Disclaimer:  Rurouni Kenshin isn't mine.  If you sue me, I'll get upset and sue you back for emotional damages.

Author's note:  Ta-da!!  This chapter took me ages, and I'm pretty proud of it!  A little addition in this chapter, too…  I don't know what you'll think of it, but I was planning it from the start…  You may think there's OOCness here, (out-of-character), but I am working on the Alternative Universe basis of this story, after all.

  Well, this update took slightly longer than usual, but it's a longer chapter: that's my excuse, anyway.  ^_^  That and the fact that I'm back at college now, therefore very busy.  *groan* so much work…

Anyhoo, enjoy!

Ice and Chaos Seventh

  "But you got home okay."

  "Yeah…  Yeah."

  "I can't believe you were gone so long, though!  Not surprising when you say how far you went…  Really, going that far, you should have been gone longer.  What was the guy's name again?"

  "Aoshi."

  "Aoshi, huh?  Hm…  And he's gone off again now?"

  "No…  Not exactly.  He's around, I think, but I can't see him or anything."

  "Why?"

  "…I'm not really sure.  But he sounded pretty definite."

  "That's a shame.  He sounded kinda cute, the way you described him."  A smiling voice.

  "Cute isn't the word I'd use.  But yeah, he was pretty attractive.  But that doesn't matter now: I doubt I'll ever see him again."

  "Cheer up!  He was just some stranger a week ago: another someone on the street.  He doesn't matter.

  "I'm glad you're back, anyway.  Skipping maths is no fun without you around to laugh at my bad grades and paint my toenails."  A giggle.

  "So you've been just as bad with me gone?  I'll have to note that down: Experiment 203, 'My Influence on Friends', is a complete failure: my friends are not affected by my presence or absence in any way."  A laugh.

  "That's not true, and you know it!  I missed you.  You'll be in school tomorrow?"

  "Yeah.  I'll pick you up.  See you then."

  "Okay.  Seeya."

  Misao fell back on her bed with a sigh.

  The phone lay at the end of the bed where she'd absently thrown it after hanging up. 

  She lay still, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression.  Silence descended.

  The ceiling became a blank screen, upon which Misao's mind played images of the past week: images of Aoshi.

  She saw the way he turned to look at her, with those pale eyes.  The way his brow came down over his eyes when he got annoyed with her.  The empty look he'd had in the motel that night.  The softness in his face when they'd kissed.

  The blank expression he'd had as he got into his car and drove away from her.

  Misao lifted a hand to touch her lips with a finger, remembering how he'd kissed her.  The space around her felt painfully empty as she remembered his closeness.

  She turned over onto her side, pulling a pillow against her tightly, as if it could fill the space Aoshi had left hollow.  Misao closed her eyes and buried her face in the pillow, but no matter how tightly she hugged it to her, it didn't hug her back. 

  The phone rang.

  Misao sat up, brushing her hair back from her face.  She stared at the phone.

  With timing as impeccable as that, it had to be-

  "Hello?"

  "Misao?  You are home, then.  That's good."

  "How did you know?"

  "Tem told me."

  "That was quick."

  "Yeah, well she knew I'd want to know.  She just called me."

  "I'm sorry, Sou: I should have let you know," Misao said with a sigh.

  "No, it's okay.  I just worry about you, that's all."

  A pause.

  "How did your dad take it?"

  "About as well as he usually does.  He'd actually sent the police after me this time.  Under the premise that I was a 'missing person', having been gone more than twenty-four hours.  My dad knew better than that, but hey."

  "Wait- the police?  Was that how you got home then?  They found you?"

  "They found me, but I wanted to get home on my own terms, as I explained to my dad.  Or tried to."

  "So how did you get home?"

  "A guy gave me a ride."

  Another pause.

  "A guy?  …A stranger?"

  "Yeah."

  "You got a ride with a complete stranger?  Why?"

  Misao fell silent.  She didn't know how to explain it.

  "Misao?"

  "…He looked interesting."

  A long pause.

  "He looked like the kind of person I wanted to talk to, to meet."  Misao ran a hand through her dark hair, knowing what Sou must be thinking.  "I dunno.  I just had a feeling about him."

  "Oh."

