Would you Kill for Love

"How do you know him?" I heard myself bellow to Misao still surprised about seeing Himura here…and actually finding my place.

"Like I said Aoshi, I received this from Misao-san and came straight away." I reefed the paper from his hand and found it to be the information I'd given Sagara. The idiot must have left it here for Misao to find so she could get word out as to where she was.

"Misao-san happens to be one of my patients Aoshi. I became most worried when she didn't turn up for her session yesterday, that I was." I was ready to speak again but Kenshin spoke up instead.

"Furthermore, why haven't I seen you lately Aoshi. I would think that you have permanently forgotten your sessions as well, that I have." I glanced my green-grey eyes over at wide ocean-blue ones as Misao listened quietly to Kenshin and mine's conversation.

"You're a patient as well? For what?" Misao asked becoming quite intrigued.

"I think we should all sit down and have a small chat, that I do." Kenshin spoke and I pushed him along with Misao making him sit down and we both spoke simultaneously.

"Shut up and sit down!" Kenshin sat silently in one of the worn chairs looking between Misao and myself as we began to stare each other off.

"Look what my sessions, which I haven't had for a few months now, have nothing to do with any of this. I asked you not to make contact with anyone. Didn't I precisely say that, do not disappear from the apartment, even for two seconds…not even to take out the garbage. You should realise that it is not you whom is just in danger, but Kenshin and myself too." I watched as Misao opened her mouth for a small retort but she bowed her head not having anything to say.

"G-Gomen nasai…" She whispered softly. I brushed my hand though my jet-black hair hating the fact that her sadness was placing me into a quilt trip. I knew I shouldn't have yelled at her but it was for her own protection after all. She needed to know that no one was safe…she was a target and anyone who got involved were risking their lives for her.

"Misao-san perhaps you should sit down for a moment." Kenshin spoke getting up and placing his 'comforting' hands on the young woman and guided her to the couch.

"I shall make us some coffee, that I will." I watched Kenshin move off towards the kitchen and began rummaging around for cups, coffee and spoons…as well as sugar for myself…he knowing what I liked.

"I'm sorry for yelling Misao, its just that, you and I need to be careful. The 'Dragons' have all gone into hiding, becoming smart and patient, but we cannot hide here for the rest of our lives nor will they stay patient for long. I'll have to track them down, but I'll need you to be strong and come with me. Can you do that Misao?" I spoke never taking my eyes away from her.

"H-Hai…" She whispered in a small voice, her head still bowed apologetically.

"Kenshin can help me. He is the only person I can trust." Ouch…that really hurt when Misao spoke that.

"The information he has taped from my lessons, in hypnosis is very vital but I have been too afraid to hand it over to the police. Now…I don't need to be afraid anymore because I have someone who I can trust. I have Aoshi Shinomori protecting me so I asked Kenshin to come and hand the tapes over to you…only to you though…" My heart had clenched in my chest hearing her say this to me. So she had trusted me ever since we first met…ever since I took a bullet for her and protected her with my own life.

"Misao-san would you like me to give them to him now?" Kenshin spoke coming over with three cups of coffee, giving the large mug to me knowing that when I wanted a coffee I always wanted it to be of reasonable size. Misao nodded her head affirmatively and Kenshin placed his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope, the tapes obviously inside.

"Do you keep copies?" I questioned Kenshin while opening up to take out one of the small tapes having a look at it. How was it that such a small thing held so much vital information?

"Of course, but never kept on premise…you should know me better then that Aoshi, that you should."

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered waving him to sit down. He did so and all three of us fell silent, neither of us knowing what to say, or where to begin. Time slipped by until all three of us jerked slightly when a loud peeping noise interrupted the silence. I lifted my shirt and pulled off the pager noticing the code Sagara used to contact me in case of emergencies at finding new information on different cases.

"I have to go out for a minute." I spoke and stood looking down into Misao's worried blue eyes. Her lips parted as though she wanted to voice something, but I cut in turning my gaze to Kenshin.

"You will keep her company right?" His violet eyes blinked up at me in slight confusion and I spoke once more while picking up my gun and placing it back in its holster.

"Misao will need company. She needs to speak with someone and you are the best person Kenshin. I'll be back soon…and try not to worry." I spoke placing my hand on Misao's shoulder for a moment and then picked up my large trench coat and hat walking out of the back door.

* * * *

I had gotten numerous cabs into the city and walked down a dark alleyway heading for a seedy bar, which I'd never even heard of before. I had used a payphone getting in contact with Sagara and listened to his directions of telling me where to go. I opened the dark wooden door and headed inside, blinking a few times to get acquainted with the darkness of the place. I noticed Sano sitting in a far away corner and watched him get up heading for another door, most likely the toilet. I followed a moment later, ignoring the stares I received from the usual men who drank here and opened the door walking down the small hallway, only to open another one and entered. If I had a weak stomach I reckon I would have vomited…twice in fact.

