burst into tears. "At least someone appreciates me!" Hiko had never been more amused. Who would have thought his baka deshi could inspire such emotion in a woman? AND cause her to get drunk at that! Too bad he went to buy food and missed this; his presence would have made it that much more entertaining!

Soujirou tried to comfort her the best he could, but he was really at a loss. "I appreciate you Kaoru-chan! You shouldn't get yourself drunk over him!" Her misery suddenly turned to anger, and everyone knows what a mean drunk she can be! "WHAT WAS THAT?!?! Are you saying my Kenshin isn't worth getting drunk over?!?!" She shook her fist in his face and he hastily backed off with his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Gomen, Kaoru-chan! I didn't mean to make you upset! Would you like a little tea? It would be better for you, and you need something more soothing than sake." Kaoru slumped onto the porch in one of her quick mood swings, pouting. "How do you know what I need? Nobody but Kenshin should know that!" She began to wail again.

Poor Soujirou began to question exactly how much he really wanted romance in his life. After watching Sano and Megumi and now this, he was seriously considering finding himself a nice pet and becoming a confirmed bachelor. Should he get a dog or a cat? Maybe a pet snake or spider, then no woman would want him…

(Author shakes her head in horror over the spider thing and threatens to throw him out of the story if he dares)

****

Kenshin was tired. Life had been so hard since all these guests starting showing up, and his relationship with Kaoru was going nowhere, unless of course you count down. They never get any time alone anymore, and never seem to have any time for romantic little moments like they had at the beginning! Taking a bath together was romantic, but with Hiko around he wouldn't dare! The man was sadistic enough that he would probably barge in on them just to make Kenshin miserable.

Kenshin was moping along, forgetting to even shop like he had originally meant to do. He was dwelling on the fact that Kaoru would rather sleep under a tree with a drooling cop in it when that particular cop decided to rear his head. He was leaning against a wall to Kenshin's left, and the miserable man passed right by him without noticing.

What's the matter Battousai? Your girlfriend leave you for another tree?" An amused smile appeared on the man's face when Kenshin turned and glared at him. He had hit a little to close to home for Kenshin's comfort with his remark, and he knew it too.

Without warning though, Kenshin's shoulders slumped once again into a defeated stance. And then to Saitou's everlasting surprise, he agreed with him. Sort of. "You could put it that way." Kenshin muttered. "When your girlfriend would rather sleep outside under a tree with two other men in it, something is wrong with your relationship de gozaru na."

Saitou smirked. "Really? I thought it was just because she likes me so much." Kenshin didn't appear to hear this, he was so lost in his own misery. After making several other jabs and getting no response, Saitou was at the end of his patience.

"Listen Battousai. You're no fun when you act like this. If you're so miserable, do something about it! I don't have time for quitters." Kenshin looked up in amazement and met Saitou's annoyed glare. And idea came to mind. "How did you get Tokio to marry you de gozaru?"

Saitou's face paled. "You don't want to know that." Kenshin shook his head violently. "I really need some advice right now, and I am so desperate even yours will do de gozaru ka!" Saitou eyed the little rurouni warily. Maybe he could tell just this once. Its not like Kenshin's the type to gossip, so it was probably safe.

"I took her out to the most expensive restaurant in town." He eyes clouded and a distant look came over his face. "A full moon was out and she was wearing her favorite kimono. It looked wonderful on her. I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu without asking her and she didn't even complain. I even made her go out and get her own water from the well so we wouldn't have to tip the waitress, and she still said nothing. When I got her home, that's when she tried to kill me." His eyes were dreamy now. "What a woman! I asked her to marry me just before she knocked me out. We were so happy while she nursed me back to health…"

Kenshin snickered a little, and the sound snapped Saitou out of his memories. He blanched again when he realized what he said. Kenshin was laughing even harder now and Saitou knocked him on the head to make him stop. "If you tell anyone about that, I will hunt you down!"

Kenshin smiled. "You're already determined to hunt me down anyway! But, I won't tell, just because I don't want Kaoru to know she really wasn't the first woman to beat you up de gozaru na!" Saitou glared at him, but decided to accept it as long as he said he wouldn't give away his secret.

****

Kenshin made his way home with a much lighter heart after Saitou's story. He had even managed to finish his shopping and was in a very good mood. If a man like Saitou could get someone to marry him like that, why couldn't Kenshin? Kaoru tries to beat him senseless daily!

He walked inside the dojo gate, only to hear his master's loud voice. He sounded like he was telling a story. Kenshin rounded the side of the dojo to the back and almost passed out at what he saw and heard. Soujirou, Kaoru, and even Yahiko were all drunk, and laughing hysterically to the story Hiko was telling, all about the time Kenshin wet the bed! Kenshin's face turned as red as his hair.

Before he could escape into the kitchen, Hiko noticed him. He was obviously the least drunk and therefore the most observant. "Oi, baka deshi! Why don't you join us? You can tell us all about the time that old man mistook you for a girl and tried to marry you to his son! The boy was so broken hearted when he found out! HAHAHAHA!"

The whole group guffawed loudly.

"Oro!"

"Or what about the time a girl first tried to bat her eyelashes at you, and you asked if she had something in her eye!"

They all laughed even louder.

"OROO!"

"My favorite though has to be the first time he got drunk! He held an interesting conversation with his sword and told it all about the first time he…OOMMPPHH!"

The whole group collapsed into more laughter again when Kenshin clobbered Hiko with his load of vegetables! Isn't Hiko cute with swirly-eyes? But poor Kenshin! Just when he thought things were getting better, they only managed to get worse. Now would Kaoru ever have anything to do with him? After stories like that, he'd be lucky if she could ever look at him again without laughing…



Well, what do you think? I thought the idea of them all getting drunk together was just too funny and I had to do it! And it presented a great time for Hiko to start story telling. I had so much fun making up stories about Kenshin's childhood! HEHE! Please leave me a review! I love reading every single one of them! Thank you, thank you, thank you!