Car Trouble?

Aoshi had peered into his garage a couple of times, but never went any further inside to disturb the young woman who was looking over his Jaguar with great care and awe.

He'd been wondering aimlessly around his mansion grounds thinking on what to say to Misao, but came up with a total blank. What could you say to the woman that refused to be anywhere near you? As Aoshi peered into the garage for the third time that day, his curiosity grew for the woman as she began to speak to his car, her hand brushing the deep blue colouring of it, which made his eyebrow quirk at her actions as though she were petting it. She was something else all right.

Aoshi's lips parted ready to voice he wanted to speak with her, to tell her he was here, but when he heard the blaring sound of the radio being turned up to full volume, he knew it was fruitful to get her attention now. Aoshi looked at the time noting he should call his main office for a progress on what had been going on and type up some reports.

A couple of days had passed from their last argument…well the last confrontation he and Misao shared was her rejection towards him which made Aoshi frown deeper. The both of them hadn't resolved their issues with the other. Sure he knew as to why Misao was so hesitant to be with him, because of her son and partly because they were from two different "worlds", but Aoshi preferred honesty to everything. He was often mocked and hated by others because of his straightforwardness and yet that did not phase him at all. He always spoke what he wanted…what he needed…and to his horror and in slight fear at the realisation he wanted Misao, but as the fine words point out,

You cannot take what isn't yours…

Was pretty damn true. That didn't mean you couldn't try, but when Aoshi had heard Misao's words of 'I felt nothing' it cut deep. Although slightly phased and hurt over her words Aoshi was determined to find out what was so wrong about himself and in the end realised it wasn't all about him…but her as well. Aoshi dug deeper into the life of one Makimachi Misao to discover what she was hiding, with the help of an old friend, and that is when he found out about Makimachi Shin, her four year old son. What Aoshi had never counted on was the fact that this small boy would begin to crack his hardened professional shell.

The fact that Aoshi, a hard working businessman, almost working throughout the nights to make sure nothing in his business deals or in his companies fell apart was changing…changing because of a small boy. He took over companies at the drop of a hat, fired many and hired many and yet in the presence of one small boy, he was nothing but a really big kid playing out an ordinary childhood he never had. The strangest truth about all of this was as Aoshi pondered over the facts…and to his amazement he didn't mind being Aoshi-san, the really big kid best friend to a genki boy. As Aoshi sat in his office in the Shinomori Mansion he stewed over what had happened just yesterday.

Shin-chan had actually dragged him, well persuaded Aoshi with a pouting face and made him come to his class with him. To say his old teacher was surprised to find himself all grown up was an understatement.

That afternoon, for a couple of hours Aoshi was allowed to stay and watch over Shin-chan, who in turn kept calling out his name and waving him over to see the pictures he had drawn, not to mention introducing him to his friends at school, namely a little girl who seemed very fond of him.

Aoshi shook his head of those thoughts and went back to typing up a report on the Yukishiro Enterprise in Kyoto. He had gotten no further with Yukishiro Enishi…and in fact hadn't heard any word from Tomoe either. Usually she wrote constantly, but obviously Enishi's words of staying the hell away from her had come true. So Enishi truly was determined as hell to keep his sister away from Aoshi's clutches as though he'd use her to trade for the deal of buying out his company.

Aoshi was a ruthless man when it came to doing business deals, but playing with the gentle minds of innocent women was something he really knew nothing about…or would actually consider doing. Besides Yume, his first ever love, Aoshi really hadn't ventured out into the world of women and sexual experiences. Of course he knew almost everything there was to know about sex, having lost himself with Yume of so many years ago, but he wasn't overly fussed in throwing himself at every beautiful woman he'd come in close contact with. As Hannya had said the women he brought back to the mansion, were never liked by his employees and that was something Aoshi took seriously into account, even if it was in secret. They had never stayed long enough to be of great interest to him anyway. It was business dinners and going over plans of purchasing companies but it was never an invite on Aoshi's behalf to share his bed with them.