"I have questions of my own to ask you." I heard Sagara speak as he moved out of a stall with a gun pointed at my chest.

"Sagara? What the hell?" I spoke narrowing my eyes not believing he'd do something like this. He'd been my informant for many years and I never saw this coming…

"Tell me about you two?" He spoke angrily and threw what seemed to be blown up photographs. I watched them scatter over the dirty floor and I contemplated whether or not I should actually pick them up. I bent down, knowing Sagara now had the gun pointed at my head, his hand firmly on the gun, his finger poised at the trigger. My eyes had widened at the pictures thrown around the bathroom floor. I scrunched my eyebrows in silent rage at examining all of them.

"Where did you get these?" I spoke standing up once more and was actually caught off guard as I stumbled back slightly at being punched in the face.

"Answer the fucking question?" Sagara demanded again and I bowed my head my eyes traveling over the photo on the top. It was of Megumi and me…in a most…hmm…sexual encounter actually. After all she was only wrapped in a silk sheet, her long black hair free from the bun she had it in that night, the silky tresses spilling over her bare creamy shoulders and pooling on the bed she sat on. I remembered that night very well. We had gone out of town…leaving our work behind and decided to forget that we were officers and just be us for that night. I had gone to the bathroom, not truly knowing what was going to happen until I flicked off the light and walked back into the bedroom. Megumi had undressed and sat in the middle of the bed, the silk sheet wrapped around her form, but leaving her shoulders bare for me to see. She looked very tempting…and so…I gave into that temptation not realising that something like this was going to be the outcome. Someone had been watching us…photographing us as though they knew who we were and whom we worked for.

"Sagara its not what you think." I spoke trying to reason with the enraged man. Wait a minute…what did he care anyway? This had nothing to do with the case…unless…

"Wait, are you Meg's mystery man?" I blurted out and received a smack over the head with the gun and then it was pointed at me once more.

"That fucking hurt you know." I spoke dryly lifting up my hand and brought my fingers down to see them red with blood.

"Answer the fucking question Shinomori or else the next one will be right here!" He replied back as though not listening to a word I had said and tapped the barrel of the gun at my heart. Typical…so fucking typical for a hotheaded young man like him to go off the rails. He reefed the pictures out of my hand and held them in front of my face.

"Look at them you prick!" He spoke angrily as I turned my head away still wanting to get my hands on the bastard who had taken them. The one with Megumi on the bed was thrust in front of my face as I stared at her slightly tilted head leaning against my shoulder, her mouth open…gasping and moaning in passion. My younger self was kneeling behind her, wearing only a pair of jeans, my lips sucking and nibbling at her neck. Looking at this picture you could see exactly what I was doing…what I was eliciting within her. My right hand was under the silk sheet cupping and massaging her large breast, with hers over the top enjoying the moment and attention very much. As for my other hand…well you didn't have to be stupid to know where that was…her legs were parted giving me better access after all…

"Sagara stop acting like a fucking idiot!" I spoke angrily and smacked his gun away in utter rage while pulling out mine and pointing them at him now…one aimed at his chest, the other at his head.

"Look, Megumi and I have no relationship, we are partners at work…but only sometimes and that's it. There is nothing between us…anymore I mean. That was a long time ago but Megumi is different, she has changed and loves someone else…that someone obviously being you I assume. Now are you going to calm down?" I questioned Sagara and he nodded his head stepping back and I placed my guns away and picked his up handing it wordlessly back to him. I moved to one of the sinks and turned the tap on placing my sleeve under it to wet it and brushed it over the side of my head ridding it of blood.

"I'm sorry about that." Sagara mumbled not really one for apologies but I shrugged my shoulders as though it was a normal thing…although…its still bloody well hurt!

"Where did you get them?" I asked and watched Sagara shrug his shoulders and replied back while pulling out another envelope for me to take from him.

"That I don't know. It seems that we have been photographed as well, plus they know I had escaped with Misao, but I'm not too sure if they know where she is."

"Shit…" I cursed quietly and didn't bother to open the envelope until I got back to the apartment. I opened the door but stopped when Sagara spoke once more.

"If you do need help Aoshi, but only in an emergency…come here." He handed me a slip of paper and I placed it into my pocket.

"Keep Megumi safe Sano…I know she is extremely worried at not knowing what the outcome is, but tell her these bastards are going down, no matter what. Even if I have to get killed in doing so…they shall not live for much longer…I guarantee it."

