Passing of the Forbidden
Hi! Rotating updating my stories. Updates will be less frequent, sorry! (>
+Review Responses+
MissBehavin: Yup... the fun is just beginning. Your wondering will be over at the end of this story! Thanks for reviewing! ^^
Kiriakis: Aww... I won't make Soujirou insane... he doesn't seem like that kind of person. Soujirou's sweet! Thanks for reading! ^^
Wistful-Eyes: Well... I've always thought of Kaoru as a VERY jealous type person. Although I like her character, I can't help but sometime be annoyed at her for it, but it makes her human... like her temper... Can't even START on that. Thanks for reading! ^^
+++++++++
As always.... happy reading! ^.^
Just a warning... the end of this story will be depressing! (So I believe as of now)
I've seen this in the beginning of some stories... quotes that fit with the chapter. I'm going to attempt to do that. See if it fits...
=========================================
Trouble is part of your life, and if you don't share it, you don't give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough.
-Dinah Shore
Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.
-Isaac Asimov
=========================================
"What?"
"I'm sorry Kenshin." Kaoru sobbed, "I'm SO sorry."
Kenshin felt as if his whole world just collasped by the magnitude of her two words. "Kaoru... Look at me." She glanced up fearfully at him. "It takes two to tango." He said, running his hands through his red hair.
"What will we do!?"
"Nothing for now... come back... when you can... we both need time to think this through."
Kaoru nodded and hurried away.
***
"Kaoru!"
Kaoru looked around quickly; she had been caught! She was trying to get back home quickly, "Soujirou, Okita." She bowed her head, "I came out for some air."
Soujirou looked fairly concerned, "Perhaps fresh air is best."
"You seem better already." Okita concurred.
Kaoru gave her husband a weak smile as he stomach growlled, "I didn't eat much today. I threw most of it up."
Soujirou nodded, "Let us go home then."
Kaoru nodded... home.
***
Soujirou kept looking at his wife. There was something wrong; something that was making her so unhappy.
Kaoru and Gina barely even looked at each other.
After dinner and Kaoru was off in thier room, Soujirou forced Gina to talk to him.
"Gina... what is going on?"
"Nothing Soujirou."
"Gina... I know something is wrong. You and Kaoru never speak. Tsutomus looks like he wants to hurt my wife... with those glares, its not too hard to miss. Tsuyoshi looks like he wants to say something but is afraid to. What is going on?"
"Nothing."
"Gina... you and Kaoru have been circling each other like vultures..."
Gina looked away, "Nothing..."
"Gina..." Soujirou looked lost, "I need to know what is bothering Kaoru..."
"I do not feel it is my place to say anything."
"Please..."
"Perhaps it is better to ask your wife..."
With that, Gina departed. It was not her place to tell.
Soujirou glanced around silently before opening the door to the bedroom.
Kaoru was already asleep on the bed. Soujirou's shoulders dropped, and he stumbled into bed. He would talk to her tomorrow.
***
Tomoe looked around at her parent's home. She was leaving that following morning.
The air had not helped Kenji; he had died that night.
Tomoe gave a bittersweet smile. He had been taken away from her, but she knew he was no longer in pain. She had sent a letter to Kenshin, but he probably had not recieved it yet.
She could just see his pained face as he read the letter; she would not be there to offer him comfort.
Her father shuffled in, placing an urn on her bed, "It's Kenji..."
Tomoe run her delicate fingers over the engravings. "Kenji..."
Oh how she missed her sweet little boy. She could not help but feel it was so unfair for her still to be alive and him in charred remains in an urn.
She did not feel an immerse amount of pain or sorrow. In fact, she felt impassive. She even felt a bit of joy.
Why should she morn when her son was laughing and playing in the clouds, free from the coughs that had racked his small frame every day of his short life?
There was no need to shed tears; tears would do nothing.
All she could do was pick and and live her life.
She felt different; like she had become someone else during her time of solitude here on her family farm.
She had done a lot of thinking and self-reflection. Had her parents found out she may have been beaten; a proper wife was not to think such frivolous thoughts.
A proper wife was docile and respectful. She was to honor, cherish and obey her husband. She was to perform her duties with grace and perfection. She was to tend to her husbands every needs. She was to keep the house and stay the dutiful button-lipped wife. The wife was dependant on the husband for support; she was too weak an incapable to do anything herself.
