Chaa…I realized something. Compared to some of my earlier chapters, 20 wasn't THAT short. So get off my case!! Like my previous fight scene, this one will probably be rather stupid, but oh well. The focus of this fic is the ROMANCE not the fighting.

Enjoy. His death will come soon. Aku soku zan…

***

"You won't kill me. You don't have the guts." Jishin's voice remained singsong as he spoke to the ninja, "After two years, you don't want to kill."

Aoshi stared at him, his gaze cold and hard. "For my wife and my daughter's happiness, I would do anything," He flipped back his trench coat, revealing the dormant pair of kodachi, "Even kill you." He unsheathed one of the swords, his pulse quickening at the familiar feel of the hilt in his hand.

"Your wife! Your wife?!" Jishin screeched, "She should be my wife. You stole her from me!"

Aoshi's eyes widened in disbelief. How could he say such a thing? Misao had been his friend for as long as he could remember. Jishin was the one trying to take her away. "How dare you? How dare you say such a thing? Misao belongs to no one. She is free to make her own choices and she chose me." He moved towards the heir, his kodachi ready and at hand. "She'd rather be with me than you and you could never change that."

"She doesn't want you! You took her from me! Why would she choose you over me? Why would she-"

"Shut up!" The ex-Okashira's fist connected with Jishin's jaw, "Just shut your mouth." He drew the sword up; it was dangerously close to the insane young man's throat. "One more word, Kanemochi, and you die."

"Kill me then. I dare you to. Kill me."

Aoshi hesitated. He didn't particularly want to kill Jishin -Misao would be angry with him for doing so. She still saw something in him of the little boy he had once been. She was forgiving and merciful where he was not. But at that point, it was a necessity.

"What are you waiting for, Shinomori?" A deranged cackle let loose from his lips. He was laughing, tears in his deep emerald eyes, "Slit my throat. Go home to your infant daughter stained in blood. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I do believe it would be nicer if you rotted in prison and disgraced your family's good name. You would suffer more that way, you bastard."

"I'd rather not go to jail. You know, if you don't kill me, I'll keep coming back. It's so much fun, making my Misao-chan cry. If I can't be happy with her, no one can." He giggled like a school girl, causing Aoshi's spine to tingle and the hair on the back of his neck to rise.

"You damn lunatic! I never want to hear you speak of my wife like that again. I love Misao. I love her more than you could ever understand love and I'll be damned if anything more happens to her! She doesn't deserve any of the hell you've put her through." A vein in his neck throbbed and his fist clenched around the handle of the kodachi.

"So kill me then! Let it weigh heavy on your soul! I know all about you; how you went mad and wanted to kill Himura the Battôsai. You spent two years trying to repent for your sins. If you kill me, how long will it take for you to cleanse your soul again?"

"Stop trying to intimidate me." Another slap across the face, "It is not going to work. You need to grow up, little boy, and learn some respect."

"Just kill me! Don't lecture me like my father! Because of you and what you did to my house, that man disowned me! I was beaten by Kanawashi for not paying off my debt! I went home and was thrown out! All because you finally decided to pay attention to the girl I loved since I was sixteen."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" Aoshi blinked, his icy eyes never leaving the other man's face, "Am I supposed to pity a worthless being like you? I see no reason to. You ruined things for yourself. You didn't have to gamble. You didn't have to kidnap Misao. But now, because you made the wrong choices, you must pay…"

I don't want to kill him. I don't want that on my conscience. I don't want Aoi to have a murderer for a father. He may be the one who's trying to destroy our fragile happiness, but he should not die for it. One does not control their level of sanity…If I can knock him out, I can get him to the police. They can deal with him.

The ninja took a step forward, the kodachi pointed menacingly at Jishin's stomach. "Come quietly and I won't have to hurt you."

"I have no intention of going quietly." He grabbed the blade of the kodachi in both hands and -catching Aoshi off guard- pulled it forward and plunged it through his own abdomen.

Misao sat watching as Kenshin held Kenji by the hands and toddled him around the yard. She stroked Aoi's cheek absently, her mind a jumble of thoughts. Aoshi…please come back okay…I want you to be the one to walk our daughter around like that. I want her to love and cherish you; to look up to you as I did. Please don't kill him…

"Misao-chan, are you okay? You have the most peculiar look on your face." Kenshin picked up his son -much to Kenji's protest- and sat down beside her. He was concerned; she hadn't been herself all day. He was well aware of where Aoshi had gone, but he didn't understand quite why it upset Misao so much. Aoshi had done the same thing every day for the past week.

"Himura…I'm really worried." Aoi was laid across her lap; looking up at her mama through those eyes so much like Aoshi's. She rubbed the baby's tummy and one of Aoi's tiny hands curled around her finger. A faint smile crossed her face. Aoi, I promise your papa and I will take such good care of you. You bring us joy amidst all of this suffering and pain.

"Why are you worried?" The former hitokiri asked softly. He pulled Kenji into his lap and the little boy frowned up at him. He was being very patient with Misao; knowing she was not one for opening up about things so serious as this.

"Because…" She paused, trying to figure out just how to word this. She chewed on her lip, her mind wandering in a thousand different directions. Aoi made a small snuffling noise, then began to cry. "Don't cry, Aoi…" She lifted the baby to her shoulder and she buried her face in the silk of her mother's kimono, "Don't cry. Papa will come home safe and sound."

"Is that what is bothering you? You're worried about Aoshi and Jishin, that you are." He sat his son firmly in his lap, as the little boy had been climbing up over his shoulder in an attempt to escape.

