Guy's Night Out
Chapter 19
Before long, representatives from the Tokyo police showed up to investigate. A few words from "Inspector Fujita" seemed to satisfy them, and they took away the bodies, both alive and dead, of the duplicitous police officers who were in fact, Yakuza informants.
Saitou came over the group composed of Sano, still supporting a pale Megumi, with Kenshin and Yahiko standing attendance.
"Takani-sensai," Saitou began, "There will be charges pressed against these men, I assure you. At least the three who survived will be charged. The others have already satisfied the demands of justice by surrendering their worthless lives."
"I should hope so, Fujita-san" replied Megumi. Although still pale, she was gradually recovering the sensation in her hands and feet, and was able to move again.
"Your deposition will be required in this matter, but perhaps that can wait until you have recovered more fully. You may make use of the carriage." Saying this, he bowed slightly, turned and left.
"Megumi, you're all right, aren't you, they didn't... hurt you?" Sano couldn't bring himself to ask further.
"Not really," she replied. "Just bruises and stiffness. I know what you're thinking, Sanosuke, but don't worry, I wasn't touched, not that way."
She patted his hand in a reassuring way. In truth, she was fighting an overwhelming urge to hold onto him like there was no tomorrow, but she wasn't comfortable expressing their private relationship in front of their friends.
Sano felt like he could breath again. "If that bastard had touched you, I'd make sure that when Aoshi is through with him, I'd start over again."
"I got the distinct impression that Kageboushi-san's um, interests, lie elsewhere," Megumi said, with a hint of old kitsune slyness coming back to her eyes and voice.
"Can you walk now, Megumi-dono, or do you require some assistance?" asked Kenshin, still concerned.
"I'm fine, Ken-san, really. As fine as one can be after being treated like a piece of luggage, that is."
"You must have been very scared, Megumi-san," said Yahiko to her, softly, crouching down in front of her. He had a big soft spot for the lady doctor who had saved his life when he had been poisoned.
"I suppose I was, Yahiko-chan," she replied, reaching out to ruffle his hair a bit. He blushed. "But, I kept telling myself my friends would be there to come for me soon enough. I had to be brave. And see, you came, didn't you?"
Suddenly, her eyes overflowed with tears as her well-known poise dissolved. "I'm so sorry," she apologized, covering her face.
Warm strong arms lifted her and there was no protest as she was placed carefully into the waiting carriage to go home.
Kaoru insisted that Dr. Gensai's housekeeper bring some of Megumi's things to the dojo and that she stay there for a few days.
"You should not go back to your house so soon, there may be bad memories there now. And, you should not be alone." Kaoru told her, handing her friend a cup of hot tea and some light food. Megumi was sitting in a borrowed yukata of Kaorus after a badly desired bath, while her own clothes were waiting to be cleaned.
"You can stay with me in my room, Megumi," Kaoru offered.
"Watch out, though, Busu snores," Yahiko said, coming into the room.
"I do NOT snore, Myojin Yahiko!" Kaoru said to him through gritted teeth, trying to restrain her temper for the sake of her guest.
"Kaoru-chan, I'll be fine, even if you do snore. I'm used to it." She said this tiredly, without thinking. She couldn't remember feeling this tired in a long time.
Kaoru gave her a puzzled look out of the corner of her eyes, but said nothing.
"You poor woman, you must be exhausted," said Kaoru, her well-known compassion coming to the fore. I'll make up a futon for you while you finish that."
"Thank you, Kaoru-chan," said Megumi listlessly. She realized that she was experiencing the lethargy that comes after one has had a shock to the body's systems.
"Hey, there, Fox, feeling better?" Sano slouched in the doorway with a questioning hopeful look on his face.
He'd held her in the carriage all the way home, as though he feared that she'd be stolen from him again, saying nothing.
When they got to the dojo, Kaoru had taken over, embracing her friend and taking her to the bath immediately to refresh herself after her ordeal.
Sano and Kenshin had gone to the kitchen for tea, sending Yahiko to heat the water for the small bath house.
"You're very quiet, Sano, that you are," Kenshin observed, handing him tea.
His tall friend said nothing, sitting and sipping tea. His hands clenched around the cup, and he refused to meet Kenshin's eye.
