I'm feelin' gooooood! My fiancé had a jet ski accident on Saturday and today we found out it's not as bad as we thought! Only a bruised bone! Not the fractured foot, sprained ankle and damaged knee cartilage we thought it was! Ten days with a brace and cane and he'll be fine. Then one week from this coming Saturday and it's vacation time! Going to my best friend's wedding in Virginia. Haven't been home in six years, looking forward to it. Okay, enough rambling! Just had to spread the joy! Here's the next chapter! Hope you like!

Disclaimer: Belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki, genius extraordinaire. Me? I own nothing. Not a tiny little scrap…well, I guess Akino belongs to me. But other than that, nope.

The Reunion

Chapter 3: Question and Answer

Kaoru woke up feeling only slightly rested. Most of the night had been spent tossing and turning, fretting over her questions. Would Akino answer them? Would she answer them truthfully?

"Only one way to find out, Kaoru. Get your rear out of this bed and get going." She whispered her questions to herself, trying to find the best way to approach each one. She finally settled for the direct approach. Sugar-coating and beating around the bush usually led to mistrust, not what Kaoru wanted her second day of knowing Kenshin's mother. She put her training clothes on, tied up her hair, and headed out for breakfast.

"Ohayo, minna." Kaoru smiled brightly at her 'family' and took her seat next to Kenshin. "It smells lovely, Kenshin."

"Actually, Kaoru-dono, Okaasan made it."

Kaoru looked into the kitchen and sure enough, standing by the fire was Akino, expertly adding spices and tasting the food. Kaoru watched entranced as Akino worked with it until she deemed it perfect and set it on the table. Another question for this afternoon. Will this woman ever cease to amaze me?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kaoru and Yahiko finished their meditations and stood to begin the lesson. Akino and Kenshin stepped into the hall and both smiled the same smile at the two in the middle.

"Sorry to interrupt your lesson, Kaoru-dear. I just wanted to see you in action. A woman swordsman is a rarity indeed." Akino knelt next to the wall and waited for the two to begin.

A battle cry flew from Yahiko's mouth as he charged his sensei.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kaoru nodded at her student as they both tried to catch their breath. "You did very well today, Yahiko. Make sure to work on your grip. It's still a little too tight with that stance."

Yahiko nodded, gave a small bow, and left to clean up.

Akino clapped happily from her spot by the wall. "Oh, Kaoru-dear. That was simply amazing! I've never seen anything like it."

Kaoru grinned at Kenshin. "You should see your son's skills. He's quite remarkable."

She blushed at her own words and bent her head down sheepishly.

Akino looked at the pink stain on each of their cheeks and allowed herself a wicked smirk. Fun, fun, fun for me! "Perhaps one day I will, dear. Now, please excuse me. I

think I'll go find a quiet place to sit and relax." She stood to leave the two in the dojo, completely disappointed when her idiot son excused himself to do laundry. Ooh, stupid, stupid, stupid. Okaasan's job is harder than imagined.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kaoru sat with a troubled expression in the bathtub. "Why am I worrying about this so much? She is an incredibly sweet woman and I'm sure I can ask her almost anything!"

Kaoru got out of the tub and got dressed with renewed resolve.

She stepped outside to find Akino sitting in front of the koi pond, eyes closed and a small smile on her lips. "Hello, Kaoru-dear."

Kaoru gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "How did you know I was here? I haven't said anything or made any sounds."

Akino opened her eyes and glanced over at the young woman. "It's a mother thing. Any mother will always know when someone is around."

Kaoru giggled and approached the pond. "May I ask you a few questions, Okaasan?"

Akino noted the way Kaoru fidgeted with her sleeves and kept her head down. "No need to be shy about it, love. You can ask me anything you wish. I'll answer to the best of my ability."

Kaoru raised her head and took a deep breath. "Actually, I wanted to ask you mainly about Kenshin."

Akino gave Kaoru a wicked grin. "Ah, Shinta. You're quite fond of him, aren't you?" She normally wouldn't be so direct, but she could feel Kenshin watching them around a corner and intended to take full advantage of the situation. Just cooperate and be truthful, Kaoru and he'll know what you so desperately want to say.

Kaoru blushed deeply and put her hands up to hide it. "I am fond of him. He's been such a wonderful friend to me since he got here. And he's always ready to help out in any way he can. I'm very happy and truly grateful that I met him." Kaoru felt her blush deepen and then slowly fade away.

