Chapter 13
A/N:
Hello all! I'm back and here with another chapter! I was hoping to hit the 100 review mark before this update- but oh well ^_^ Thanks by the way for all the great reviews! - Looks like I'll have to write more Sano/Megumi stories when this one is done… Anyway- nothing much going on here… I thought it would be good for my brain to take a break on homework for a few hours and type this story- I've been researching a history paper all weekend so far- not fun… well it is fun in the sense I like my topic- Politics and Pre WWII Japan- { I know I'm weird- you don't need to tell me that ;) }but reading and taking notes can be a pain… but it's break time and I slept in late today so it's alright!
Ok- I'll cut myself off here and get to the story!
-
"Get that monster away from me!" Chou shouted as he groaned and held his injured area.
Saitou would have laughed if it weren't for the cigarette in his mouth. That and the fact the stoic man never showed much of emotions.
For some unknown reason he liked this kid's spirit. Most children would have begun to cry at the situation. He and his counterpart the broom head had that effect on children. That's why he was grateful that his wife Toki hadn't ever told him openly that she wanted children… he hated children… and yet this kid had something that impressed him. That or the fact she was giving that slacker over there a run for his money.
"Can't even handle a child?" Saitou puffed out in his usual stone cold voice. Putting out his cigarette he walked up closer to the little girl who was still standing on the chair.
"I don't have time for games child, where are your parents? And why were you running around by yourself? I'm not a babysitter!" He growled at the child thinking it would make her tell them what they needed to know. Usually he wouldn't want to get involved with such a task for an underling and not the chief of police, but things were quiet and had been for a while. Something he wasn't sure if he liked or not. The warrior spirit in him cried for action- but the counter revolutionaries had all but quieted out as the government began more and more programs to modernize Japan.
Nyoko was a little bit intimidated by the strange and mean looking man before her… but this man looked exactly like someone her father had told her about- both of them. 'He's going to be happy I kicked that mean broom head…' she smiled. 'Daddy never liked him…' But her smile went away when she thought of the trouble she was going to get into when she did see her father next… that's why she couldn't tell them anything. She had a chance to slip away from them and get back before her father even knew she was gone…
"I'm getting very annoyed little girl…" Saitou said getting closer to look her in the eyes. "Where are you staying so we can return you to your parents?"
"I'll get in trouble… and he said you were going to hurt my daddy!" She pointed to the still wincing Chou who was sitting curled up on the floor.
"You will be in even more trouble if you don't tell me… I'm loosing my patience…"
After a time when the two fought in an all out stare down, Saitou had enough and as gently as he could in his furious state, grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her off the chair.
"Let go! Let go! I'll tell my daddy! Where are we going??" Nyoko yelled at the top of her lungs.
"You're coming with me- I have work to do and I'm not letting a trouble maker like you interfere with police business here…" Saitou growled as he pulled her behind him and out of the office.
-
As evening approached Kaoru heard the front gates of the dojo opening.
"Kenshin? Is that you did you find her…" Kaoru practically ran out of the dojo hearing voices. But it wasn't Kenshin or little Nyoko, so she stopped her frantic words as fast as she could seeing it was Sano and Megumi. 'Oh no… Sano's going to be worried sick… how can I tell him we lost his daughter???' She asked herself putting on a fake smile.
"Kaoru what's wrong? You look frantic?" Megumi smiled as she looked away from the man she had her arm intertwined with.
"Yeah, you look like hell missy- where's the fire?" Sano chuckled loosening his grip on Megumi a bit. "And where's Kenshin? I was thinking we should go and get some good sake and have a feast tonight because I've got great news!" The rooster head was smiling brightly and so was Megumi. They had talked things over and come to an important decision… "Nyoko should come out too- she'll be so excited."
"Yes, we should tell her. It affects her too." Megumi added still smiling. Her heart was so full of joy at this moment that she felt like it was a dream, but the warmth of Sano's hands on her skin told her it was real…
"Kitten! Where are you?" Sano called into the dojo. Usually the kid knew exactly when he was coming home and would be waiting for him. She always did like to surprise him with a big hug when he returned… but something felt wrong… Today was turning out to be such a good day he hoped that nothing would spoil it…
"Kaoru what's wrong? You looked extremely worried. Is Ken-san home?" Megumi asked, her smiled fading looking at Kaoru's frozen expression.