"You are going after them Shinomori?" He spoke slightly shocked and I nodded my head before leaving the bathroom to enter the bar once more and headed out to locate the nearest cab and get out of this daylight…it was definitely not a good time to be out after all.

* * * *

I arrived back to my apartment and silently let myself in not seeing Kenshin anywhere. He'd gone…to keep himself safe and also probably on Misao's orders to go back to work as well. I placed the envelopes on the coffee table but heard a noise coming from down the small passageway and brought out my guns to investigate.

The bathroom door was slightly ajar and I kicked it open hearing Misao gasp in surprise as she hurriedly wrapped a towel around her naked form. I closed my eyes backing out of the room and leaned against the wall, my guns lowered at my sides.

"I'm sorry Misao…you just…" What the hell was I supposed to say? My mind was a complete blank. Sure I'd apologised but what to say after it was a complete mystery. Sorry for bursting in and admiring your body too long? Yeah like that didn't sound perverted or anything! She was a case I was working on and she just…just infuriated me so much! My emotions anyway. They were totally screwed up at the moment…every since I met her in fact…ever since I brought her back to life…

I watched as Misao raced out of the bathroom and headed for my bedroom, the towel wrapped firmly around her form and she dashed inside slamming the door behind her. Yep, again she was embarrassed and bloody frightened. I smacked my head on the wall and entered the bathroom needing to cool off. I wasn't blind after all…I saw the curves she has, which would develop more, as she grew older. ENOUGH! I screamed inside my head and turned the taps on stepping under the shower once I removed the coat and hat. I couldn't care less about the other clothes. What the hell was wrong with me? It was like Misao was opening up new emotions…emotions and feelings I had long since put behind me…long since forgotten about.

After much time of standing motionless in the shower I finally turned off the taps and sat on the edge of the bath, the water dripping onto the floor. I would have to go out and see if she had got the courage to face me again. I knew I'd apologise again, but I could only apologise so many times. It never changed the fact that the deed had been done and nothing can change that.

I moved out of the bathroom still wearing all my drenched clothes and STILL dripping wet noticing Misao stood in the small lounge room, her eyes clued onto some pictures, her hands shaking.

"Don't look at them!" I spoke in slight surprise knowing which ones they were and watched her head snap up, those eyes glistening with tears while her shaky hands dropped the pictures as they spilled all over the carpeted floor. Misao raced back into the bedroom slamming the door closed and I moved towards the pictures and crouched down picking the photos of Megumi and I up.

"Fuck…" I mumbled softly as I had no clue as to how I should handle this situation. Misao had seen these pictures and I really wanted to know what was rolling around in her mind, but I guess I'd have to wait for a while…she was not coming out…and I was not going in…

* * * *

Hours had passed turning the apartment into darkness once more. I sat on the floor having changed into drier clothes with an astray beside me on the right holding many butts of cigarettes and on the left a bottle of scotch and some cans of coke.

I had been sitting here for quite some time reading over Misao's statement and listening to her tapes. She was a very troubled young woman but a brave one at that. I leaned away from the wall for a moment and pulled the bin towards me and grabbed the photos of Megumi and myself.

I fetched my zippo from my pocket and flicked it on, lighting the corner of one photo watching it crinkle. Misao's voice was still being softly spoken on the recorder as I did this. I placed the photo into the bin and began lighting the others wanting to burn all of them. The flames lit up the area I sat in…close to the back door…just in case…

'Many people dream nightmares, but awake from them soon after…I on the other hand am actually living in one…'

I heard the bedroom door creak open and stopped the tape watching Misao's silhouette stand at the door looking silently over at me. I was obviously doused in the firelight. I observed as she walked towards me, grabbing one of the cushions from the couch and sat on it, on the ground and in front of me. She stared into the bin, watching the last photo crinkle and her blue eyes stared into mine wanting to say something but she seemed too frightened.

"Her names Takani Megumi, a detective in Intelligence at headquarters. She was the one in the interview room while you waited for me. Those pictures…it happened a long time ago…and these where only shown now. Its not recent or anything." I tried explaining. I watched Misao shake her head as she spoke just above a whisper.

"You needn't explain yourself to me."

"I know, but I think I'll feel better in doing so." I replied giving her a small lob-sided grin and she returned it with a small smile of her own. She switched position, hugging her legs to her chest and said nothing but stare into my eyes. They seemed to flicker every now and then as though reading hidden messages inside that I didn't even know I would be giving off.

"About Kenshin…" Misao had started off but died down knowing I needn't tell her anything of myself. Perhaps…perhaps she'd feel more comfortable as to why I became an officer of the law.

"I've known him for many years now…sometimes I think of him as an annoying older brother." I heard Misao giggle nodding her head as though agreeing to what I stated.