Akino's mind fumbled around for another tactic. Kaoru was honest, but not as detailed as she wanted her to be. Kaoru interrupted her thoughts. "Okaasan, could you tell me a little bit about what Kenshin was like as a child? He hides so much of himself from others and I can't help but be curious."

Akino smiled at the girl. You've just opened a large window of opportunity, dear. "Shinta was a peaceful child. BUT, he had one heck of a mischievous streak. He didn't like arguments and when his two older brothers would fight, he would get right in the middle and try to mediate. Of course it usually led to them ganging up on him, but he got them back. He was always very fast. So, he used that to his advantage. Smart child. He would find small pebbles, just large enough to sting without breaking the skin. Then, he'd fling handfuls at his brothers and run just as fast as he could. By the time they could catch him, it would have turned into a game of finding him and all grudges would be forgotten."

Akino's smile turned nostalgic. "I miss those times, but I can close my eyes and still see them like they happened yesterday." She opened her eyes and gazed at Kaoru again.

Kaoru's earlier nervousness was gone and she found it easy to ask her questions. "Another thing I'm curious about is Kenshin's appearance. He's obviously partially foreign. No Japanese person has red hair."

Akino giggled. "No, he's not full-blooded Japanese. While my eyes are an unusual color, I am one hundred percent Japanese. Shinta's father was half-Irish. Redheaded and full of spirit. He was a wonderful and gentle person. Much of Shinta's personality is from his father. They were like two peas in a pod."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kenshin smiled from his spot around the corner and spoke quietly to himself. "I'd almost forgotten a lot of that."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kaoru's senses perked up and she felt Kenshin watching them. A slow smile spread across her face. "How long have you been eavesdropping, Kenshin?"

"ORO!" Kenshin stumbled around the corner, surprised to be detected.

"Don't 'oro' me, Himura. I always know when you're around." She gave her thanks to Akino and went to check on Yahiko in the dojo.

Akino and son watched Kaoru's retreating figure. "She adores you, child. You should think about that."

Kenshin turned his stare to the pond. "She deserves more. So much more than I can offer. She deserves a rich husband who can buy her the best clothes, the finest jewels, fix her dojo and help her bring students back in. Not some wanderer who wears tattered clothes and used to be an assassin."

Akino glared at her son. "I didn't raise you to be stupid, Shinta."

"Oro?"

"Look, she obviously cares deeply for you and you for her. Why don't the two of you nurture that and see where it takes you?"

"I just explained Okaasan. I won't taint her." Kenshin stood to finish his laundry, signaling the end of the discussion.

Akino sighed and looked to the sky. "I don't want to use my skill, but I will if need be. Only as a last resort. I won't give up."

She closed her eyes and concentrated. There were two more in my visions. Ah, yes. The two okashiras in Kyoto. We should get them to visit. I can only conjure the spell once in a lifetime. Might as well help them all.

She sighed as she stood. "These old joints are trouble." She made her way into the dojo to speak to Kaoru. "Kaoru-dear?"

Kaoru looked up from her spot on the floor. "Yes, Okaasan?"

"I was just thinking it would be nice to meet all of your friends. I would like to see the kind of people my son associates himself with." She ended with a smile and Kaoru returned it.

"That would be a wonderful idea. We could have a party!"

Sanosuke appeared in the doorway, right on cue. "Did I hear the word 'party'?"

Yahiko rolled his eyes. "Shoulda known you'd show up soon as busu said it!"

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at Yahiko but didn't retort. "Yes, I did say 'party', Sanosuke. Yahiko, please go to the Oniwabanshuu pigeon handler and send a message to Misao. Invite her and the rest of the Oniwabanshuu to a party we'll have here in one week. I'll go tell Kenshin the news!"

She skipped off happily, Yahiko rushed to do his errand and Akino turned to Sano. "It seems like everyone is eager for a party."

"Well, after Kenshin's fight with Enishi, everyone was pretty worn out. Poor Jouchan didn't eat or sleep well until he got better. And everyone else felt strained. We never did celebrate the end of it all, so I guess it's past due that we had one."

Akino nodded and excused herself.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A/N: Yeah, I know. It's starting to sound a bit weird. Remember when I said I had a beginning and an end, but no middle? Well, when I was working one day, I let my mind wander. (Don't worry. Wasn't doing anything important.) And, this idea popped up and hasn't left me alone, so I'm going with it. Kinda different, kinda strange, but fun. At least I think it will be! Hope you think so as well. Don't worry! All will be revealed soon! There's really no big secret. The fun itself isn't what she does, it's what happens when she does it! Anyway, please review!

Hugs & Kisses!