CHAPTER 17: Separate Paths
Saito opened his eyes. It was still dark. Every muscle ached, but he forced himself to sit up. He realized that Tokio's arms were wrapped around his arm, so he gently pulled them off and tucked them next to her. Kenshin was behind Tokio, also asleep. Saito sighed and rubbed his aching arms and legs. Everything was bandaged. It looked like Kenshin was in no better shape. Just then, Saito heard light footsteps.
"Saito-san?" a voice whispered. Saito looked over to find Gimmei standing in the doorway. She padded in and stood next to his futon. She kneeled.
"Gimmei," Saito said. "What are you doing up?" Gimmei looked into his eyes.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what? I didn't do anything for you," Saito whispered, trying not to wake Tokio. She stirred, but didn't wake up.
"You stopped me from killing myself and showed me kindness," Gimmei replied. Saito let out a small 'tch' sound and looked away. He wasn't used to being called 'kind.' Gimmei smiled.
"I'm glad you're okay," Gimmei continued. "Get better, okay? Goodnight." Silently, she stood and walked out. Saito sighed and slowly lowered himself onto the futon so as not to upset his injuries. Then, he fell asleep.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Eiji ran into the kitchen carrying a bucket of water. Some of it sloshed over the sides of the wooden bucket and splashed onto the floor.
"Oh! Sorry, Tokio! I'll wipe that!!" Eiji yelled, setting the water on the counter and running to get a cloth. Tokio smiled, then scooped some rice from the rice bucket and poured it into the water. She began rinsing it with her hands. She then put the bucket over the fire to cook. Eiji ran back and began to wipe up the water on the floor.
"Morning, Tokio-dono," Gimmei's voice said as she trotted into the kitchen. "Mmmm... something smells good! What are you making?" Tokio turned around and saw Gimmei standing in the door.
"Onigiri and plain hot soba," Tokio said, smiling. "The soba's for Hajime when he wakes up. He rarely eats anything else." Gimmei giggled. He HAD, after all, asked for plain hot soba while in captivity. She walked into the kitchen.
"Can I help with anything?" Gimmei asked. Tokio shook her head.
"No, everything's almost ready. Why don't you sit down at the table? We'll be eating soon," Tokio said. She turned around and began stirring the soba. Gimmei studied the woman for a moment, then said:
"Actually, I think I'd better get going," Gimmei said. "I shouldn't stay here and interfere."
"Who ever said you interfering, Neko?" a voice snapped from behind her. Gimmei turned to face Saito, who was leaning against the wall outside the kitchen. Gimmei stared for a moment, wondering how long he'd been there, then caught herself and looked away.
"I just thought I'd leave now, thanks," Gimmei said. "I don't need to be a cat anymore anyway." Tokio turned at that.
"Hajime, have you been—"she started. Saito gave her a look, then turned back to Gimmei.
"Hey, when we first met, all you called me was 'cop,'" Saito said. Gimmei turned back, grinning.
"Yeah, I know," she said. "But I really do have to get going." Saito looked at her.
"Why?" he asked. Gimmei gave a startled look.
"Actually, I was planning on going to Chuichi's home," Gimmei said. "In Aizu. I can walk; it's really no trouble. I've lived on my own before." Tokio was now shaping onigiri with her hands.
"Well if you insist," Saito sighed. "I won't stop you." Gimmei turned and headed for the door, but Tokio ran out and gave her a package before she could leave.
"Enough food for a day or two," Tokio said. Then, she handed Gimmei a canteen filled with water. "And some water. You can always come back here, Gimmei." Gimmei looked at her, then bowed.
"Thank you, Tokio-dono," she said quietly, trying not to cry. She slipped her feet into her sandals and began walking down the road. Tokio and Saito stood by the gate, watching her leave. Eiji also ran out, waving and calling out his final farewells. Gimmei turned for the last time to look back on the wolf pack. She smiled and waved.
I'm lucky to have met them, Gimmei thought as she walked down the road. I hope with all of my heart that we'll meet again.
END
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A/N: Ha ha... I've been away for so long that I'd be surprised if anyone's still reading!! No, actually, my computer is not on the internet and won't be for some time, so I'm using my dad's computer. That's just about it. Thanks for reading if anyone still is. It's finally over... It's been fun writing this story. I hope all of the readers had as fun a time reading it as I did writing it.
REVIEW RESPONSES:
MissBehavin: Heh... I didn't really update that soon, did I? It's all right. You read the story and that's what counts!! I'm glad you liked Gimmei! I tried to make her a likeable antagonist, and having you like her just shows that I was sort of successful!! Thanks for reading!!
Racyone: Thanks!! I'm glad you like it!!
