Kiriko Tells Her Story

Afterwards, Kenshin, Kaoru, and Kiriko offered to clean up since the boys made a delicious breakfast. Even though everything was in the past, everyone wanted to hear about her travels. What she did? Who she met? Everything. The main reason they wanted to hear her story was to find out about the guy Shio Makoto and her supposed infatuation.

Kiriko chose her words very carefully. She told them about the little boy named Eko and his mother. She said that they must go back and visit, together. Everyone agreed. Then she spoke about her unpleasant meeting with Jenji and his grandmother. For some reason her brothers found this very amusing. Kaoru screamed for them to shut up and let her finish the story. Kiriko continued. While she talked about Jenji, she noticed her father's eyes seem to flash with recognition as if he had met the man himself. Next she talked about her time in the Odawara Tavern. Kaoru didn't like the fact that she worked in one of those sleazy places but she was happy that the kimono that she made for Kiriko was a hit even though she hasn't seen her daughter in it yet.

Kenshin interrupted. "You know….. I was there one day for lunch. Did you see me?"

Kiriko swallowed hard. She turned her gaze away from his piercing eyes. "Yes……..I did…….and that's when I left. I didn't want you to find me just yet." She spoke honestly.

Everyone stayed quiet for a moment.

"Well don't stop there…continue." Kano pushed her arm.

Kiriko took a deep breath and continued. She told them about when she met the twins purposely skipping the part about the pond incident. She knew they would all have a fit if she told them about her skinny-dipping and Shio peeping at her. She went into telling them about her meeting Seiku and his son. How she helped them and Seiku gave Laplatina. She explained the purpose of the sword and what it was made of. When she spoke about the sword she purposely avoided her father's eyes. She knew he didn't like that fact that she knew swordsmanship and had an actual sword too even though it couldn't cut. Next she talked about her time with Hiko. Again skipping the incident with Jenji and sleeping at Shio's place. Everyone laughed when she told them about Hiko's three large admirers. Kenshin laughed the most. He always wondered why his master always went to the market place that was miles away from his house. Finally, she told them about her duel with Hiko. Explaining to them that he made her see the error of her journey and making her come back to Tokyo.

"I have to remember to write him and thank him again." Kiriko spoke softly more to herself then the others.

"Don't worry about that, Miss Kiriko. We're going to visit Master Hiko together real soon." Kenshin smiled at her. Kiriko eyes lit up right away.

"So that's the end of your story? You didn't meet anyone else in your travels?" Kenji asked. It was obvious that she was omitting Shio from her story. He decided that he better put her on the spot.

Kiriko sighed and looked at her hands. "Yes, I met other people……" She swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "…..but they're not worth mentioning."

The utter sadness in her voice and eyes made Kaoru remember the first time Kenshin left to go to Kyoto. She had the same sadness in her. Kaoru was really starting to believe in what Hiko had told Kenshin. Was Kiriko really in love?

"Okay guys that's enough story telling for one day. I need you guys to go into the market place and pick up a few things." Kaoru got up and handed them a list of items. "Kiriko and I need to talk."

Kenshin and Kenji headed out side. Kano jumped up then ran into his room, got his new bokken, and ran out the house. After Kiriko took it, he wouldn't leave it anywhere.

Kiriko looked at her mother curiously. "Talk about what? I told you guys pretty much the whole story."

Kaoru looked Kiriko up and down. "Even though you look fabulous in my kimono, you don't have to wear it to please us. Why don't you go and change back into your other clothes."

She chuckled a little. "No it's okay mom. I hate to burst your bubble but I didn't put this on to please you guys. I wanted to wear it." She smiled thinking about what Shio had said to her.

(…"You know…you should wear kimonos more often. They look good on you."…)

"Oh really?" Kaoru raised her eyebrow to this change in her daughter. "Come on, Kiriko. Let's go for a walk."

"So…..what do you want to talk about?" Kiriko asked while she picked up a bright red shell off the ground. It's the same color of his eyes, she thought as she brushed the dirt of the beautiful shell.

Kaoru watched her do this. She noticed the far off look in Kiriko's eyes as she rubbed the shell in her hand.

"What does that remind you of?" Kaoru asked.

"His eyes…" Kiriko whispered unconsciously. Then she blinked and looked at her mother. "W-what did you ask me?"

Kaoru started to giggle. "Kiriko, why don't you tell me about Shio?"

"Huh!" She was flabbergasted.

She sat down in a patch of grass under a tree. "Come sit with me. Kiriko, let me tell you a little secret. Your father went to see Hiko just as you left that day. Hiko told him what you told Hiko. That included you meeting Shio Makoto. Now I can understand if you didn't want to talk about him in front of your brothers and father. That's why I wanted to talk to you privately. I thought you might be a little more comfortable with me. So please talk to me. I want to hear all about him."

Kiriko went back to playing with the shell in her hand. Kaoru stared at her patiently waiting for her to say something but she remained silent.

"Well can I at least tell me how you two met?" Kaoru asked.

Kiriko eyes widened and she stared to flush madly. "Um….he saved me from Jenji." She blurted out. Deciding not to ever tell anyone about how they really met.

"Oh, he did? What happened?" Kaoru didn't understand why that would make her blush.

"Unfortunately, I told him and his crazy grandmother that I was going to Kyoto. I had no idea he would come after me. After I left Seiku he caught me in a dark alley and trapped me there. I was completely caught off guard and that made me dropped my sword. When I ran to get it he threw a pipe at my ankle. See…." Kiriko lifted her kimono and showed her mother the bruise. It was still black and blue.

Kaoru gasped. "Kiriko why didn't you tell us you were hurt. We need to have Megumi look at that."

"It's okay, mom. It stopped hurting along time ago……When Jenji hit my ankle I was really helpless…..He was going to …" Kiriko voice started to crack.

"I get the picture. Go on." Kaoru urged.

She nodded. "Well, Shio came to my rescue. He beat him up then took me to his place, fixed my ankle, and fed me." Kiriko blushed and smiled at the thought.

Kaoru listened to her daughter intently. Kiriko talked about their time together. When they went to Kanagawa City and eat at the restaurant then danced in the festival. How he knocked out some jerk that was grouping on her and how he helped a little boy with some bullies.

"Did Shio carry a sword? And if he did, would he use it on these people?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes he had a sword……….. but…… now that I think about it. He never used his sword. As a matter of fact, the only time I ever saw him unsheathe his sword was when he was practicing with it."

Hmm interesting, Kaoru thought.

Kiriko continued, "I guess he didn't want to hurt anyone that seriously." Again she thought about how wrong he was about himself. Kiriko looked at the shell again. He is NOT a murderer, she thought

From what Kiriko was telling her, these weren't the actions of a man-slayer. Shio sounded sort of like Kenshin but Kaoru had to know one last thing.

"Kiriko, how did you feel when you were with him? Did you ever feel like you were in danger or that he might hurt you?"

"Never." Kiriko answered as if that was the most absurd thing in the world. "I always felt safe with him…" She looked at the shell again for the fourth time. "He was my…" She smiled, "…my protector."

That's all Kaoru needed to know. "Kiriko, he sounds like a great guy. Maybe one day you'll see him again."

It took a great amount of Kiriko will power to keep the tears from leaking out of her eyes. Unfortunately, one escaped.

Kaoru gazed at that single tear and realized that Shio must have told her something that meant she would never see him again.

Kiriko wiped it away and looked into her mother's eyes with a small smile. "Yes………that would be nice."

"Well, let's get back to the house. The guys should be home by now." Kaoru helped her to her feet and they walked back in silence.