  As the pause stretched long, Misao tried to think of something to say.  She knew Sou must have been really worried about her, but while most of the time, that made her feel cared for, sometimes it made her annoyed.  Sometimes she wanted to tell him that he shouldn't waste his time worrying about her, that he was being stupid and overprotective, and that she should be able to do whatever she wanted.  She was too young to have to worry about being serious or responsible.

  She sighed.  She was too tired to get annoyed just then.

  And as usual, Sou could tell how she felt.

  "I know, you get sick of me worrying about you.  It makes you feel like I'm a weight around your neck…  Sorry.  I just…"

  Misao smiled sadly to herself.

  "…You love me."

  She looked down, her eyes a deep blue.

  "Yes," he said quietly.

  "I love you too, you know," she replied in a low voice.

  "I know."  Still quiet.

  The pause seemed to bring them together that time, rather than push them apart.

  "Want me to come over?"

  "…No, I'm okay.  I'll be at school tomorrow.  We can talk more then, if you want."

  "Okay.  Sleep well, Misao.  Make sure you dream about daisies and fluffy bunnies," said Sou smilingly.

  Misao let out a half-laugh.  "And you can dream about climbing trees and driving cars.  Or getting slapped with a trout, you silly boy," she chuckled.

  Sou's answering laugh came down the phone.  They both laughed together for a moment, enjoying the old 'goodnight' exchange they had joked about so many times before.  It made Misao feel better to reaffirm the things she shared with Sou.

  "I'll see you tomorrow then, okay?"

  "Okay.  See you."

  Sou hung up, and put the phone carefully on his bedside table.

  He heaved a weary sigh, and swung up his legs onto the bed.  He switched off the lamp, and crept under the sheets.

  His face looked a little troubled as he rubbed at his temples, trying to relax, ready to sleep.

  "Misao," he whispered to the darkness.

  He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him.

  A sharp knock came at the door.

  "Misao?  I want to talk to you."

  "I'm going to bed, dad.  Can't this wait?"

  "No."

  Misao forced the pained expression from her face, and summoned her courage.  She was too tired, too emotionally drained to go through this again.  But her father was in one of his moods.

  She stepped over to the door, making sure that any sign of weakness or distress was carefully hidden away.  She reached for the handle.

  It was a clear, breezy night outside. 

  Through the huge windows, a girl could be seen opening her door.  A taller man walked in, with the weary look of someone who has run out of ways to say that they are angry or disappointed.

  They both stood, facing each other.  The man spoke for a little while, the girl just staring at his feet, her arms crossed defensively over her chest.

  As he went on, his brow knitted in irritation, the girl seemed to be barely listening to him.  However, as he seemed to build up to particular statement, suddenly the girl looked up with angry sparks in her eyes, and cried out a protest.  Her arms stretched out to either side, as if gesturing to say 'Look at me, what are you saying?'

  The man got angrier, and the scene soon descended into a shouting match.

  It ended as the man stormed out, slamming the door behind him, and the girl dropped limply onto her bed.

  All was quiet for a while, as the slight chirring of a few insects filled the cool night air with their gentle chorus.  The world outside was peaceful.

  The girl finally propped herself up on her elbows, and reached over the end of her bed for the phone that lay fallen there.

  She dialled and waited for an answer, her face troubled.

  "Another bad one?"

  "Yes."  It was so quietly spoken, it was barely audible.

  "I'll be right over."

  He knocked on the tall window, and Misao was already waiting for him.  She pulled the window open, and gestured him in.

  He stepped in, and shut the window behind him.

  When he turned to Misao, she had tears in her eyes.

  "I'm sorry, I know it's so late, and I said you didn't have to come over…" she said, stumbling through her words.

  "It's okay, it's okay," he murmured comfortingly, as he wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair soothingly.

  "I'm just having another weird mood…  I'll be okay in a minute…" her voice cracked and she broke off with a shuddering breath.

  She sobbed into his shoulder, her hands instinctively clinging to the back of his t-shirt as he held her close.

  He just kept stroking her hair and back, waiting for her to calm down.  He hated it when she got like this: he hated the fact that her dad could upset her this much.  Not that it was just her dad.  He frowned into her black hair, even as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo and let it relax him in turn.

  He couldn't remember how long ago Misao had first called him late at night, in tears or nearly so.  That first time, he had offered to go over and see her.  Since then, it didn't need to be said.  The phone call, and the way Misao spoke, was enough of a signal.  Sou always went over.