"I'm used to this from Aoshi, that I am, but not from Sano," said Kenshin to him gently.
"I never thought that someone I care about would have to suffer for anything I've done," said Sano quietly, after a long moment. "Those thugs took her because of my working for the police, I just know it!" said Sano. He put down the teacup he'd been holding as though afraid of smashing the fragile porcelain between his fingers.
"I too, feel some responsibility for what happened to Megum-dono," sighed Kenshin, also putting down his cup.
"I think I truly understand why Saitou-san lets few people know his real name," said Kenshin. "He seeks to protect his family, for he has many enemies still from the Revolution."
"Is that the way it will always be for some of us, Kenshin?" asked Sano plaintively. He sighed and picked up his cup again.
"One day, I'm sure that the past will finally be put to rest, Sano. By the time of our children and grandchildren, things will be different." That was a question that plagued not an inconsiderable amount of Kenshin's days and nights, also.
He looked at his friend curiously. Something indefinable had changed about Sano, perhaps, he thought, boyish brashness and carelessness of attitude was beginning to be replaced with questioning and introspection.
The two friends sat in companionable and quiet silence, sipping tea and each reflecting in their own fashion upon the past.
Sagara Sanosuke couldn't sleep. It wasn't Yahiko's light snoring, he'd slept through worse noise in his time.
Kenshin had retired hours ago, and the house was quiet, save the ordinary noises of nighttime.
Softly he padded on bare feet to the back porch of the dojo. Maybe some fresh air would induce sleep, although he doubted it. It was not lack of air that troubled him.
His rage when he thought Megumi had been taken from him, possibly forever, astounded him. There was only one other time he could remember feeling such helpless fear and overwhelming rage, and that was the night his mentor, Captain Sagara, and almost all of the Seikihotai squad had been massacred practically in front of his eyes.
Though still in reality a child when it occured, it was the defining moment of his existence; his true birthright that had caused him to be exactly what he was today. A man many people feared, some loved as a loyal brother, and one whom no one on the streets or elsewhere would ever defame again without feeling retribution at his hands.
He gazed down at his hands, flexing them carefully. They were the hands of Zanza, who had fought and killed for hire with little care or conscience. Now they were the hands of Sagara Sanosuke. It was up to him to make sure those hands were capable of more than maiming and killing, and then perhaps, he could and would deserve the love that a certain woman had so freely offered him.
He heard the soft sound of the shooji opening behind him, and looked over his shoulder.
"Lonely without me, nushi?" Megumi asked him with a slight echo of her foxy smile.
"Yes," he answered simply, holding out a hand.
She took it and sat beside him in the darkness. Now that they were alone, she put her arms tightly around him and buried her head in his shoulder. The terror of the last hours began to fade, and she quietly told Sano of how Kageboushi's men had abducted her in the night from her house.
"I was in the kitchen, washing up a few things, and they were there, coming in from the back yard. The one with the scar, although his lower face was covered, I could see the scar on the side of his face came at me. I hit him with a pan, but there were four of them, Sano. Four men to take a small woman such as myself. What filthy cowards!
I didn't even have time to scream before they had gagged me and were tying me up like a fowl to roast!" her voice was indignant as she remembered their rough hands and their muffled voices in the dark.
Sano smiled briefly, remembering Megumi and her lethal getta, knocking a man out with her wooden sandal.
"They took me to the docks, that I could tell because of the smells," she said, wrinkling her nose in remembrance. "Then we were rowed out to that sampan. Kageboushi remembered the two times I'd seen him at Kanryuu's mansion. Frankly, I thought he'd kill me right then. Then I realized I was the bait to lure you, Kenshin, perhaps even Saitou and Aoshi. Kageboushi is still working with Kanryuu, outside the country, Sano. He paid Kageboushi to lure us there to be killed. All of us." She shuddered. "He's not gone."
"We'll be safe, Megumi. I promise you that. And Kageboushi is giving the fish in Tokyo harbor indigestion by now, thanks to the Icicle."
"I don't know if I can go back to my house alone, nushi." It was a hard admission for her. "Now its tainted with bad memories."
"We'll make some good memories there, fox," he said softly into her hair.
Alone under the cover of the new moon's darkness, he kissed her fears away and held his lady tightly, enjoying the nearness of her, and in the simple fact of being.