"Wrong? Wrong? Nothing's wrong! Everything is great!" Kaoru tried to say in a non incriminating tone. 'Oh Kami-sama, where are you Kenshin? Please, please say you found her!!!' Kaoru prayed.
"Mommy." A small voice came from the little sleepy boy that had suddenly appeared at her legs. Kenji was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, with a frown on his little face. "My friend is gone mommy… where is she?" Kenji asked looking up at his mother who froze.
"What the matter Kenji-chan?" Megumi asked bending down to look face to face with the small boy. Kaoru looked frazzled, so she thought maybe helping Kenji would help de-stress his mother.
"My friend… Nyoko-chan isn't here… and I wanted to play ball."
"Nyoko isn't here?" Sano interrupted looking at the boy and then to Kaoru…
"She… she's out with Kenshin!" Kaoru thought quickly. Inside she was smiling at the great reply she had thought of quickly. But the sounds of the dojo gates opening again made her freeze. It was Kenshin, and he was alone…
"Kenshin you're back- that's great. I hope Nyoko wasn't too much of a hassle." Sano smiled.
Kenshin looked at Kaoru with a hopeless and confused expression. Kaoru returned it with a pathetic smile and a helpless shrug. The Rurouni took that as 'I haven't told them yet' look.
"Konbanwa Sano, Megumi-donno." Kenshin began in his polite manner. "Um… we have a problem you see, that we do…"
"Problem? What's got you two all worried about?" Megumi asked.
"Kenshin, where's Nyoko?" Sano asked seeing that his daughter wasn't following the Rurouni.
"Oro?" The Rurouni was able to get out like a squeal before a very worried Sano came up to him and easily picked him up. Sano held Kenshin off the ground buy his shoulders so that he could look at the short red head's eyes.
"Nyoko… where is she? What happened?" Sano sounded desperate. Kenshin felt worse and worse. Seeing the Rurouni's expression Sano put him down and apologized. "I'm sorry Kenshin… but please… do you know where she went? Any clue at all?"
"She snuck out after you left to visit Katsu, that she did… I'm sorry Sano, we should have watched her more closely…"
"No, it's not your fault…" Sano said putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. 'It was mine…' His mind told him, before he ran out of the dojo and out to look for his daughter. 'This is all my fault… Nyoko, I'm so sorry… I've been so caught up with myself, that I forgot who was more important… where are you kitten?'
-
"Why are you so grumpy all the time?" Her voice was becoming annoying. "What does this do? … How come you have so many papers here? … Why?" The question hadn't stopped… and kept coming at him like a barrage of bullets that increased the pounding in his head.
Saitou sat at his desk reading through various reports; his little guest was sitting on the opposite side of the desk asking God knows how many useless questions. Before he had said he liked her spirit, but now he was ready to adapt his principles of Aku Soku Zan to silencing the little annoyance that was bringing on a massive migraine.
"Why are you a police officer if you fought against the Meiji, Mr. Wolfie?" Her voice came again, but this time he stopped his reading and looked at her over the papers.
Since when did this child know about his life during the revolution, and his name during his Shinsen-Gumi years? He pondered just staring at the smiling young girl…
"What did you say?"
"I asked why you were a police officer." She asked again innocently. "My daddy doesn't really like you. He use to tell me all these stories about how mean you were. Why are you so mean?"
Saitou scowled at her. There were only so many people that knew about his past. Plus, like Chou had said there was something familiar about this child… Saitou wanted to growl at his inability to place her. But that look- it was the flash of those brown eyes that did it.
'The rooster head… she is related to that idiot… she has to be…no one else could give me a migraine this bad… but he left long ago, I had figured he'd died somewhere along side a road in a drunken stupor…'
"I think I've figured out to whom you belong…" Saitou smiled wickedly.
Nyoko was a little scared at the face the usually stone faced man made. 'I'm in trouble….' she thought. There was no way she could sneak out now. If they knew who she was, they would find her daddy and tell him all about what she'd done…
"And I can only guess where you are currently staying. So should we return you to the Kamiya Dojo?"
