Between the Devil and the Deep
A Rurouni Kenshin Alternate Universe Fic
by Gemini
Rated PG-13 for language and Kenshin's smutty thoughts
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shonen Jump and a bunch of other people I can't recall and am too lazy to look up. But, the main point here is that I do not own it, nor am I making any money from this fic! (Ha!)
For Moonspark, Poet, Smut Princess and Beta Reader. You'll Always Be My Best Friend...You Know Too Much.
Chapter 6: Rescue Mission
The fierce storm which had come out of nowhere had left its mark on the Kami Kaze. Water was ankle deep in the bilge bay, forcing the crew to spend hours bailing it out in order to find where the hull had been breached, so that it could be repaired with tar, rope and bits of wood and canvas. Sails had been ripped from the force of the winds and had to be hastily repaired. One of the masts had been damaged, requiring a bit of fancywork with some rope and a couple of planks of wood to shore it up until it could be properly repaired. The crew, luckily, had escaped the storm in better shape than their ship. Megumi had only a handful of cuts, scrapes and bruises to deal with.
On the second day after the gale, most of the repairs were done and the crew could rest, grateful for the extra rations of food and beer that Kaoru had given them as a reward for their hard work.
Sano was fully enjoying the first real rest he had had in days, sipping his beer to make it last longer while he lounged on the deck; watching the sun as it slid into the water, its final riot of bright, clear color fading as night rolled in. He could have stayed there for hours, but his captain had other ideas.
How she managed to sneak up on him carrying a full bucket of water and several other ill-omened things, he had no idea. He was startled out of his peaceful reverie by the loud thud of the bucket hitting the deck, followed closely by several more thumps as she unceremoniously dropped the rest of her burdens at his feet.
"Evening, Sano." She said with a smile.
He frowned up at her for a few long moments before looking down to inspect the items at his feet. "Brushes, holy stones and rags?" He kicked at them. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were aiming to clean." He said derisively.
Her smile widened slightly. "Nothing ever eludes your massive intellect, Sano."
He picked up one of the holy stones and tossed it idly from hand to hand. "My intellect isn't the only thing about me that's massive." He said with a smirk.
She didn't miss a beat; the game being played was an old one. "That's right! I forgot about your ego!" She exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing the holy stone before he could catch it.
He frowned again.
She ignored his expression as she continued. "Gather up some men and get to cleaning up this ship. We have to look like a merchant ship by the time we find the Miburo." She handed him back the stone. "I want to be able to see my reflection in this deck."
"But Kaoru, the men are tired, they need a break…" Sano began, but Kaoru cut him off.
"Last I checked, this wasn't a luxury cruise ship, Sano." She said, her good nature vanishing. "We have to be able to convince Saitou that we are a merchant vessel and absolutely no threat. Our very lives depend on it. Now, get to work." She turned on her heel and marched back down to her cabin.
Grumbling to himself, Sano chugged the rest of beer before going off in search of some men to help him with his onerous task.
Kenshin flung his arm over his eyes and exhaled softly in frustration. He had been trying to fall asleep for hours now, but all attempts to pull his rather vivid imagination away from the encounter with Kaoru a few days earlier had failed miserably. All he could think about was how good she smelled and how sweet she tasted. Those thoughts had plagued him practically since the moment she had laid in his bed, her black silky hair fanned out on the pillow, her shirt half unbuttoned to reveal lightly tanned, smooth skin and the swell of her breasts…
"Shit." He muttered to the empty room, which listened in sympathetic silence.
He was deeply troubled by the way his mind was currently working. If only it had been nothing more than a physical attraction. He could have dealt with that. She was a very attractive woman, after all, and he wasn't blind or dead. But he could have successfully gotten his libido under control and gone on with his life without a problem, if that had been the only thing occupying him. But it wasn't. Thoughts of the way she felt under his body mingled with deeper ruminations on how shrewd and intelligent she was, how she was probably the strongest person he had ever met, how sad she had looked when she talked about her father. Fear, possessiveness, aching need and desire all thrummed through his veins, keeping him awake, haunting him.
It had been a very long time since he had felt the kind of emotions that threatened to strangle him. About nine years, give or take, he reckoned. Not since Tomoe.
He had been avoiding Kaoru for three days, and she seemed to be doing the same, no doubt out of embarrassment and anger rather than anything similar to his reasons. It was not that he believed her to be incapable of love, but he hardly thought she'd waste her time on him.
He was dwelling on the whole mess when he felt the ship begin to slow down. He heard voices yelling back and forth on the deck and then the thud of heavy footfalls down the steps and past his door. Two people were talking, their voices rapid and excited. Curious, he rose from his berth and crept to the door, cracking it open a bit to see what was going on.