  It seemed to have been getting worse lately: it was no longer a rare occurrence.  The only reason he hadn't been over again in the last week was because Misao had been gone most of that time.

  He was glad she was back, even if it meant she had to face her father.

  Misao's sobs had finally stilled, and her breaths were coming more regularly.

  She let the young man lead her to her bed, and he assumed the usual position: sat with his back against the headrest, as Misao nestled her head in his lap.  She was already very sleepy by the looks of it.  The crying must have drained what energy she had left.  Her eyes were drooping closed as he reached down to stroke her hair gently, lulling her to sleep with the simple, repeated motion.

  "You were going to bed…  You didn't even change…" she said quietly, her voice muffled by his t-shirt.

  He smiled down on her.

  "It doesn't matter.  And it means I'm ready for bed now," he murmured.

  Her eyes fluttered shut.  Her grip on his clothes relaxed.

  "Thank you for coming…  Thank you, Sou…"

  The moonlight touched them, highlighting them in a soft blue-silver in the darkness.  The air was so still, touched only by the slight rippling of Misao's gentle breaths.

  Sou let out a melancholy sigh, and continued to stroke Misao's silken black hair.  At least she was peaceful now.  At least he could do this much for her.

  He watched her sleep.

Author's note: Well, I put a lot of effort into that chapter!  Moving on into the next stage of the story was harder than I'd expected it to be.  But I think it's working okay so far.  Fingers crossed!  I hope you liked it, anyways!

Notes to reviewers:

Thank you to lebleuphenix (And yet more story introduced!  I'm just laying it all out on the table, aren't I?  *grin*  And don't worry about Aoshi.  He can fend for himself.  ^_^), dynast (Secrets?  *innocently* What secrets?  *laughs*  Ah, all in due time…  ^_^  I'm glad you like the story, anyway!  Hope this chapter is better too!), bee (Thanks!  I do enjoy my cliff-hangers…  *grin*  They just make for lots of tension/anticipation, which is great fun!  ^_^  Sorry if this update didn't come soon enough for your liking), Kmye-chan (I hope you are crazy again: craziness is fun! ^_^  As for all the questions… there is plenty of time!  ^_^  I haven't actually got a very clear idea on how long this story will go on for.  I have the basic framework in mind, but I don't know how long it'll take to work it all through…  Well, anyways!  Hope you liked this chapter too!), len (Thanks ^_^  I am quite mean to my main characters, aren't I? *quite unrepentant* ^_^  Ah, it'll all work out somehow I'm sure.  Glad you like it, anyhoo!), Noa (It's the unanswered questions that create the story and the fun!  *grin*  Mystery is the key.  Fluffy moments will indeed ensue, yes.  ^_^  I love a bit of well-timed fluff!!), Fuuko-san (I'm glad you left a review this time!  ^_^  It's always great to hear reader's views and thoughts.  Your review really meant a lot to me, actually…  I've never tried a story that is based on the real world, and everyday things, so much- without magic or adventure and whatnot- so getting each moment to actually be meaningful is quite hard at times.  I'm really chuffed that you liked it!  ^_^  Thank you.), Argentum Draco (Nope, not the last chapter!  ^_^  And this chapter is longer, too.  I never seem to write very long chapters, but this is okay, isn't it?  Anyhoo, glad you like it!), Cat H (Yes, those italics…  *growls at computer*  And yes, I guessed some readers might get upset and think that was the end, which was why I put in the note that it wasn't over yet!  ^_^  And thanks for the note about frequent updates.  I'm hard pressed to be fast now I'm back at college, but hey, I'll do my best!), TwinBakaNekos (I will keep it up!  ^_^  Glad you're enjoying it. *grin*) and EK (Thanks for the advice.  I sometimes just make myself type, because I think 'I haven't updated in a while!' or whatever, and every time I've done that, I've been dissatisfied with the results.  So I'll only write when I'm in the mood!  ^_^  As for your hopes about Misao and Aoshi…  It's another one of those 'wait and see' things.  Sorry!  ^_^).

Thank you so much for your reviews: I really do appreciate it.  ^_^  *glomps everyone happily*

Now, one more thing if you would: please click the button and make me happy!  College work is just depressing.  *puppy dog eyes*  Please?

Seeya soon!  *happy dance*