The sight of the woman in flight seemed to propel Aoshi from his spot.

"Where you going?" Sano instantly woke up from his confused daze and stepped in front of the man.

"To find her."  He gave him a look which spoke of his lack of patience with him.   That look was not lost on Sano, or Kaoru and Kenshin, for that matter. 

"I'm going," Sano shrugged it off anyways.

"Given her reaction, I don't think she wants to see you now. And there are things to discuss."

Sano gave the man a surly look.  Even though he recognized why Aoshi was here, it did not mean he had to like it.

The matter of Megumi's welfare between them, Sano and Aoshi stood apart, evaluating one another.   Sano looked at the other man with something like irritation rather than outright hostility.   Something Megumi had told him had obviously changed the way he viewed the other man.  But as for Aoshi, he looked calm, but the anger leaking out from his aura could be felt by Kenshin.  

"I am going." Kaoru brushed past them, bokken in hand.    The look both gave her was not particularly reassuring.  Annoyed, she turned on her heel and glared at them. "If any of you haven't noticed, you're part of the problem. I think I'd be better able to talk to her."

After staring at each other for a moment, the two men agreed and retreated in cold silence – Sano to the rooftop, and Aoshi to the dojo.    Kaoru sighed and gave Kenshin a look.   He would have to keep an eye on the men for now until she returned.   Kenshin took up his middle position on the porch and waited.

Kaoru did not have to go far.   Somehow she had known that her friend and former rival would pick out this particular spot by the water.  With its trees, it offered a bit of protection from the eyes of passersby.

In the past, Kaoru would never have dared approach the woman first.  It had always, in fact, been the opposite way around; Megumi was always the one pulling her aside and scolding her or pushing her in the direction she needed to go.  

But Megumi never seemed to be confused or uncertain of anything.  Today, for the first time, Kaoru witnessed something that she never dreamed of seeing – Megumi experiencing a moment of confusion.

"This is one of my favorite places,"  Kaoru said as she drew along side her shivering friend.

Megumi turned her gaze away from the creek, her eyes clouded with emotion.  "So they sent you to find me, did they?"

"Actually, I had to come." Kaoru smiled, "Otherwise you'd have both Sano and Aoshi chasing you around town and driving you crazy."

"And so you left them both in the same place, tanuki-chan?" Megumi scoffed, but weakly.    

"Kenshin will keep them in check," Kaoru shrugged.

"I envy your confidence in him.  They are both rather,  independent." Megumi turned back and looked at the water, unaware that Kaoru was highly amused by her comment.

"I'm sorry to bring so much trouble to you and Ken-san, Kaoru. I didn't want for this to happen."

"It's fine, Megumi-san."  Kaoru said lightly, "You worry too much."

"That's what Aoshi-san said too," Megumi rubbed her head.  "I have so much to explain now, don't I?"

"No -- Kenshin and I understand. I'm just relieved that nothing had happened to you. We care about you." 

Megumi impulsively reached over and hugged Kaoru.   "Thank you," she smiled genuinely.  "You know, I think you're the first person to ever say that directly to me."

Kaoru blushed, clearly remembering what she had seen shared between Megumi and Sano earlier that evening.   "What about Sano?"

"I don't know. Honestly.  I don't."  Megumi's expression changed slightly.  From Kaoru's questions, it was obvious to her that Kaoru believed that there was in fact something between her and Sano.

"Megumi –"  Kaoru paused,  "But that kiss."

"—I don't pretend to understand," Megumi closed her eyes.  "Five years ago, a kiss like that," she said, smiling wistfully, "might have changed a lot of things.  I have had barely a few hours with him since he came back.  I don't know what to think now.   I can't just pretend time hasn't moved forward."

"But," Kaoru pushed gently, "You do care, don't you?"

"Of course," Megumi smiled softly.  "I've invested too much into healing that idiot to not care.  I owe him a lot, as well."

"I understand."  In fact, Kaoru understood better than Megumi that despite his often dismissive and brash exterior that he cared about the doctor deeply.  But, Megumi was right.  Five years was a long time, too long for two people to simply pick up their lives where they had left off and pretend nothing had happened.

"I know you do," Megumi paused.  "You and Ken-san would." 

"If it's meant to be," Kaoru hesitated, "He will wait for you and the right time.  Don't let this keep you from what you must do.  You have been waiting for your family your whole life."

Megumi started, suddenly aware that Kaoru knew exactly what she was doing here in Tokyo. 

Kaoru brought her hands to her lips, suddenly realizing that she probably shouldn't have said as much. "Aoshi-san took care of explaining things to Kenshin and I."

"He did, did he?" she asked, with a faint smile on her lips.

"You're not  . . . upset?"

 "He's always doing things his way, but at least right now, I'm glad."  It at least saved her from more explanations.  She took Kaoru's arm and led her back to the road.   She thought to herself that Kaoru was right. There were more important things to think about.  

~~


The sound of the door sliding open caused the man inside the dojo to open his eyes from his meditative stance.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Megumi spoke softly.  In her hands she held a tray of food.  "Ken-san and Kaoru have gone to sleep.  But I thought this might help you stay awake."