Chapter 19
Before long, representatives from the Tokyo police showed up to investigate. A few words from "Inspector Fujita" seemed to satisfy them, and they took away the bodies, both alive and dead, of the duplicitous police officers who were in fact, Yakuza informants.
Saitou came over the group composed of Sano, still supporting a pale Megumi, with Kenshin and Yahiko standing attendance.
"Takani-sensai," Saitou began, "There will be charges pressed against these men, I assure you. At least the three who survived will be charged. The others have already satisfied the demands of justice by surrendering their worthless lives."
"I should hope so, Fujita-san" replied Megumi. Although still pale, she was gradually recovering the sensation in her hands and feet, and was able to move again.
"Your deposition will be required in this matter, but perhaps that can wait until you have recovered more fully. You may make use of the carriage." Saying this, he bowed slightly, turned and left.
"Megumi, you're all right, aren't you, they didn't... hurt you?" Sano couldn't bring himself to ask further.
"Not really," she replied. "Just bruises and stiffness. I know what you're thinking, Sanosuke, but don't worry, I wasn't touched, not that way."
She patted his hand in a reassuring way. In truth, she was fighting an overwhelming urge to hold onto him like there was no tomorrow, but she wasn't comfortable expressing their private relationship in front of their friends.
Sano felt like he could breath again. "If that bastard had touched you, I'd make sure that when Aoshi is through with him, I'd start over again."
"I got the distinct impression that Kageboushi-san's um, interests, lie elsewhere," Megumi said, with a hint of old kitsune slyness coming back to her eyes and voice.
"Can you walk now, Megumi-dono, or do you require some assistance?" asked Kenshin, still concerned.
"I'm fine, Ken-san, really. As fine as one can be after being treated like a piece of luggage, that is."
"You must have been very scared, Megumi-san," said Yahiko to her, softly, crouching down in front of her. He had a big soft spot for the lady doctor who had saved his life when he had been poisoned.
"I suppose I was, Yahiko-chan," she replied, reaching out to ruffle his hair a bit. He blushed. "But, I kept telling myself my friends would be there to come for me soon enough. I had to be brave. And see, you came, didn't you?"
Suddenly, her eyes overflowed with tears as her well-known poise dissolved. "I'm so sorry," she apologized, covering her face.
Warm strong arms lifted her and there was no protest as she was placed carefully into the waiting carriage to go home.
Kaoru insisted that Dr. Gensai's housekeeper bring some of Megumi's things to the dojo and that she stay there for a few days.
"You should not go back to your house so soon, there may be bad memories there now. And, you should not be alone." Kaoru told her, handing her friend a cup of hot tea and some light food. Megumi was sitting in a borrowed yukata of Kaorus after a badly desired bath, while her own clothes were waiting to be cleaned.
"You can stay with me in my room, Megumi," Kaoru offered.
"Watch out, though, Busu snores," Yahiko said, coming into the room.
"I do NOT snore, Myojin Yahiko!" Kaoru said to him through gritted teeth, trying to restrain her temper for the sake of her guest.
"Kaoru-chan, I'll be fine, even if you do snore. I'm used to it." She said this tiredly, without thinking. She couldn't remember feeling this tired in a long time.
Kaoru gave her a puzzled look out of the corner of her eyes, but said nothing.
"You poor woman, you must be exhausted," said Kaoru, her well-known compassion coming to the fore. I'll make up a futon for you while you finish that."
"Thank you, Kaoru-chan," said Megumi listlessly. She realized that she was experiencing the lethargy that comes after one has had a shock to the body's systems.
"Hey, there, Fox, feeling better?" Sano slouched in the doorway with a questioning hopeful look on his face.
He'd held her in the carriage all the way home, as though he feared that she'd be stolen from him again, saying nothing.
When they got to the dojo, Kaoru had taken over, embracing her friend and taking her to the bath immediately to refresh herself after her ordeal.
Sano and Kenshin had gone to the kitchen for tea, sending Yahiko to heat the water for the small bath house.
"You're very quiet, Sano, that you are," Kenshin observed, handing him tea.
His tall friend said nothing, sitting and sipping tea. His hands clenched around the cup, and he refused to meet Kenshin's eye.