"I met him when I was very young and quite afraid at being alone. I was only 14 and my parents had died leaving me to care for my sister. She was only 6 at the time and although I loved taking care of her, making sure she was safe and loved…I felt like I had no one whom would take care of me…or love me. My father was a police officer, one of the best in Japan and I wanted to make him proud by becoming one as well. I did just that and well that's why I'm one today…to hope that he is looking down on me from wherever and smiling…"

"That's not all though is it Shinomori-san? I can tell you hide something deep within you…" Misao replied and I stared at her for many minutes not saying anything. Was I like an open book to her?

"My sister was taken from me about two years ago."

"Taken?" Misao spoke in a small whisper daring not to speak any higher less her voice start to break.

"One day…she had never come home, just completely vanished without a trace. I hunted high and low for her for many months, but never got any information. Not even Sagara had any leads either. The Police Department was useless and nothing worked…she'd gone…not leaving any word. All her clothes were still at the house we lived in…everything was there but her school uniform and bag…she was going to school that day after all. Till this day I still hope and pray she is somewhere out there, but I…" I faltered in my words not wanting to believe what could possibly be true.

"I am loosing hope and fear that she must have been kidnapped…and then…murdered…" I heard Misao gasp in surprise at hearing this. Her eyes were wide with shock and glistening with tears once more.

"I had stopped having sessions with Kenshin for awhile, but ever since my sister had disappeared I went back to him, hoping to gain any information I could that had been stored away in the back of my mind without my knowledge. It helped me get through life without doing anything stupid. He made me remember all the times I had picked her up when she fell over or the plays she was in at school or tucking her in bed at night and her asking me if I'd love her forever. Just little things kept me going, kept me hoping I'd see her again…"

"I'm so sorry Aoshi…" My eyes snapped up as Misao spoke my first name, the name my father had given me…the name of one of our legendary ancestors. Her eyes had grown wide and her cheeks had turned a soft pink…she was embarrassed and surprised about it too.

"There is nothing that can be done. I had my suspicions and found information out and it all led to one man. That one man I came to detest, but now as time goes on I sometimes think he was the person she trusted when she couldn't come to me…when I was too busy. I neglected her feelings…having stopped seeing her go to bed or even when she asked to be tucked in when she was 15 and 16…now I wish I could turn back time so I could spend time with her."

"Shinomori-san your pager is going off." Misao spoke and I moved towards my coat and brought out the pager. My eyes widened at the message being displayed and I stood up, Misao following as well, her eyes worriedly staring up at me.

"Get your things…we've got to get the fuck outta here!" She raced towards the bedroom to get the bag Megumi brought her and I ran for the cupboard in the laundry grabbing out another bag slinging it over my shoulder and walking back into the main room.

"What's going on?" Misao questioned her voice wavering as she began to get scared. I moved towards the cabinet that held all my alcohol and smashed the bottles open pouring the contents around my apartment.

"What are you doing?" Misao yelled as she watched me do this.

"They are coming and so I must torch the place. Help me please." Misao grabbed some bottles and did the same. I moved towards the draw and opened it up placing the money envelope into my pocket and grabbed Misao's hand dragging her to the front door. I opened it up and pointed to a small opening in the metal fence.

"Head that way and don't look back, just keep moving as though you have somewhere to go…no one will bother you alright. If you have trouble…use this." I placed a small handgun into her hand and pushed her in the direction. She raced off doing what I said and never looked back.

By the time the place was well alight…they so called assassins where showing up and I raced after Misao knowing she would be most scared. Everything I had come to love in the dingy place had gone up I smoke. My sanctuary…my home for the past two years was burning to the ground.

I moved my way down the even darker passage moving past homeless people who eyed me curiously as I raced passed them trying to catch up with Misao while I held one gun in my hand. I rounded a corner to see Misao leaning against the wall and puffing heavily. I moved towards her thrusting her into walking again, my gun back in its holster and my right arm wrapped around her shoulders. We were heading into a seedy part of Tokyo and I made sure Misao stuck close to me. I placed her left arm around my waist making sure her hands where close to the gun at the small of my back.

"Just in case." I spoke as we hurriedly walked down the street Misao gripping her bag as I did mine. Prostitutes lined the walkways near clubs and pubs waiting for drunken business to come out and give them "pleasure"…did I mention to flog their wallets as well.

"Where will we go?" Misao whispered quietly and I moved towards a cab knowing exactly where to go, before heading to Sagara's place. I didn't wish to put him or Megumi in anymore danger. Now was the time for help from my second in command…taking him from his family, but only for a short time though… I wanted the both of us to make it to Momo-chan's birthday.

* * * *

To be continued…

* * * *