The two men were standing in front the door to Kaoru's quarters. One of them, the man he recognized as Hannya, rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles. He had to knock twice more before they all heard cursing and footsteps coming from inside.
Kaoru flung open her door, her hair a wild tangle, her eyes puffy with sleep and narrowed dangerously, her robe askew. "What?" She asked, irritably.
Hannya leaned forward and began talking in a low, rushed voice, his hands waving, a visual accompaniment to his explanation.
Kaoru's eyes widened. She was fully awake now. Hastily, she dismissed her men and rushed back into her room. Kenshin could hear the sounds of her rushing around her quarters, muttering to herself, no doubt getting dressed.
He could only think of one explanation to the unusual behavior. They must have sighted the Miburo. He felt his stomach drop and slammed his door shut, finding his clothes and dressing as quickly as possible.
As soon as he was done, he went up on deck, immediately spotting Kaoru, who was now fully dressed, looking both exhausted and worried. Aoshi and Sano were huddled with her and the three were giving directions to a sleepy skeleton crew of unfortunates working the dogwatch.
Kenshin took a moment to glance around the ship and was surprised at what he saw. Gone from the mast was the Kami Kaze's tattered flag, it had been replaced by official Naval and merchant flags that snapped gaily in the early morning wind. Not only that, but upon closer inspection, the ship's crew that was milling around the deck seemed to be dressed in some sort of uniform. The decks, while never really dirty, shone now with a newly polished shine and the brightwork gleamed. The Kami Kaze had been transformed from a pirate ship to a respectable merchant vessel.
He frowned slightly, Kaoru's plan suddenly becoming a bit clearer.
Kaoru spotted him, her expression becoming grave. She said something to Sano and Aoshi, who glanced over at him. He fought the urge to fidget where he stood, under their scrutiny. The three spoke for a few more moments before Kaoru broke apart from them, and began heading in Kenshin's direction.
"You probably shouldn't be up here, Captain." She said in a quiet, worried voice when she reached him, all awkwardness between them forgotten in the light of recent events. "It would be better if you didn't see anything."
"Too late." He said with a small smile. "And I think I have an idea what you are going to try."
She scowled. "And? Should I put you in the brig, Captain Himura?"
He shook his head. "I gave you my word that I would not betray you." He said. "And I meant it."
She nodded, but her gaze was caught by something over his right shoulder. He turned and saw the running lights of the Miburo in the distance.
"I didn't expect to come across it so soon, I was hoping for an extra day. " She muttered, clearly worried. "The crew had to scramble a bit and I'm afraid the ship's not quite ready." She bit her lower lip, a nervous gesture that he was beginning to find quite appealing. "I just don't understand how we caught up with them so soon. Aoshi was saying four or five days."
His keen eyes immediately detected some problems with the Miburo. "She must have been damaged during the storm." Kenshin replied and eyed the other ship critically. "There's a bit of a list on the port side."
She pursed her lips thoughtfully and studied the vessel. "And the sails are down. Apparently we got off rather lightly. The Miburo must have been hit with the full force of the storm."
Aoshi approached them, shrugging on an ornate black coat as he did. Kenshin recognized the garment with a start. It was the official captain's uniform coat of one of the mainland's shipping companies. A company with rather close ties to the Navy.
Kaoru fussed with Aoshi's jacket, brushing off the stiff, black cloth and straightening it. "It's a bit moth-eaten, but if they don't look too close, you should be fine." She murmured to her navigator. "Remember the plan. Once you get aboard the Miburo, I can't help you."
Aoshi nodded and Kenshin noticed how Kaoru's fingers fumbled with the elaborate gold buttons. She was clearly nervous. Aoshi didn't seem to be all that concerned. His face betrayed no emotion; however, closer inspection revealed that his blue eyes snapped with nervous energy.
She was working intently on untangling some of the gold braid that hung off the shoulders of the coat when he grabbed her hands. "Kaoru, I'll be fine." Aoshi said in a quiet, firm voice. "Just wait here and don't do anything stupid." He dropped her hands and nodded to a small knot of sailors who were gathered nearby. "Ready the longboat." He said to them.
Kaoru stepped back and bit her lower lip again, not bothering to admonish her navigator for his disrespect. She balled her fists and stuffed them into her pockets to keep them from wringing with worry.
The distance between the ships was still several leagues, but they had been noticed by the night watchman. Kenshin could barely make out some activity on the deck. No doubt Saitou had been raised.
"Ahoy there!" A voice drifted across the water towards them. "Identify yourself!"