Aoshi looked at her, his eyes registering his approval.   He knew now why she had delayed a bit further in finding him once she had returned with Kaoru.  She had evidently washed and changed into a more practical kimono and she had also brought tea, ready for work.

"At this point, an hour's delay doesn't bother me."  He took a cup of the offered tea and inhaled its fragrance.  "All my attempts to hurry everything along backfired.  I thought to move quickly because of your situation and the fates aren't as kind to humor me."

"I also saw Sanosuke off," she sat on her knees across from him, with her face hidden.  "I think he wanted to come along tomorrow, but I thought it best if he didn't." 

He nodded his agreement.

"And about what you witnessed," she continued.

"It's none of my business," he answered. 

"It is, though." She continued to look at the floor. "Everything that he has been doing up until now – he was jealous of all the time we were together. I didn't realize that until --" Her voice trailed off then and he could see the color creeping up her neck and staining her cheeks.  She of course, was referring to the kiss.

"Your personal affairs don't concern me at the moment," he answered coolly. 

"Of course not." She answered as politely as possible, as if they were complete strangers.

Her hands were clenching her skirt; she had evidently taken offense at his tone of voice.   He had meant simply to close the discussion on Sanosuke, not to shut the door on their fragile relationship.  The very truth was that he did care about her affairs.   If he hadn't why would he have continued along this frustrating search all this time, gone out of his way to find her these past few days and waited this past hour for her to return? 

"Don't do that," he reached over and raised her chin so her eyes were looking at him. "I don't want you to sit there like your pride has been wounded."

The gesture seemed to have worked.  Her eyes softened and she folded her hands together calmly.  

He nodded.  That was better.  "I need you to focus on this."

Her eyes snapped to attention as he took out two new letters and handed them to her.  One was addressed to her, and the other to him.  With a nod of assurance from him, she opened both and looked at them.

"Is there anything you notice that is different?" He studied her, waiting for her response.

She was silent for a moment, again looking at the letters.  "Well, in each of the other letters, Okina mentions the same things – and that is to travel with me to different regions around Japan."

"And in each following letter, he changes his mind and suggests another place."  He was pleased that she had noticed. 

"In this one," her eyes widened, understanding, "he has settled on a place."

He nodded, and then carefully laid out all the letters.   Her face took on an expression of admiration as the letters, laid out sequentially and according to the rough geographic area mentioned.    When all laid out, she almost laughed realizing that Okina had been systematically narrowing down the regions in which they were to look.

Aoshi pointed to the other letter where Okina had asked Aoshi to bring some blooms to the object of his affection from a particular city, "Your last letter points to the 'old Edo countryside.'"

"And yours," she looked at it where he was pointing to, "to pink blooms from the coast."

"There is a place," he paused, "a half-day's walk from here that used to serve as a retreat for the noble families. They were well known for their flowers."

She sighed.  She realized that the sort of place they were discussing was exactly the kind of place Kenichi would have loved. He was, of her two older brothers, the more gentle one and more talented with botany than either of his siblings.  "But," she frowned as she thought aloud for a moment. "It's odd to find him so close by.  I thought Gensei-sensei knew all the doctors in the surrounding areas."

Aoshi continued, "Okina mentioned blooms as a clue to his profession.  Your brother probably is not a doctor. More likely he's a botanist, a farmer, or a pharmacist perhaps. In a small enough place, he may be all three."

Her eyes closed, dwelling on that for a moment and imagining her brother in such a place.  When she did not open them immediately, Aoshi realized that she was in fact falling asleep.

He touched her shoulder, instantly rousing her.  When she looked at him questioningly he shook his head, "You should sleep a few hours."

She was too tired to argue or even discuss the matter.  She gathered the letters as if they were truly precious treasures.   Aoshi looked surprised by her the gesture, but said nothing.     He put aside the tea things, stopping her from picking them up herself.   "I'll take care of this and wake you in the morning."

He stood up as she did, and made sure to follow her to the door and down the hall.  

Before she entered the room, she turned again to face him, clutching the letters to her that represented the small hope that she would find answers.    "Thank you."   She said it, knowing it could not possibly express everything that she was feeling at the moment.    

Now that everything was laid out in the open and she had hope of seeing something in her life resolved – she felt like she was tasting the first fruits of freedom.

He shook his head, thinking she was referring solely to the letters. "Thank Okina –"

"Not just for that," she touched his arm now, and smiled up at him.  "For your patience. For putting up with me.  To think that tomorrow I might be able to see him once again. I owe that to the both of you."

He gave her a faint smile in return.

As she noted his smile, she unconsciously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.   

The movement fascinated him.  He opened his mouth to say something more to her, but her eyes were fluttering with fatigue.   He turned away suddenly.   "Good night."

"Good night."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Is a kiss worth hundreds of subtle moments?  I guess that's what I find interesting about the reviews.    

I do not know now how long I can prop the romantic triangle up, because knowing how Megumi feels will pretty much decide the triangle.   I hope I did a good job of planting cues here and earlier that Aoshi has feelings for Megumi as well. 

Anyways,  there is the matter of the original plot point to return to anyways --  and we are getting there.   

Next up.  Sano gets to see Megumi off and  the angst-meter begins to climb. Poor poor characters.  I signed them up for a lot of comedy in the beginning, but it's steadily shifting to something else entirely.