Whenever he was in Kyoto he and Tomoe got together, but it was more comfort with her then anything else. She was a calm gentlewoman and didn't mind that all they did was go to dinner, go to the theatre or sit quietly and read together…sometimes to each other. It made the both of them feel content and not pressured into doing something that didn't fit the relationship they had together. Aoshi had said words that he could take her anytime he wanted to Enishi only to see how much he would crack under that pressure…and boy did he crack! Aoshi knew that if he too had siblings he'd be most protective of them as well and so he knew why Enishi was the way he was. In Enishi's mind he was not of good material for his sister. In some cases even Aoshi was certain that a fine woman like Tomoe did deserve better then what he could offer her, which was nothing but dinners and gifts…and always his absent self.

A knock at Aoshi's door made him stop his typing as Okon moved silently into his study and placed a pot of tea and a plate of rice cakes on his mahogany desk.

"Arigatoo…" He muttered quietly while pouring himself a cup of tea and observed as Okon bowed lightly and then left his study without saying a single word. Was their even tension within his household because of the distance he and Misao had grown towards each other? Aoshi sighed and that's when he noticed that a second cup lay on the tray and a second plate of rice cakes. Was this his employees' way of saying to go speak with her? To confess whatever needed to be confessed?

"That is so typical of Okon…just like mother…" Aoshi spoke while pushing away from his desk and took the tea tray into his hands and promptly left the study with no words spoken to anyone. Actually none of his employees' were around to witness the 'man of the house' carrying the tea tray and going to offer a snack to the mechanic busily working in his garage, she not even aware of any of this.

* * * *

(Inside the garage)

As the radio blared, Aoshi entered the garage and headed towards the small table the radio rested on near the jaguar. Bits and pieces of the jaguar engine lay scattered on the now greasy concrete as Misao lay half in the engine checking things over. She hadn't even noticed that she had an unexpected visitor. As Aoshi placed the tray on the small fold out table, his hand instantly went to the radio and turned it down.

"Mou, Soujiro-kun that's one of my favourite songs!" Misao spoke annoyingly and hoisted herself out of the engine and stood up to face the man that was supposed to be Soujiro, but her eyes grew wide when she stared into soft green-grey eyes. Her fingers slipped on the grip of the hammer she had been holding and it fell hitting her on the foot.

"OW!" Misao yelled as she bent down at the pain a large hammer caused when it ended up hitting the laces of her boot where no steel cap protection was. Aoshi was over in a flash, kneeling beside Misao, but without any words he stood her up and helped her over towards one of the stools. She sat down and Aoshi was immediately in front of her and raised her leg to untie her boot and careful slip it off along with her sock. Her foot was red, but nothing was broken so most of the hammerhead would have hit the steel cap, but it would still hurt quite a bit.

Misao had been staring openly at Aoshi ever since he sat down on the other stool, took off her boot and started lightly grazing his fingers over the top of her right foot as though assessing the damage. She gritted her teeth when he pressed down on the sorest spot and Aoshi watched her toes curl, this an indication he was pressing a little too hard.

"It'll hurt for a bit, but it's mainly a bruise. Your lucky that most of the hammer hit the steel cap." Aoshi responded without looking up.

"Mou, its all your fault anyway Shinomori-san since you surprised me. Why if it weren't for you none of this would have happened in the first place!" Misao bit her tongue when she heard her venom toned voice reach her ears.

"I needed to speak with you, so I brought an offering of tea and rice cakes with me…with the help of Okon of course since she seemed to have forced the issue upon me without even voicing it aloud."

"Forced what issue upon you?" Misao questioned as she pulled her foot away from Aoshi's gentle touch.

"I'm sure you would still recall our last encounter together? It is one I do not wish to remember after all. I wanted to ask you…if what you said a couple of nights ago was true…or whether you said it out of shear anger…or maybe fear."

"Why would I have said something like that out of fear? I don't fear anything about you!" Misao almost caught Aoshi's flinch at her words, as though she really did detest him. As Misao was trying to get a grip on herself, her confidence at being strong and hurtful towards him cracked when her breath caught in her throat as Aoshi's eyes finally reached hers. Misao finally got to see a true emotion that fluttered inside the so-called 'heartless man' in front of her. Sadness…sadness in his eyes at her words of rejection.

"I see…" Where the only two words Aoshi spoke as he stood up, his gaze moving away from Misao and never to return as he poured her some tea, left a plate of rice cakes and headed for the garage door.