One of Aoshi's men, Hannya, leaned out over the railings, cupped his hands to amplify his voice and roared out a reply. "We are the merchant vessel Mercury! Are you the Miburo?"
A few quiet, tense moments went by before the voice replied. "Aye!"
Hannya took a deep breath and yelled out, "We have an urgent message for one of your passengers, a Misao Makimachi! Is she aboard?"
"Aye, she is!" The reply came back clearer now that the ships were closer.
"May we request permission to come aboard and deliver the message?" Hannya's asked.
Once again, they had to wait a long moment before a reply was made.
"Permission granted!" A different, deeper voice replied.
Kaoru nodded to Aoshi. He and several of the crew boarded the longboat and two other men began winching it down to the water. As the boat moved out of sight, Kaoru whispered a small prayer.
Kenshin couldn't stop himself from placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It'll be all right, Captain Kamiya." He said quietly, wishing he could do more for her.
"I hope so." She replied in a tired sounding voice. "I don't know how I'll ever live with myself if I just sent some of my best men to the grave."
Misao was roused by a loud pounding on her door. Disoriented, she looked around the dark room with alarm, wondering if there was another storm.
Her maid, dressed in a heavy flannel nightgown complete with matching robe scurried to the door. She opened it and jumped back with a little shriek of alarm. Misao hastily rose from her bed, her hand groping the nightstand for some sort of weapon to use against the intruder.
Captain Saitou loomed in the doorway, a sight to scare even the most hardened person. He was not, apparently, someone who liked being woken up in the middle of the night. "You have a message." He growled through clenched teeth.
Misao blinked. "Huh?" She asked stupidly.
His face, already looking displeased, became positively thunderous. "Your goddamned family sent some goddamned ship after us to deliver a message. And I swear, Miss Makimachi, if this missive isn't of a most urgent nature, then I will personally sail back and beat your father within an inch of his life. Now get dressed and get your ass topside." With a final scowl, he was gone, leaving both Misao and her maid trembling in his wake.
Misao fumbled through the motions of getting dressed, her maid the only thing keeping her from showing up on deck wearing bloomers and her pajama top. She was elated. This had to be Kaoru come to save her. She fairly skipped up to the deck, ready for anything. Anything except what she saw.
Aoshi stood on the deck, surrounded by several men that Misao vaguely recognized. But she didn't care about them. What she cared about was how absolutely gorgeous Aoshi looked in his dashing black coat, his slightly overlong inky hair spilling into his icy blue eyes. He was her savior, her knight in shining armor. If he hadn't been giving her a look that said to shut up and go along with whatever he said, she would have swooned on the spot.
"Miss Makimachi?" He asked, stepping forward with a small piece of rolled up parchment in his hand.
She nodded, fighting the near hysterical urge to burst out giggling.
"We were dispatched with a message from your mother." Aoshi said calmly handing her the parchment. "It is of the utmost importance."
With slightly trembling hands, Misao took the paper from him, a jolt of electricity coursing through her veins as their fingers brushed. His expression didn't change and she wondered if he had felt it, too.
She broke the red wax seal and unrolled the letter. On rather official looking paper was a message supposedly from her mother.
"Well?" Saitou growled irritably, taking a final drag from his obiquitous cigarette before lighting a new one.
Misao gulped. In a voice only slightly quivering with nerves, she replied. "My father has had a stroke and I am to go back immediately."
Saitou let loose with a string of obscenities, many of them new to her.
Aoshi stepped forward. "Sir, we have been authorized to return Miss Makimachi home, if you do not want to take the trouble. And," he added with a meaningful nod towards the tattered sails, "as speed is of the utmost importance here, perhaps it would be better if we did so."
Saitou frowned and flicked his cigarette over the railing. "I suppose that makes sense. But how is it exactly that you are so willing to do the Makimachi family such a favor?" He asked suspiciously.
Misao gulped, but Aoshi looked unperturbed. "The Makimachi family have been very good patrons over the years." He replied evenly.
Saitou grunted and stared out at the Kami Kaze. "I've never heard of the Mercury. Where do you make berth?"
"We mainly sail from the western islands." Aoshi replied, naming a small port town.
Saitou frowned. "I don't have much to do with that part of the country." He muttered.
He eyed Aoshi and his crew for a long moment before shrugging. "Fine. Take her back home. I will continue on our way and let her fiancé know about the delay." He turned and gestured to one of his men. "Go downstairs with the maid here and pack up enough of Miss Makimachi's things to see her home. We'll take the rest to her final destination." The man nodded and skittered off the deck to the lower regions of the ship, Misao's maid in tow.