"The what? I don't know what you're talking about." Nyoko tried to lie.
"Didn't that baka of a father teach you to not lie to the police?"
"You take that back! My daddy is not a baka- you are!" Nyoko said as she jumped up to defend her father.
Saitou could only laugh- 'Yes she is definitely that idiot's kid… no wonder she caused so much trouble… I guess it runs in the family.'
"Enough- I'm returning you to the dojo, so I can finally get some work done." Saitou said as he stood and grabbed her little wrist.
"NO!" Nyoko struggled. She knew it was useless, but her father had taught her to never go quietly and without a fight.
-
Kenshin and Megumi returned to the dojo out of breath.
"Any sign of her?" Kaoru asked still worried. The sun was nearly behind the horizon and still there was no word of little Nyoko. They had gone all over Tokyo looking for the little girl. Sano had even asked Katsu and some other acquaintances for help in searching. But nothing had turned up.
"Has anyone seen Sano for a while?" Megumi asked. She knew he was beating himself up for Nyoko's disappearance. He truly did love his daughter with all his heart.
"No- not since he ran out looking for her…" Kaoru answered. "I hope she is ok…"
"I'm sure Nyoko-chan is just fine, that she is." Kenshin spoke up. "She seems to be a very capable child. And I have a feeling that she'll show up sooner or later."
"I hope you're right Kenshin, for Sano's sake at least."
-
"I said I don't wanna go back yet!" Nyoko struggled to get her tiny hand free of the man's tight grip.
"You've caused too much trouble to me and my squad already- you're going back to where you belong." Saitou said finally. He was just ignoring her that was the only thing to do. He was the authority figure here and he was damned if a child would get the better of him.
He was so caught up in his fast walk to the Kamiya dojo and getting rid of the nuisance of the little girl, that his usual fighters senses never noticed the fist that was coming towards him. Until it was too late, that is.
-
A/N: Do I smell a rematch coming??
Hai, soo desu yo! Of course I have to have Sano beat up Saitou a little… I figure it's only fair…
Anyway- shall we see how high the reviews can go?? ^_^; I'm up for it!
A/N:
Hello all! I'm back and here with another chapter! I was hoping to hit the 100 review mark before this update- but oh well ^_^ Thanks by the way for all the great reviews! - Looks like I'll have to write more Sano/Megumi stories when this one is done… Anyway- nothing much going on here… I thought it would be good for my brain to take a break on homework for a few hours and type this story- I've been researching a history paper all weekend so far- not fun… well it is fun in the sense I like my topic- Politics and Pre WWII Japan- { I know I'm weird- you don't need to tell me that ;) }but reading and taking notes can be a pain… but it's break time and I slept in late today so it's alright!
Ok- I'll cut myself off here and get to the story!
-
"Get that monster away from me!" Chou shouted as he groaned and held his injured area.
Saitou would have laughed if it weren't for the cigarette in his mouth. That and the fact the stoic man never showed much of emotions.
For some unknown reason he liked this kid's spirit. Most children would have begun to cry at the situation. He and his counterpart the broom head had that effect on children. That's why he was grateful that his wife Toki hadn't ever told him openly that she wanted children… he hated children… and yet this kid had something that impressed him. That or the fact she was giving that slacker over there a run for his money.
"Can't even handle a child?" Saitou puffed out in his usual stone cold voice. Putting out his cigarette he walked up closer to the little girl who was still standing on the chair.
"I don't have time for games child, where are your parents? And why were you running around by yourself? I'm not a babysitter!" He growled at the child thinking it would make her tell them what they needed to know. Usually he wouldn't want to get involved with such a task for an underling and not the chief of police, but things were quiet and had been for a while. Something he wasn't sure if he liked or not. The warrior spirit in him cried for action- but the counter revolutionaries had all but quieted out as the government began more and more programs to modernize Japan.
Nyoko was a little bit intimidated by the strange and mean looking man before her… but this man looked exactly like someone her father had told her about- both of them. 'He's going to be happy I kicked that mean broom head…' she smiled. 'Daddy never liked him…' But her smile went away when she thought of the trouble she was going to get into when she did see her father next… that's why she couldn't tell them anything. She had a chance to slip away from them and get back before her father even knew she was gone…
"I'm getting very annoyed little girl…" Saitou said getting closer to look her in the eyes. "Where are you staying so we can return you to your parents?"