"I'm used to this from Aoshi, that I am, but not from Sano," said Kenshin to him gently.
"I never thought that someone I care about would have to suffer for anything I've done," said Sano quietly, after a long moment. "Those thugs took her because of my working for the police, I just know it!" said Sano. He put down the teacup he'd been holding as though afraid of smashing the fragile porcelain between his fingers.
"I too, feel some responsibility for what happened to Megum-dono," sighed Kenshin, also putting down his cup.
"I think I truly understand why Saitou-san lets few people know his real name," said Kenshin. "He seeks to protect his family, for he has many enemies still from the Revolution."
"Is that the way it will always be for some of us, Kenshin?" asked Sano plaintively. He sighed and picked up his cup again.
"One day, I'm sure that the past will finally be put to rest, Sano. By the time of our children and grandchildren, things will be different." That was a question that plagued not an inconsiderable amount of Kenshin's days and nights, also.
He looked at his friend curiously. Something indefinable had changed about Sano, perhaps, he thought, boyish brashness and carelessness of attitude was beginning to be replaced with questioning and introspection.
The two friends sat in companionable and quiet silence, sipping tea and each reflecting in their own fashion upon the past.
Sagara Sanosuke couldn't sleep. It wasn't Yahiko's light snoring, he'd slept through worse noise in his time.
Kenshin had retired hours ago, and the house was quiet, save the ordinary noises of nighttime.
Softly he padded on bare feet to the back porch of the dojo. Maybe some fresh air would induce sleep, although he doubted it. It was not lack of air that troubled him.
His rage when he thought Megumi had been taken from him, possibly forever, astounded him. There was only one other time he could remember feeling such helpless fear and overwhelming rage, and that was the night his mentor, Captain Sagara, and almost all of the Seikihotai squad had been massacred practically in front of his eyes.
Though still in reality a child when it occured, it was the defining moment of his existence; his true birthright that had caused him to be exactly what he was today. A man many people feared, some loved as a loyal brother, and one whom no one on the streets or elsewhere would ever defame again without feeling retribution at his hands.
He gazed down at his hands, flexing them carefully. They were the hands of Zanza, who had fought and killed for hire with little care or conscience. Now they were the hands of Sagara Sanosuke. It was up to him to make sure those hands were capable of more than maiming and killing, and then perhaps, he could and would deserve the love that a certain woman had so freely offered him.
He heard the soft sound of the shooji opening behind him, and looked over his shoulder.
"Lonely without me, nushi?" Megumi asked him with a slight echo of her foxy smile.
"Yes," he answered simply, holding out a hand.
She took it and sat beside him in the darkness. Now that they were alone, she put her arms tightly around him and buried her head in his shoulder. The terror of the last hours began to fade, and she quietly told Sano of how Kageboushi's men had abducted her in the night from her house.
"I was in the kitchen, washing up a few things, and they were there, coming in from the back yard. The one with the scar, although his lower face was covered, I could see the scar on the side of his face came at me. I hit him with a pan, but there were four of them, Sano. Four men to take a small woman such as myself. What filthy cowards!
I didn't even have time to scream before they had gagged me and were tying me up like a fowl to roast!" her voice was indignant as she remembered their rough hands and their muffled voices in the dark.
Sano smiled briefly, remembering Megumi and her lethal getta, knocking a man out with her wooden sandal.
"They took me to the docks, that I could tell because of the smells," she said, wrinkling her nose in remembrance. "Then we were rowed out to that sampan. Kageboushi remembered the two times I'd seen him at Kanryuu's mansion. Frankly, I thought he'd kill me right then. Then I realized I was the bait to lure you, Kenshin, perhaps even Saitou and Aoshi. Kageboushi is still working with Kanryuu, outside the country, Sano. He paid Kageboushi to lure us there to be killed. All of us." She shuddered. "He's not gone."
"We'll be safe, Megumi. I promise you that. And Kageboushi is giving the fish in Tokyo harbor indigestion by now, thanks to the Icicle."
"I don't know if I can go back to my house alone, nushi." It was a hard admission for her. "Now its tainted with bad memories."
"We'll make some good memories there, fox," he said softly into her hair.
Alone under the cover of the new moon's darkness, he kissed her fears away and held his lady tightly, enjoying the nearness of her, and in the simple fact of being.
