Part 12: Hope

Day 16: Friday, continued

            Aoshi turned away to enter the house.

            "Where the hell are you going?" Sanosuke demanded.

            "Inside," Aoshi answered. "You want answers, you'll get them away from listening ears." He pointedly glanced at Okina. Then he nodded his head at Misao. "I'll be back…switch those pieces to their original positions before then."

            Misao's jaw dropped. Then she scrambled to arrange the board as Aoshi, Sanosuke, and Megumi entered the single story house.

            Once inside, Aoshi went to the file cabinet by Misao's computer desk.

            "What the hell is going on, Aoshi?" Sanosuke crossed his arms. "You tell us that my mother's alive, but…"

             Aoshi responded, "The address I gave you was for the Cynthia Matthews Manor. It's a shelter for single women who have lost their children."

            Sanosuke's eyes widened. "What?"

            "Your mother fled to that place some twenty-five or six years ago…and when the owner passed away, she took over the establishment," Aoshi continued as he attempted to retrieve something from the file cabinet.

            Megumi settled in one of the chairs.

            "Twenty-five…six?" Sanosuke echoed. "I was just…" he turned to Megumi. "Joanna…mentioned that I was barely a year old when she met my dad…"

            Aoshi held out a file towards him. "Everything I've found out about your parents is in here."

            Sanosuke grasped the folder and opened it, skimming the information about his father.

            Abruptly, he looked up. "My…my dad remarried?" Sanosuke swallowed. "And my grandfather's still alive? And…And…this…" Sanosuke picked a photograph of two women in front of the manor he had visited earlier.

            "Your mother…and your aunt. That was taken several months ago when the newspaper in Kona printed a story on the manor," Aoshi answered.

            Sanosuke whirled around to face Megumi. "Fox-lady…that woman who answered the door…look!" He thrust the photograph into Megumi's hands.

            "Your…Your aunt?" Megumi studied the photograph.

            Aoshi continued, "Your grandfather knows about you. Your stepmother doesn't…at least to my knowledge. Your grandfather had no desire to disrupt the life that he has built with his current family…"

            "What?" Sanosuke whispered.

            "That's…That's heartless," Megumi responded softly, swallowing.

            "Even more so…your grandfather was partially responsible for your separation from your parents," Aoshi said slowly.

            "What?" It seemed to be the only thing in Sanosuke's vocabulary as of right now.

            "I…" Aoshi hesitated. "I was told…that…both of your grandfathers didn't approve of your parents' marriage. Your mother was young, just starting a life for herself…your father was a successful pilot, arriving at the high point of his career. So they took you away and deceived their children into thinking that the other was responsible for your disappearance. Your parents never spoke to each other again and went on with their lives, never knowing your whereabouts."

            "Wait…" Sanosuke croaked. "My…grandfathers…lied…to both my…parents…?"

            Aoshi pressed his lips into a grim line. "Your grandfathers were very clever."

            Sanosuke started to shake. It was too much. So much lies. So much deceit. So…much.

            Megumi immediately came forward as Sanosuke attempted to steady himself by grasping the back of one of the chairs. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

            "Sano…" She looked helplessly at her lover, unsure of what to do.

            "I…I need to get out of here…" Sanosuke immediately turned away, striding out the front door.

            Sighing, Megumi cupped her elbows, watching him exit. She could feel the turmoil inside of him.

            "You should watch him," Aoshi spoke up suddenly.

            Alarmed, Megumi's eyes darted towards his. "What?"

            Aoshi said quietly, making his way towards her, "Of his few friends here in Hawaii, you've been the only one who has seen him through all of this, correct?"

            A tender smile lit her eyes. "You're a wonderful man, you know that? Far from perfect…" Lowering her eyes, she peeked at him from beneath her lashes, "because I wouldn't want someone perfect…but wonderful nonetheless." 

            Megumi still enjoyed flirting with him…even after their relationship had been well-established. He grasped her hands in his, his thumbs lightly brushing the pulse points at her wrists.

            The contact was brief, for he let her go. It was a complete contradiction to his usual actions when they were alone together.

            "You seem as disappointed as he is," Aoshi observed.

            "He came all this way to find himself…and it doesn't look like that's going to happen."

            "We'll see."

            "A little to the left." Lynne watched as her mother adjusted the camera in the backyard of their home, overlooking the Big Island.

            "You'd think that I'd know the angle by now…" Lynne's mother kidded.

            A movement from the house caught her attention. Lynne waved, greeting, "Hi, Auntie."

            The older woman came forward to her niece and younger sister, a regretful smile on her face. "Hello..."

            "Miya…what's wrong? You're usually cheerful when all the women are playing poker…"

            Sighing, Miya held out a small business card. "A young man and his woman friend came today asking for you…"

            Her sister picked up the card. "Dr. Megumi Takani…Pearl Harbor Medical Center…?" She sighed, looking away.