"I'll get in trouble… and he said you were going to hurt my daddy!" She pointed to the still wincing Chou who was sitting curled up on the floor.
"You will be in even more trouble if you don't tell me… I'm loosing my patience…"
After a time when the two fought in an all out stare down, Saitou had enough and as gently as he could in his furious state, grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her off the chair.
"Let go! Let go! I'll tell my daddy! Where are we going??" Nyoko yelled at the top of her lungs.
"You're coming with me- I have work to do and I'm not letting a trouble maker like you interfere with police business here…" Saitou growled as he pulled her behind him and out of the office.
-
As evening approached Kaoru heard the front gates of the dojo opening.
"Kenshin? Is that you did you find her…" Kaoru practically ran out of the dojo hearing voices. But it wasn't Kenshin or little Nyoko, so she stopped her frantic words as fast as she could seeing it was Sano and Megumi. 'Oh no… Sano's going to be worried sick… how can I tell him we lost his daughter???' She asked herself putting on a fake smile.
"Kaoru what's wrong? You look frantic?" Megumi smiled as she looked away from the man she had her arm intertwined with.
"Yeah, you look like hell missy- where's the fire?" Sano chuckled loosening his grip on Megumi a bit. "And where's Kenshin? I was thinking we should go and get some good sake and have a feast tonight because I've got great news!" The rooster head was smiling brightly and so was Megumi. They had talked things over and come to an important decision… "Nyoko should come out too- she'll be so excited."
"Yes, we should tell her. It affects her too." Megumi added still smiling. Her heart was so full of joy at this moment that she felt like it was a dream, but the warmth of Sano's hands on her skin told her it was real…
"Kitten! Where are you?" Sano called into the dojo. Usually the kid knew exactly when he was coming home and would be waiting for him. She always did like to surprise him with a big hug when he returned… but something felt wrong… Today was turning out to be such a good day he hoped that nothing would spoil it…
"Kaoru what's wrong? You looked extremely worried. Is Ken-san home?" Megumi asked, her smiled fading looking at Kaoru's frozen expression.
"Wrong? Wrong? Nothing's wrong! Everything is great!" Kaoru tried to say in a non incriminating tone. 'Oh Kami-sama, where are you Kenshin? Please, please say you found her!!!' Kaoru prayed.
"Mommy." A small voice came from the little sleepy boy that had suddenly appeared at her legs. Kenji was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, with a frown on his little face. "My friend is gone mommy… where is she?" Kenji asked looking up at his mother who froze.
"What the matter Kenji-chan?" Megumi asked bending down to look face to face with the small boy. Kaoru looked frazzled, so she thought maybe helping Kenji would help de-stress his mother.
"My friend… Nyoko-chan isn't here… and I wanted to play ball."
"Nyoko isn't here?" Sano interrupted looking at the boy and then to Kaoru…
"She… she's out with Kenshin!" Kaoru thought quickly. Inside she was smiling at the great reply she had thought of quickly. But the sounds of the dojo gates opening again made her freeze. It was Kenshin, and he was alone…
"Kenshin you're back- that's great. I hope Nyoko wasn't too much of a hassle." Sano smiled.
Kenshin looked at Kaoru with a hopeless and confused expression. Kaoru returned it with a pathetic smile and a helpless shrug. The Rurouni took that as 'I haven't told them yet' look.
"Konbanwa Sano, Megumi-donno." Kenshin began in his polite manner. "Um… we have a problem you see, that we do…"
"Problem? What's got you two all worried about?" Megumi asked.
"Kenshin, where's Nyoko?" Sano asked seeing that his daughter wasn't following the Rurouni.
"Oro?" The Rurouni was able to get out like a squeal before a very worried Sano came up to him and easily picked him up. Sano held Kenshin off the ground buy his shoulders so that he could look at the short red head's eyes.
"Nyoko… where is she? What happened?" Sano sounded desperate. Kenshin felt worse and worse. Seeing the Rurouni's expression Sano put him down and apologized. "I'm sorry Kenshin… but please… do you know where she went? Any clue at all?"