"Yes." She admitted softly, "I'm worried that he won't come home safe. That he'll kill Jishin and get into trouble for it. I know my Aoshi is a strong man and he can take care of himself. But I need him and Aoi needs him to take care of her." Her eyes welled with tears and she quickly brushed them away, "He would think I'm being foolish, worrying over him so much."

"No, I don't think so." Kenshin smiled gently, "I think Aoshi would understand. He worries over you, after all. I think he would realize that you worry because you love him. Aoshi is a smart man, Misao. He knows you worry about him every time he is out of your sight; that he does."

"Himura…" She looked over at him, her blue eyes wet with tears, "How is it that you understand? You always know what to say…" She held the baby to her chest, bowed over her, her long, dark hair falling around the both of them.

His smile softened, "I make Kaoru worry the same way. Aoshi would do anything for you, he loves you so much. I'm sure that where ever he is, what ever he's doing, he's thinking of you. I have never seen a man so in love with a woman as he is with you. That's why you worry. You cherish him just as deeply."

"I…I…I just want us to be happy!" She burst into tears, her shoulders shaking. "I want us to be able to go back home -with Aoi- and be happy as a family. I miss the Aoiya and Gramps and everybody. I hate Jishin and I'm sorry I was ever friends with him." Her tears fell hot and fast, running down her cheeks and into Aoi's hair.

Kenshin let her cry. He knew from experiences with Kaoru that women felt better if they let all their tears out. He pitied her, however, frightened and away from the home she loved so dearly; the people she looked up to. Aoi should have been born on time, in Kyoto, and both her parents should have been content. I hope for all of their sakes that Aoshi ends this today…

Jishin's hands tightened around the sword as he pushed the blade farther into his stomach. Blood trickled between his fingers from where the cold steel met the warm flesh of his palms. He cackled madly; his eyes wide, pupils constricting. "So this is death." A queer smile crossed his pretty face.

Aoshi gaped at the deranged young man for moment. What the hell is he doing? Don't tell me he wanted to die? He just…With a startled grunt, he yanked the kodachi back. It was too late. His reaction had been too slow. Blood was already gushing from Jishin's midsection. "You fool!"

He threw down the bloody sword and caught the man as he pitch forward. "You're a damned idiot, Kanemochi. It didn't have to end like this. I would have gone easy on you. I would not have entirely destroyed what little of a life you have left."

"I'll…" Groaning, the wounded man jerked back from Aoshi's grasp. Blood spurted from his mouth and ran down his chin. "I'll see you…in hell, Shinomori…" This is it…The final act of revenge. He's covered in my blood. His sword is smeared with blood. She'll hate him for killing me. She's so stubborn….She won't believe he didn't do it…Wonderful…revenge…Everything was going black. He closed his eyes, welcoming the coming death.

"C'mon, Kenji! You can do it!"

It was early evening. Yahiko and Kaoru had joined Misao and Kenshin in the yard, and presently the two males were trying to get Kenji to walk on his own. The little boy was standing unsteadily in the grass, looking between his father and his friend, his eyes wide.

Kenshin held out his hands to the toddler. "Come to Papa, Kenji. Show Mama that you can do it."

Kenji looked squarely at the man, a frown on his face. He took one shaky, hesitant step, then another in the direction of his father. His frown deepened, as if he were concentrating hard on what he was doing. Then he continued to stumble forward, running in that lilting gait of small children, until he fell triumphantly into Kenshin's waiting arms.

"I knew you could do it. We're very proud of you, that we are."

Kaoru rose from her seat, running over to her two boys. "Kenji!" She took the grinning boy from his father and hugged him to her, "Good job!" She kissed his cheek, "I'm so proud."

A wistful smile crossed Misao's face. The Himuras are so happy…She was seated in the grass, Aoi sleeping once more in her lap. The baby made a little mewling noise and she looked down. That's how I want to be. I know Aoshi will never be as outgoing as Himura…But we can be happy. We can-

"Oh!"

Kaoru's startled gasp brought the young woman back to reality. She looked up from Aoi, her cerulean eyes widening when her gaze came to rest on Aoshi.

He stood at the front gate, illuminated by the setting sun. He was soaked in blood; it was spattered across his shirt, his pants, his face and hands. The expression on his face was a dazed one, as if he wasn't quite sure how he had gotten back to the dojo or what happened while he was gone.

For a dreadful moment, every one simply stared at him. The must think I'm wounded…They must think we fought. Misao…What will she think of me?

Misao rose like a ghost to her feet. She walked as if in a trance, staring at him, her blue eyes locked in his. Stopping only to hand the slumbering Aoi to Kenshin, she made her way across the yard. Only after depositing the baby did she gain any momentum.

She ran to him, throwing her arms around him. "Aoshi!" She began to cry. I don't care if he's soaked in blood. He came back on his own. That means even if he's injured he's not going to die… "Oh Aoshi! I was so worried about you!" She hugged him tightly, "I was so scared…"

He hugged her back, his strong arms around her in a tight embrace. "Itachi…" He whispered, his face buried in her unbound hair, "I'm sorry. I killed him…"

***

How's THAT for a place to stop??

My fight isn't that terrible. Hell, it's not even a fight. I'm kind of eager to finish this so I can concentrate on Serendipity. I'm really digging that fic and glad it has so many reviews. I would like to broaden the reader base, but I can't get greedy now, can I?

I hope you enjoy the last few chapters of this. I may be taking requests for a sequel if any one gives a suggestion that catches my fancy. So get out your thinking caps!!!