Kairi7: It's finished! Thanks for reading!! You don't have to read my other stories... but if you do, leave a review so I know that you did!! ^_^
Saito opened his eyes. It was still dark. Every muscle ached, but he forced himself to sit up. He realized that Tokio's arms were wrapped around his arm, so he gently pulled them off and tucked them next to her. Kenshin was behind Tokio, also asleep. Saito sighed and rubbed his aching arms and legs. Everything was bandaged. It looked like Kenshin was in no better shape. Just then, Saito heard light footsteps.
"Saito-san?" a voice whispered. Saito looked over to find Gimmei standing in the doorway. She padded in and stood next to his futon. She kneeled.
"Gimmei," Saito said. "What are you doing up?" Gimmei looked into his eyes.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what? I didn't do anything for you," Saito whispered, trying not to wake Tokio. She stirred, but didn't wake up.
"You stopped me from killing myself and showed me kindness," Gimmei replied. Saito let out a small 'tch' sound and looked away. He wasn't used to being called 'kind.' Gimmei smiled.
"I'm glad you're okay," Gimmei continued. "Get better, okay? Goodnight." Silently, she stood and walked out. Saito sighed and slowly lowered himself onto the futon so as not to upset his injuries. Then, he fell asleep.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Eiji ran into the kitchen carrying a bucket of water. Some of it sloshed over the sides of the wooden bucket and splashed onto the floor.
"Oh! Sorry, Tokio! I'll wipe that!!" Eiji yelled, setting the water on the counter and running to get a cloth. Tokio smiled, then scooped some rice from the rice bucket and poured it into the water. She began rinsing it with her hands. She then put the bucket over the fire to cook. Eiji ran back and began to wipe up the water on the floor.
"Morning, Tokio-dono," Gimmei's voice said as she trotted into the kitchen. "Mmmm... something smells good! What are you making?" Tokio turned around and saw Gimmei standing in the door.
"Onigiri and plain hot soba," Tokio said, smiling. "The soba's for Hajime when he wakes up. He rarely eats anything else." Gimmei giggled. He HAD, after all, asked for plain hot soba while in captivity. She walked into the kitchen.
"Can I help with anything?" Gimmei asked. Tokio shook her head.
"No, everything's almost ready. Why don't you sit down at the table? We'll be eating soon," Tokio said. She turned around and began stirring the soba. Gimmei studied the woman for a moment, then said:
"Actually, I think I'd better get going," Gimmei said. "I shouldn't stay here and interfere."
"Who ever said you interfering, Neko?" a voice snapped from behind her. Gimmei turned to face Saito, who was leaning against the wall outside the kitchen. Gimmei stared for a moment, wondering how long he'd been there, then caught herself and looked away.
"I just thought I'd leave now, thanks," Gimmei said. "I don't need to be a cat anymore anyway." Tokio turned at that.
"Hajime, have you been—"she started. Saito gave her a look, then turned back to Gimmei.
"Hey, when we first met, all you called me was 'cop,'" Saito said. Gimmei turned back, grinning.
"Yeah, I know," she said. "But I really do have to get going." Saito looked at her.
"Why?" he asked. Gimmei gave a startled look.
"Actually, I was planning on going to Chuichi's home," Gimmei said. "In Aizu. I can walk; it's really no trouble. I've lived on my own before." Tokio was now shaping onigiri with her hands.
"Well if you insist," Saito sighed. "I won't stop you." Gimmei turned and headed for the door, but Tokio ran out and gave her a package before she could leave.
"Enough food for a day or two," Tokio said. Then, she handed Gimmei a canteen filled with water. "And some water. You can always come back here, Gimmei." Gimmei looked at her, then bowed.
"Thank you, Tokio-dono," she said quietly, trying not to cry. She slipped her feet into her sandals and began walking down the road. Tokio and Saito stood by the gate, watching her leave. Eiji also ran out, waving and calling out his final farewells. Gimmei turned for the last time to look back on the wolf pack. She smiled and waved.
I'm lucky to have met them, Gimmei thought as she walked down the road. I hope with all of my heart that we'll meet again.
END
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Ha ha... I've been away for so long that I'd be surprised if anyone's still reading!! No, actually, my computer is not on the internet and won't be for some time, so I'm using my dad's computer. That's just about it. Thanks for reading if anyone still is. It's finally over... It's been fun writing this story. I hope all of the readers had as fun a time reading it as I did writing it.
REVIEW RESPONSES:
MissBehavin: Heh... I didn't really update that soon, did I? It's all right. You read the story and that's what counts!! I'm glad you liked Gimmei! I tried to make her a likeable antagonist, and having you like her just shows that I was sort of successful!! Thanks for reading!!
Racyone: Thanks!! I'm glad you like it!!
Kairi7: It's finished! Thanks for reading!! You don't have to read my other stories... but if you do, leave a review so I know that you did!! ^_^