"She snuck out after you left to visit Katsu, that she did… I'm sorry Sano, we should have watched her more closely…"
"No, it's not your fault…" Sano said putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. 'It was mine…' His mind told him, before he ran out of the dojo and out to look for his daughter. 'This is all my fault… Nyoko, I'm so sorry… I've been so caught up with myself, that I forgot who was more important… where are you kitten?'
-
"Why are you so grumpy all the time?" Her voice was becoming annoying. "What does this do? … How come you have so many papers here? … Why?" The question hadn't stopped… and kept coming at him like a barrage of bullets that increased the pounding in his head.
Saitou sat at his desk reading through various reports; his little guest was sitting on the opposite side of the desk asking God knows how many useless questions. Before he had said he liked her spirit, but now he was ready to adapt his principles of Aku Soku Zan to silencing the little annoyance that was bringing on a massive migraine.
"Why are you a police officer if you fought against the Meiji, Mr. Wolfie?" Her voice came again, but this time he stopped his reading and looked at her over the papers.
Since when did this child know about his life during the revolution, and his name during his Shinsen-Gumi years? He pondered just staring at the smiling young girl…
"What did you say?"
"I asked why you were a police officer." She asked again innocently. "My daddy doesn't really like you. He use to tell me all these stories about how mean you were. Why are you so mean?"
Saitou scowled at her. There were only so many people that knew about his past. Plus, like Chou had said there was something familiar about this child… Saitou wanted to growl at his inability to place her. But that look- it was the flash of those brown eyes that did it.
'The rooster head… she is related to that idiot… she has to be…no one else could give me a migraine this bad… but he left long ago, I had figured he'd died somewhere along side a road in a drunken stupor…'
"I think I've figured out to whom you belong…" Saitou smiled wickedly.
Nyoko was a little scared at the face the usually stone faced man made. 'I'm in trouble….' she thought. There was no way she could sneak out now. If they knew who she was, they would find her daddy and tell him all about what she'd done…
"And I can only guess where you are currently staying. So should we return you to the Kamiya Dojo?"
"The what? I don't know what you're talking about." Nyoko tried to lie.
"Didn't that baka of a father teach you to not lie to the police?"
"You take that back! My daddy is not a baka- you are!" Nyoko said as she jumped up to defend her father.
Saitou could only laugh- 'Yes she is definitely that idiot's kid… no wonder she caused so much trouble… I guess it runs in the family.'
"Enough- I'm returning you to the dojo, so I can finally get some work done." Saitou said as he stood and grabbed her little wrist.
"NO!" Nyoko struggled. She knew it was useless, but her father had taught her to never go quietly and without a fight.
-
Kenshin and Megumi returned to the dojo out of breath.
"Any sign of her?" Kaoru asked still worried. The sun was nearly behind the horizon and still there was no word of little Nyoko. They had gone all over Tokyo looking for the little girl. Sano had even asked Katsu and some other acquaintances for help in searching. But nothing had turned up.
"Has anyone seen Sano for a while?" Megumi asked. She knew he was beating himself up for Nyoko's disappearance. He truly did love his daughter with all his heart.
"No- not since he ran out looking for her…" Kaoru answered. "I hope she is ok…"
"I'm sure Nyoko-chan is just fine, that she is." Kenshin spoke up. "She seems to be a very capable child. And I have a feeling that she'll show up sooner or later."
"I hope you're right Kenshin, for Sano's sake at least."
-
"I said I don't wanna go back yet!" Nyoko struggled to get her tiny hand free of the man's tight grip.
"You've caused too much trouble to me and my squad already- you're going back to where you belong." Saitou said finally. He was just ignoring her that was the only thing to do. He was the authority figure here and he was damned if a child would get the better of him.
He was so caught up in his fast walk to the Kamiya dojo and getting rid of the nuisance of the little girl, that his usual fighters senses never noticed the fist that was coming towards him. Until it was too late, that is.
-
A/N: Do I smell a rematch coming??
Hai, soo desu yo! Of course I have to have Sano beat up Saitou a little… I figure it's only fair…
Anyway- shall we see how high the reviews can go?? ^_^; I'm up for it!