"If you wish to speak about anything…you know…where I am…" Aoshi finally muttered lightly and left the garage never turning to face her. He had hoped she read the hidden message that he would wait for her to come…and hoping against all odds that she would tell him something good, like her words were out of fear and not because she really did find him to be a heartless bastard.

As Aoshi entered his home he strode straight up the stairs and closed his study door without even voicing any words to any of his employees who had instantly come into the main lobby of the mansion to see what had occurred.

"That…doesn't look good." Okon muttered to herself and received nods from Omasu and Soujiro whom were in close range to hear her.

"We shall leave him be for the time being. We all know what Master Shinomori is like when he gets into such a mood, so go about your business as though nothing is wrong." Hannya left to head for the training hall, while Beshimi, Hyotokko and Shikijo headed out the main door. Omasu and Okon stared at each other and wondered on the same thought. How can you work and not notice…feel in fact…the tension and sadness seeping through the entire manner.

* * * *

Day swiftly turned into night as Aoshi typed furiously away on his laptop. Although his thoughts were mostly on Misao, his eyes always moving to the hanging clock on the wall watching the hours tick by, he actually did get three reports typed up and emailed to Fukae-san. Misao had not come to see him. Right now though, Aoshi had been pouring over every single emotion he was feeling and it was coming out in one huge long letter to Kamiya Kaoru, a dear friend and his personal therapist. She had written again and as Aoshi begun typing up the busy workload he had, the other thoughts on Misao begun to flood his mind and his fingers automatically pressed the characters on the keyboard. Aoshi's finger hovered the mouse arrow over the send button but he quickly hit 'save as draft' and then shut the laptop cover down. His forehead rested on the dark wood of his desk as he glanced down at his bare feet.

"What is wrong with me?" He questioned to himself and then listened to the chime of his clock strike ten times. Aoshi lifted his head, placing his chin on the desk now and opened his laptop and replied again to Kaoru's email with one sentence,

I wish to speak with you first thing tomorrow morning…

Aoshi hit 'send' this time and then unplugged his laptop and took it to his bedroom and shut the door. He had noticed the dinner tray on the floor outside the study, but left it where it was. He had no appetite and instead dumped the now open laptop on his bed and headed into his bathroom.

* * * *

Only a short moment passed before Aoshi emerged, wearing black slacks, an unbuttoned shirt and a deep blue towel wrapped over his shoulders as he brushed it through his wet jet-black hair. He stopped in his tracks as he made out the figure near his opened door. The bright light flickering in from the hallway illuminated Misao's form, her eyes scanning the bedroom to meet his gaze.

"I knocked…and came in to see if you were awake…and heard running water so I thought I'd wait when I heard it off."

"A-Aa…" Was Aoshi's quiet reply as he stepped out of the bathroom entranceway and flicked off the light. He spoke nothing more as he moved over to his large bed and closed down his laptop for the evening.

"Do you wish to sit?" Aoshi asked politely but observed Misao shake her head negatively. She had her rucksack over her left shoulder as she pointed towards the now closed bedroom door.

"I should be going, it's late and I just wanted…um to apologise about my rude behaviour." Aoshi could see Misao was very uncomfortable at the moment and he coughed lightly before asking his own question.

"How is your foot?"

"Eh? Oh, um its fine…just a bruise like you said." She watched him nod lightly as he proceeded to place his laptop on another desk facing a large set of windows which if the blinds opened it led onto a large balcony overlooking the enormous backyard.

"Well I should be off, Jiya will be wondering where I am and why I'm not home for dinner." Misao responded once more and turned the doorknob opening up the door.

"Miss Misao, if you are to stay late during the evenings, I would hope that you'd take a break so you can come inside and eat with us. Okon will not mind placing out another set of plates and cutlery, she actually likes having guests over and won't mind at all." Aoshi spoke while heading towards a silent Misao as he opened his door wider to bid her goodnight by taking her back downstairs.

"Wouldn't you mind?" Misao spoke while walking next to Aoshi, her eyes catching his hands as they slowly buttoned his shirt up.

"Actually, I like being around you…and that's the same for Hannya and the others. Your company is nice…and all of us would like it if you came and had dinner with us sometime." Misao couldn't help but blush at his words and bowed her head, her teeth biting her bottom lip, as she didn't know how to respond. The both of them finally made it to the main door and Aoshi opened it up like the gentleman he had been brought up to be.

