=Disclaimer=
I do not own any of the characters from Rurouni Kenshin.
----------------------------- Chapter 2 -----------------------------
Megumi was trying to fill out the daily paper work that Dr. Genzai had asked her to do while he was away for the day. Her thoughts kept wandering back to Tanuki-chan, wondering just how her friend was doing at the moment. The door opened without warning, startling the lady doctor from her ponderings, and she let out a small gasp as she came face to face with a familiar redhead.
An angry one at that. "Ohayou Ken-san! To what do I owe this surprise visit?" Fox ears appeared at the top of the older woman's head, as she tried to cover up her nervousness. "Is it time for your physical checkup again?"
"Megumi-san, Sessha believes you know the reason for this visit."
"Ran out of medicine, did you?" She turned towards the shelves, searching through the containers of herbs and powders. "What are you o-"
"Megumi!" The firm politeness had left the rurouni's voice. She dared not turn to meet his gaze for fear of what she should find. An angry rurouni was practically equivalent to Kenshin's alter ego, Battousai. Well almost, but not quite.
"Ken-san, I have no idea what you are referring to." She tried again, playing innocent. Oh Roosterhead! Where are you when I need you??
"I saw Kaoru with another man in front of the Akabeko." Feigning surprise, Megumi paused as if shocked by this revelation.
"Tanuki-chan? The poor man must've lost a bet or something." Fox ears twitched again, knowing her friend would've walloped her with a bokken had she been there. "Gomenasai Ken-san. I don't see what this has to do with me."
"You helped her dress up." He stated simply.
"So you actually followed her from the moment she stepped foot out of the dojo, hmm?" Megumi arched an eyebrow, turning to look at Kenshin. "I thought there was an agreement that you would respect Tanuki-chan's privacy?" Aha! Got you on that one, didn't I? Megumi thought wickedly as the rurouni's face flushed with guilt.
"That's not the point! What's going on here?!"
"Geez Ken-san, are you that possessive that you won't even allow Tanuki have some friends?" At that, Kenshin's eyes flashed in cold anger.
"They were not JUST friends. Megumi, I demand to know what Kaoru is doing with that man!" Megumi turned back to the shelves and stared at the glass jars.
"I can't."
"Why not?!"
"I promised her I wouldn't say anything." She flinched slightly as Kenshin grabbed her arm, turning her towards him.
"I think I have the right to know." He watched as the doctor's dark eyes widened slightly then narrowed into angry slits. She shook his hand off, surprising him with the underlying briskness in her voice.
"No, I don't think you do." Gomenasai Ken-san, but I can't let you hurt her anymore. I know you love her. We all know it, including Kaoru, but can't you see that you only cause her pain?
". . . Nani?"
"Maybe you should go, Ken-san. I'm sure Yahiko must be wondering where you are."
"Megumi-san," The mild mannered rurouni was back, his voice was soft and pleading. "Please. I need to know why she keeps pushing me away . . ." The doctor looked up and saw Sanosuke standing in the doorway, trademark fishbone dangling from his mouth, eyes boring into hers. Both questioning each other. Receiving a slight nod, she took a deep breath and relaxed slightly.
"His name is Yamada Tatsuha. 21 years old from a well off family. Kaoru met him about a month ago, while working a late shift for Tae and apparently, Yamada-san has been courting her since then."
"So she's been seeing this man for almost TWO months and I didn't know anything about this????" Kenshin exclaimed in disbelief. Then he vaguely remembered Kaoru running out for errands after practice with Yahiko, but the thought of her meeting another man had never crossed his mind. Or had it? Had he been in such denial knowing the possibilities? At that moment, Sanosuke decided to make his presence known.
"Oi! Fox!" Sanosuke walked in, greeting Kenshin with a look of surprise. "Kenshin, what are you doing here?" Megumi winced. Sano was a really really bad actor and so Kenshin caught on quickly.
"You knew. You both knew!" He murmured quietly, in utter disbelief. His friends had kept it a secret from him. Did everyone know except for him? Even Yahiko? That angered him greatly. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!!!!"
"She made me promise!"
"I thought we were friends, Sano?!" The look of betrayal and anger on the disgruntled rurouni's face tore at his two friends, but there wasn't anything that could be done now.
"We ARE friends, Kenshin! But Jou-chan, you know she's like a sister to me! I just wanted her to be happy!" Sano exclaimed defensively.
"Happy? What do you mean by that?" Megumi's head snapped up and she tried to shut the rooster up, but all attempts were futile.
"If she waits around any longer, no one else will want to marry her!"
SMACK!
"Oi fox! What the hell was that for?!" Sano winced, rubbing his sore head.
"He didn't know about THAT!" The older woman hissed, indicating towards the complete look of shock on Kenshin's face.
"Married . . .?" He whispered, "Kaoru's getting married . . ." Wide eyes slitted angrily before he turned and dashed out, leaving the two staring after him.
"Kuso!" Sano muttered, then shrugged, smirking at Megumi. "He needed the wakeup call. Maybe now he'll go and do something about it."
"Tanuki's gonna kill us."
"Wait till Kenshin finds out that even Misao and Shinomori knew about this before he did."