The Kami Kaze drifted nearby, close enough now for the crews to look across at one another. Kaoru and Kenshin were nowhere in sight. Saitou continued to scowl as his crewman brought up some of Misao's things.
His scowl deepened as he observed Commodore Shishio making his leisurely way across the deck. He detested the man, however, his current subordinate position kept him from voicing his distaste.
Shishio ambled over to Saitou and rocked back on his heels, a small frown on his face. "What on earth is going on?" He asked the Captain.
Saitou explained the situation in short, clipped phrases. Shishio frowned deeper and walked to the railing to look closer at the ship. "It's a bit odd, don't you think?" He asked.
Saitou shrugged. "I have learned never to wonder about the ways of the wealthy." He replied testily.
Shishio ignored him and continued to inspect the other ship. "Where did the captain say they made berth?"
Saitou told him and Shishio's brow furrowed further. "I am somewhat familiar with that area and I must say that I have never heard of a ship called the Mercury."
Misao glanced over her shoulder at the two men deep in conversation and felt her gut clench. "We'd better get the hell out of here." She hissed to Aoshi. He nodded.
He gestured sharply to Hannya, who began loading Misao's things onto the longboat.
While that was being accomplished, he took a moment to bid the Captain and the Commodore farewell. Bowing in deference to their ranks, he spoke in low, respectful tones. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Captain. However, I will make certain that the Makimachi family knows how helpful you were."
Saitou didn't reply. Aoshi straightened and turned to leave, walking briskly over to where the rope ladder swayed, reaching out a hand to help Misao begin her descent.
Behind him, Shishio studied the figurehead that adorned the prow of the ship. He sucked in a breath. "I know that woman." He hissed to Saitou. Alarmed, Saitou turned and followed the Commodore's line of sight. The figurehead was of a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair, seeming to ride the crest of a wave. "I know this ship, Captain and it isn't called the Mercury." He turned and gestured violently in the direction of the departing men. "Those are pirates! Stop them, you idiots!" He yelled.
Aoshi turned around, his hand on his sword and found himself facing a row of gun muzzles. He blanched and dropped his hand. Behind him, Misao made a strangled noise and clutched onto his jacket sleeve. They were caught.
Kaoru snapped her telescope shut and cursed. Beside her, crowded into her side by the small space they shared in the crow's nest, Kenshin looked at her drawn and worried face and felt a small shiver of fear.
"They've been caught, haven't they?" He asked quietly.
Kaoru nodded and swung out of the basket, clambering down the ratlines to the deck, limber as a monkey. Kenshin followed, but not as gracefully.
Kaoru wasted no time explaining things to Sano when she hit the deck. "Get the guns ready and find the grapples. We may have to board." She said shortly before disappearing below decks.
Sano echoed Kaoru's earlier curses and went to rouse the rest of the crew and begin battle preparations.
Kenshin waited until Sano had gone below before going in search of Yahiko. Tensions were still rather high between the two of them and Kenshin went out of his way to avoid him.
He found the Yahiko where he should have been at that hour, sleeping soundly in his small berth. Gently, Kenshin shook him awake. The boy woke with a start and looked around the room, confused. It took him a few moments before he was awake enough to focus on his guardian.
"Kenshin?" He whispered, "Is something wrong?"
Kenshin saw no benefits to lying to the boy. Gravely, he nodded. "We might be in danger." He said quietly.
Yahiko's face blanched. "Like last time?" He asked nervously, remembering the terror he had felt when their previous ship had sunk.
Kenshin shook his head. "No, this time we're facing another ship, not the sea." He urged Yahiko to get up and get dressed. As the boy pulled on his shoes, his guardian cleared his throat. "I am going to take you to Hiko." He said quietly. "I think it's safer with him."
Yahiko looked a little more concerned. "But, last time I saw him…he was in the galley, passed out on the potatoes."
Kenshin allowed himself a small, wry smile. "I'm sure he'll sober up fast." He replied.
Kenshin didn't need to worry about sobering up his former captain. Hiko was already awake when Kenshin brought Yahiko to him. If he had been drunk enough to have passed out hours earlier, he didn't look it now. He was standing in the galley with Megumi, boiling water at the doctor's orders. She was busy getting ready to tend to the sailors who would be injured in the coming fight. Numerous piles of bandages and other medical paraphernalia completely covered every available surface. The room was quiet and subdued. Even Umidori was silent, perched on a shelf, watching events unfold with beady black eyes.
Everyone, including the bird, looked up as Kenshin and Yahiko came in. Megumi offered a weary smile to the both of them. Hiko scowled and turned his attention back to the pot of water. Umidori ruffled her feathers but spared them her usual curse-laden diatribe.