"I apologise for placing you on the spot like I did Miss Misao, it was not right of me, so please do not feel pressured into answering any of my questions."

"H-Hai…" Misao uttered as she stepped out of the mansion and down the concrete steps heading towards her bike. She stopped however and turned to face Aoshi who stood barefoot on his front porch watching her go.

"I'll be late tomorrow morning since I have another practice exam at the university and I must pick up some parts for your jaguar as well, but…but I was hoping if the offer still stood, it would be nice to have dinner with you…I mean everyone." Misao felt the heat rise in her cheeks at her slip up. She began chiding herself inside her head, but Aoshi's reply made her heart warm even if she tried forcing it not to.

"I'd…we'd love to have your company with us. Do not worry about being late either since your exams are important. I'll leave a note for Hannya since I have an appointment tomorrow morning and won't see you until the afternoon I would imagine."

"Business meeting?" Misao spoke as she placed on her helmet and lifted up the glass to look over at Aoshi. She sat astride her motorcycle and kicked the stand up while revving the bike engine.

"Iie, this is a personal matter…" Misao heard Aoshi die off as he crossed his arms over his chest watching her intently.

"Well I shall see you tomorrow then…and besides I've yet to tell you about sub-systems, so when you get home come and see me okay?" Misao rode off, Aoshi stepping back into the mansion when the bike was out of eye range. His lips curled slightly, forming into a small smile, which he couldn't break. Perhaps the gods weren't going to leave him with bad luck for the rest of his life? Aoshi took a deep breath and then turned around to see a smiling Okon looking over at him.

"I never said any of you could listen in." Aoshi contorted in irritation and watched the rest of his employees come out of hiding. Aoshi knew that Okon and Omasu would have eavesdropped but he was shocked when Hannya too came out of hiding and coughed lightly in embarrassment.

"You as well Hannya? I should have all of you fired for butting into business that does not concern any of you." Aoshi felt utterly proud when he watched all their faces turn pale at his words. His arms folded confidently over his chest as he moved upstairs heading for his bedroom voicing one more thing, which sent his employees into silent astonishment.

"But then I'd be firing my family and not even I would be so heartless as to do such a thing like that…even if they are as nosy as you lot."

"Did…Master Shinomori say…what I think he said?" Omasu spoke first having gotten her voice back. Hannya's shoulders relaxed as he slumped lightly. He nodded his head, his eyes closing for a moment, sending a silent pray to Shinomori senior telling him everything would be fine in the end…for his son was changing for the better.

* * * *

To be continued…

* * * *

Authors Notes: If I hear one more complaint about not continuing on with 'Car Trouble' I'm going to kill myself! Here is anyone happy now, its come out, it was damn hard and it stinks! =P

*Sighs* Noa isn't happy at the moment; but its pointless to say please stop saying UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE, cause that's pressure as hell!

Not like this is a full time job or anything, doesn't pay the bills and I can't have all my stories going at once either cause it gets exhausting. I can't please everyone cause there is always someone who hates something about what I write and when I take their flame, I try and change and then it upsets someone else so please give me a break will you?

I write for me, whether I flip the roles of Misao and Aoshi around because I like writing about my two favourite characters very much. If someone reviews and tells me they like what they read then it's a very big bonus and I'm honoured that they even give it a chance. As for a lot of OOCness created in all my stories well why the hell not huh? I want Aoshi to show emotions, since it doesn't happen very often in the series and so there are many things you can explore with his type of character…and the same goes for Misao as well.

I never write Meiji Era stories cause I think I very much stink at them and so I much prefer placing them in AU, at least that way I can place traits in of the series, but have the entire description and plot coming from my head. I love AU's and I love long stories so sue me! I take a long time cause if I have no inspiration…it means NO inspiration. That doesn't mean it's forgotten, paragraphs are always written down. In fact I've had this chapter written for nearly two weeks now, just adding bits and pieces here and there and yet I'm still not happy, but it'll do. Since well…I just have to make Aoshi and Misao's relationship even more complicated in the next chapter…and head in the direction of the "unknown" really fast since…well…I might as well tell you they are going to sleep together so there! HA!