            "The place brings back memories of someone doesn't it?" Miya prompted.

            "Mom?" Lynne prompted.

            "What did they want?"

            "The young man claims to be your son. His name was Sanosuke...Sagara, was his last name, I believe." Miya looked at her sister sympathetically. "Naname…I didn't know what to do…so I sent them away. You were out running errands…"

            Her younger sister took a breath. "You did the right thing. I wasn't here. Besides, there is no possible way that he could be who he says he is. He-"

            "He looked exactly like Kashishimoemon," Miya interrupted.

            Naname bit her lower lip.

            "Sagara…that's the name of that children's shelter in Honolulu," Lynne spoke up. At her aunt and mother's look, she continued, "A couple months ago, when the paper ran a story on the manor, I looked on the internet to see what other shelters were on Hawaii…and from what I found out…the founder never had kids of his own."

            "So he adopted," Naname reasoned. "It still doesn't mean-"

            "Mom," Lynne pressed. "That's too much of a coincidence. How common is the name Sanosuke in Hawaii, anyway?"

            "Lynne-"

            "You should look into it, Mom. Dad and I will go with you if you want. It's worth finding out for sure."

            Naname shook her head. "No, Lynne. I will not chase after the impossible. I did it before, and I ended up nowhere. The last thing I want is to cause you and your father stress-"

            "You won't!" Lynne insisted. She came forward, grasping her mother's shoulders. "Mom…you were honest enough with Dad and myself to tell us about your past. You owe it to yourself to find out if this guy is really your son."

            "I'm sorry…but…I…I don't think I can."

            "But Mom-"

            "Lynne, please," Naname whispered, her eyes filling up. "I don't think I could ever face that type of heartbreak again…"

Day 17: Saturday

            "I'm not so sure that last night was a good idea," Kaoru commented.

            A wry smile curved Megumi's lips. "Of course it wasn't good."

            "Sanosuke woke up with a painful hangover," Kaoru announced. "I hadn't seen him so depressed since…well…since ever."

            The two women were enjoying brunch in Waikiki. The previous night, Sanosuke had begged Megumi, Kaoru and Kenshin to accompany him as he indulged in Honolulu nightlife. Which in Sanosuke's terms…meant to get drunk. He had been through an emotional rollercoaster the past two weeks. Sanosuke was a wreck. He couldn't handle everything anymore. So he had drowned his sorrows, with his friends keeping watchful eyes on him. They all felt sorry for him, but pity was the last thing Sano wanted. He wanted to feel numb. He preferred being completely oblivious to what had happened around him, than to feel the harsh edge of reality.

            "Kenshin told me that he was going to make sure he didn't get into trouble."

            "Goodness knows that man needs a keeper," Megumi muttered.

            Kaoru smiled at that. "He has been pretty reckless in the past. But at least no one gets hurt when he's rowdy."

            Sighing, Megumi picked at her fruit salad. "Maybe he's been pushing himself too much."

            "How so?"

            "When he lost Kat, he needed something to hold onto. What better than his roots?"

            "Or his ex."

            Megumi groaned. "Kaoru, we've been through this…"

            The other woman shrugged. "I know. A part of him really wishes that you chose him instead. So this whole family search thing…it must be really getting to him. Kenshin told me that Aoshi was able to find out information about his parents. Not all good news, from what I was told."

            "The only positive thing was that his mother is alive."

            "At least that's something-"

            Megumi's cell phone vibrated on the table.

            "Hello?" she answered quietly.

            "May I speak to Dr. Takani?" an unfamiliar female voice spoke up.

            "This is her," Megumi answered.

            "Hi…you don't know me…but I'm Lynne Roberts," the woman introduced herself. Then she added, "Naname Kitagawa's daughter."

            Megumi's lips parted in shock.

            "What?" Kaoru asked in a hushed voice.

            "Dr. Takani? Are you there?"

            "Um…yes…I'm sorry…I didn't expect anyone to contact me so soon…let alone…"

            "The woman's daughter?"

            "Yes."

            "Well, it is the season of miracles. I'd like to meet with you and Sanosuke," Lynne continued. "Are you free today?"

            "I…Yes…of course."

            "All right. Does four o'clock sound fine? I can meet you in that coffee shop in the Hilton in Honolulu."

            "I…That…That's fine."

            "Great." The other woman sounded optimistic over the phone line. "Oh…and Dr. Takani…could you please not tell him who I am? I'd like the honor of doing that…once I find out all the details about him."

            "Of course," Megumi agreed. She usually wasn't one for three or two word answers. But what could one say in this case?

            Once she hung up, Kaoru leaned forward.

            "Well? Who was that?"

            "That…was someone close to Sano's mom…" Megumi answered.

            "What?" Kaoru blinked. "Someone got back to you so quickly?"