"I was hoping he could stay here, where it's safer." Kenshin said carefully, a comforting hand on Yahiko's shoulder. Generally, the safest place to be was below decks, and Kenshin was hoping that Megumi and Hiko would keep an eye on the little boy, preventing him from running off somewhere and getting hurt.
Megumi nodded and came forward to take Yahiko's hand. "How good are you at rolling bandages?" She asked him kindly.
Yahiko hesitated. Finally, he spoke up, but his voice was a quivering whisper. "I've never done it...but I'm a fast learner."
Megumi smiled broader. "Wonderful. You will be a big help, I can tell." She said, leading him towards a large, rough cutting block piled high with strips of white, bleached cloth. Over the little boy's tousled head, Kenshin mouthed a thank you to the doctor. She nodded and waved him out of the galley. He left and went in search of Kaoru.
Kaoru didn't allow herself to think about anything except strategy. She banished all emotions and focused on cold, hard facts. Of course, if she truly had been able to completely circumvent her emotions, then she would have turned the ship around and fled as fast as the wind would blow the Kami Kaze. But leaving Aoshi, Misao and the other men aboard the Miburo was simply not an option. She would save them or die trying. But right now she didn't want to dwell on the last part, just on the saving.
She was in the ship's armory, hastily counting supplies and calculating in her head their chances of surviving an encounter with an Imperial Man-of-War, which the Miburo was. Statistically, their odds were looking pretty bad, but the Kami Kaze and her crew had survived dicey odds before, and she was unwilling to relinquish the hope that they would make it out alive.
With outward calm, she counted the number of cannonballs, case and chain shots that were piled haphazardly next to several barrels of gunpowder, adding those numbers to what was already sitting by the six pounders on the upper decks. They had stocked up before they had embarked on this foolish venture and the ship was well supplied, however, in comparison to Saitou's ship, they were in poor shape.
As that thought occurred to her, she lost the ability to maintain even a thin veneer of calm. She sank down onto a nearby crate and buried her face in her hands. She was frightened; for her men, for her ship and for herself. She wished with all her heart that her father was here, he would know what to do, he was never afraid. She bit back a sob.
Sano came in at that moment, followed by several crew members. Kaoru jumped from her perch like a jack-in-the-box. She hastily wiped her face and composed herself. He raised an eyebrow at his captain but didn't ask her any questions. He was worried about her, but knew better than to voice his concerns aloud.
In a battle situation, the crew must have complete confidence in their captain, anything less could get everyone killed. Even an innocuous question could raise an ugly specter of doubt. It was better to let the crew think that Kaoru was completely in control and hope privately that she really was.
She smiled confidently, all vestiges of her earlier breakdown completely gone. "The grapples are over there." She said, pointing to a corner. "And make sure everyone gets a cutlass and a pistol." She turned and walked out the door without another word. Sano began barking directions at the men as soon as she had left.
Glossary of Pirate and Naval Terms:
Bilge - (1) The lowest part inside the ship, within the hull itself which is the first place to show signs of leakage. The bilge is often dank and musty, and considered the most filthy, dead space of a ship.
Holystone - A piece of soft sandstone used for scouring the wooden decks of a ship.
Portside - The left side of the ship when you are facing toward her prow.
Long boat - the largest boat carried by a ship which is used to move large loads such as anchors, chains, or ropes. pirates use the boats to transport the bulk of heavier treasures.
League - A unit of distance equal to three miles.
Ahoy - An interjection used to hail a ship or a person or to attract attention.
Aye (or ay) - Yes; an affirmation.
Crow's nest - A small platform, sometimes enclosed, near the top of a mast, where a lookout could have a better view when watching for sails or for land.
Grapple (also grappling hook, grappling iron, or grapnel) - An iron shaft with claws at one end, usually thrown by a rope and used for grasping and holding, especially one for drawing and holding an enemy ship alongside.
Case shot - A collection of small projectiles put in cases to fire from a cannon; a canister-shot.
Chain Shot - Two cannonballs chained together and aimed high in order to destroy masts and rigging.
Six pounders - Cannons.
Cutlass - A short, heavy sword with a curved blade used by pirates and sailors. The sword has only one cutting edge and may or may not have a useful point.
Brightwork- Brightwork originally referred to polished metal objects, and bright woodwork to wood which was kept scraped and scrubbed, especially topside. Bright it should be and work it is.
Running Light - Illuminated navigational markings on a ship that aid in identifying a ships heading in order to prevent collisions at sea. Red indicates Port (left), Green indicates Starboard (right).
Man of War- A warship having at least two gun decks, armed powerfully enough to take a position in the line of battle.