----------------------------- Chapter 2 -----------------------------
Megumi was trying to fill out the daily paper work that Dr. Genzai had asked her to do while he was away for the day. Her thoughts kept wandering back to Tanuki-chan, wondering just how her friend was doing at the moment. The door opened without warning, startling the lady doctor from her ponderings, and she let out a small gasp as she came face to face with a familiar redhead.
An angry one at that. "Ohayou Ken-san! To what do I owe this surprise visit?" Fox ears appeared at the top of the older woman's head, as she tried to cover up her nervousness. "Is it time for your physical checkup again?"
"Megumi-san, Sessha believes you know the reason for this visit."
"Ran out of medicine, did you?" She turned towards the shelves, searching through the containers of herbs and powders. "What are you o-"
"Megumi!" The firm politeness had left the rurouni's voice. She dared not turn to meet his gaze for fear of what she should find. An angry rurouni was practically equivalent to Kenshin's alter ego, Battousai. Well almost, but not quite.
"Ken-san, I have no idea what you are referring to." She tried again, playing innocent. Oh Roosterhead! Where are you when I need you??
"I saw Kaoru with another man in front of the Akabeko." Feigning surprise, Megumi paused as if shocked by this revelation.
"Tanuki-chan? The poor man must've lost a bet or something." Fox ears twitched again, knowing her friend would've walloped her with a bokken had she been there. "Gomenasai Ken-san. I don't see what this has to do with me."
"You helped her dress up." He stated simply.
"So you actually followed her from the moment she stepped foot out of the dojo, hmm?" Megumi arched an eyebrow, turning to look at Kenshin. "I thought there was an agreement that you would respect Tanuki-chan's privacy?" Aha! Got you on that one, didn't I? Megumi thought wickedly as the rurouni's face flushed with guilt.
"That's not the point! What's going on here?!"
"Geez Ken-san, are you that possessive that you won't even allow Tanuki have some friends?" At that, Kenshin's eyes flashed in cold anger.
"They were not JUST friends. Megumi, I demand to know what Kaoru is doing with that man!" Megumi turned back to the shelves and stared at the glass jars.
"I can't."
"Why not?!"
"I promised her I wouldn't say anything." She flinched slightly as Kenshin grabbed her arm, turning her towards him.
"I think I have the right to know." He watched as the doctor's dark eyes widened slightly then narrowed into angry slits. She shook his hand off, surprising him with the underlying briskness in her voice.
"No, I don't think you do." Gomenasai Ken-san, but I can't let you hurt her anymore. I know you love her. We all know it, including Kaoru, but can't you see that you only cause her pain?
". . . Nani?"
"Maybe you should go, Ken-san. I'm sure Yahiko must be wondering where you are."
"Megumi-san," The mild mannered rurouni was back, his voice was soft and pleading. "Please. I need to know why she keeps pushing me away . . ." The doctor looked up and saw Sanosuke standing in the doorway, trademark fishbone dangling from his mouth, eyes boring into hers. Both questioning each other. Receiving a slight nod, she took a deep breath and relaxed slightly.
"His name is Yamada Tatsuha. 21 years old from a well off family. Kaoru met him about a month ago, while working a late shift for Tae and apparently, Yamada-san has been courting her since then."
"So she's been seeing this man for almost TWO months and I didn't know anything about this????" Kenshin exclaimed in disbelief. Then he vaguely remembered Kaoru running out for errands after practice with Yahiko, but the thought of her meeting another man had never crossed his mind. Or had it? Had he been in such denial knowing the possibilities? At that moment, Sanosuke decided to make his presence known.
"Oi! Fox!" Sanosuke walked in, greeting Kenshin with a look of surprise. "Kenshin, what are you doing here?" Megumi winced. Sano was a really really bad actor and so Kenshin caught on quickly.
"You knew. You both knew!" He murmured quietly, in utter disbelief. His friends had kept it a secret from him. Did everyone know except for him? Even Yahiko? That angered him greatly. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!!!!"
"She made me promise!"
"I thought we were friends, Sano?!" The look of betrayal and anger on the disgruntled rurouni's face tore at his two friends, but there wasn't anything that could be done now.
"We ARE friends, Kenshin! But Jou-chan, you know she's like a sister to me! I just wanted her to be happy!" Sano exclaimed defensively.
"Happy? What do you mean by that?" Megumi's head snapped up and she tried to shut the rooster up, but all attempts were futile.
"If she waits around any longer, no one else will want to marry her!"
SMACK!
"Oi fox! What the hell was that for?!" Sano winced, rubbing his sore head.
"He didn't know about THAT!" The older woman hissed, indicating towards the complete look of shock on Kenshin's face.
"Married . . .?" He whispered, "Kaoru's getting married . . ." Wide eyes slitted angrily before he turned and dashed out, leaving the two staring after him.
"Kuso!" Sano muttered, then shrugged, smirking at Megumi. "He needed the wakeup call. Maybe now he'll go and do something about it."
"Tanuki's gonna kill us."
"Wait till Kenshin finds out that even Misao and Shinomori knew about this before he did."