            "I…I guess so…"

            It had taken a lot of convincing on her and Kaoru's part to get Sanosuke to go. Sanosuke was tempted to just stay at home all day, but after plenty of prodding, he began to see the benefits of attending the meeting.

            It had gone fairly well. Lynne Roberts had a good heart, and it was obvious that she was looking out for her family's interest. During the meeting, when Sanosuke had been out of earshot, Megumi asked upfront if Naname was alive. Lynne had answered her honestly, and Megumi appreciated that. Lynne also said that her mother wasn't quite ready to believe that her long-lost son was alive…so Lynne had gone to meet with him of her own volition. She also needed to see for herself if Sanosuke was genuine.

            Her direct honesty won Megumi's respect. By the end of the meeting, Lynne took Megumi aside and expressed her determination to reunite her mother and half-brother without wanting to reveal to the other her intentions. After offering her assistance, Megumi said farewell to the woman with a promise to keep in touch.

            It might take a little work, but Sanosuke just might get what he wanted by the end of the year. Megumi sighed, running her hands up her arms as she sat on the balcony of her apartment building, looking over Honolulu.

            Her phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. With a glance towards her apartment, Megumi rose from her chair and opened the sliding door which led to the interior. Closing it behind her, she easily made her way to the phone perched on the small stand between the dining room and living room, quickly picking up the handset.

            "Hello?"

            "Megumi," Aoshi's deep voice crossed the phone line.

            She smiled, cradling the handset against her ear as she settled onto her sofa. "You saw me just a day ago. I refuse to believe that Aoshi Shinomori can miss a woman's company in such a short time…"

            "Just making sure you're not getting into trouble," he answered simply.

            She laughed softly. "I'm not that bad…"

            "Hm. So you say."

            There was something about this man that frightened her sometimes. As someone who had recently started living her life on her own terms, it could be disconcerting. He was incredibly perceptive…he seemed to know exactly what she was thinking…what she wanted…and what she wasn't sure about. In the beginning, she had asked herself several times…of all the men possible, why him? He respected her for who she was and over time, had taken the point to really familiarize himself with her as a person. And as he got to know her, his feelings had grown.

            "Do you think I get too attached sometimes?" she suddenly spoke up.

            Pause. "It depends," he answered honestly. "In this case, I would say yes…because he's a friend of yours and because you never really knew your own mother."

            "Oh."

            "If you weren't feeling anything, then that would be a concern," he explained.

            "Right."

            Apparently, he knew that she needed someone to talk to. She wasn't usually accustomed to confiding in many people. But he was the exception. 

            "Hope you don't mind me coming here…I…I didn't really know where else to go…" Sanosuke cringed at the sound of his own voice. Why did he sound so lame? He held up the miniature poinsettia plant in his hands. "Sorry I'm late, Dad, and I'm not even sure you like Christmas…but I thought this might be nice to have…" Kneeling, he set the plant by his father's marker.

            He wasn't sure what to do about anything anymore. His meeting earlier today with that young woman who helped out at the Matthews Manor just made him even more confused. She spoke of his mother fondly…it was obvious that they were very close. And he had gotten a glimpse of what she was really like. But it wasn't enough. And what about his mom? The woman today spoke of her as if she was a memory. Was Aoshi wrong? Was his mother really gone?

            And even if she was…his grandfather didn't care about him…his aunt dismissed him…but he knew where he could find his father. Was that enough? Was that what he came to Oahu for? It didn't seem like much now. He had traveled so many miles…for this? Wouldn't he have been better off back in Norfolk, completely uncaring about his family…about his roots?

            Hell yeah. I have a decent job, and I had a girl…

            And yet…it probably wasn't enough. All his life he felt that something was missing…that he needed something to hold on to…

            "Are you Sanosuke Sagara?" a female voice spoke up several feet behind him.

            Abruptly, his head jerked up and he turned around. The woman standing there looked a good ten years older than him, but he suspected that she was much older. And the elder Asian gentleman who stood next to her looked twice her age.

            "Oh my…" her hand flew to cover her mouth, covering a high-pitched cry.

            Sanosuke narrowed his eyes slightly, moving forward with one step. "Who…Who are you? How…How did you know my name?"

            The woman's eyes misted over, and she clutched the older man's hand for support. They were both staring at him with wild looks in their eyes. It instantly made him uncomfortable.

            "I…" she started. "I'm Sharon…your father's wife. And…this…is your grandfather…"

            Sanosuke's heart dropped to his feet. Of all the things to happen…he was not expecting this. He swallowed fiercely, unable to get past the lump of emotion that suddenly appeared in his throat.

            "W…What?" he managed, the word sounding like a hoarse croak than a whisper.

A/N: What is it with me and cliffies? Ah well. Not quite sure where I plan on taking the story with Sano's family. I don't even have an ending yet for this fic…Hope everyone has a nice holiday.