But times were changing. Tomoe did not want to be bound by "tradition." These changing times called for reform; a break from the traditions long outdated.
Kenshin, although he was a great man, Tomoe could help but feel shadowed by him. As a child she had dreams of being on stage; dancing, singing, performing....
But she gave up all those 'foolish' dreams for marriage.
She loved Kenshin; she truly did. She wasn't 'in love' with him like he was to her. She didn't have DEEP intense feelings. A proper woman was not suppose to show emotion.
She loved Kenshin, but sometimes she could not help thinking,
what life would be like, had she made her own choices...
***
"I'm going to take a long walk..." Kaoru annouced the next morning.
Soujirou and Okita were pouring over a newspaper. Gina was washing dishes.
She knew where she was going, the famililar sights all around her. The brisk breeze sent a comfort. The music from the chapel wove around her lithe body, almost like she was dancing again.
Dancing away her troubles, in a field now long gone... a field of dreams that had gone in flames... many... many years ago.
"Ken'?" Kaoru shuffled into the room.
Kenshin looked broken. His once proud shoulders sagged with weight. The viberant violet eyes were dullish yellow almost. He made almost aged five years in one night.
There seemed as if there were a knife, slicing into his heart, ans slowly twisting, leaving Kenshin to eternally suffer.
"Kenshin..."
"Kaoru... I'm so sorry... I must have hurt you so much. How must I have failed you and Tomoe... and what of my children. Will they know thier father a..."
Kaoru silenced him, "It takes two to tangle."
"So now what?"
"I want this child...." Kaoru said softly, "But everyone will know it isn't Soujirou's."
"Not-"
"Kenshin, even if this child does not have purple eyes and red hair, everyone will know. Soujirou has been away over a month."
"Kaoru... I want to marry you... I would love to marry you and raise this child as our own."
"We need someone to help us." Kaoru said, "Someone who understands."
Kenshin looked up, "Miss Gina."
***
Gina looked aloof as Kaoru asked her to come with her to see Kenshin.
"Please... I need your help... you're my only true friend..."
Gina's face softened as they walked down the stairs, "How far are you along?"
Kaoru jerked up, "How-"
"I know... I've seen the signs."
Kaoru pulled open Kenshin's door. Kenshin was sitting there. He looked up at Gina, "We need your help, Miss Gina."
"I can see that." Gina replied dryly, "What do you expect me to do?"
Kaoru and Kenshin both shrugged.
Gina looked annoyed, "So what do you want to do."
"Riase this child." Kaoru replied.
"Together." Kenshin added.
"If that's possible..." Kaoru injected.
"I do not see how that is possible... expect with..." Gina frowned.
"A divorce." Kenshin sighed, "We know."
"Are you willing to go through with it?" Gina asked, "Can you put your family through that Mr. Himura?"
"I should go see my wife...and my children. They are back with my parents..."
"Will Soujirou agree?" Kaoru asked Gina.
Gina looked at the woman seriously, "You just purposed to divorce a war hero... I have no idea."
"Perhaps if it had been another time... another place... another life.. maybe..." Kenshin said.
"I don't want to be a burden...I've caused too much trouble for us all already." Kaoru looked forlourn.
Kenshin kissed the top of Kaoru's head, "I will go to my family tomorrow."
"We will talk to Soujirou tomorrow mourning." Kaoru finished.
They all went on thier seperate ways.
***
Gina suddenly grabbed Kaoru's arm just before they entered the apartment, "Don't hurt him..."
"Who.. Kenshin?"
"No... Soujirou." Gina glared slightly, "He loves you."
"He sure has a funny way of showing it." Kaoru snapped.
Gina's face darkened, "Fate has not been kind on him."
Kaoru snorted, "Like I believe that..."
Gina shook her head, "Just becuase you smile everyday doesn't mean you're not hurting inside Miss Kaoru."
"A smile means happiness."
Gina rubbed her face in fustration, "Just don't hurt him... he really is a great person."
Kaoru nodded, "He is a gentleman."
The two woman found Soujirou in the kitchen making soup. He grinned and waved them over, "I made soup... it'll make you feel better Kaoru!"
Okita, who has been trying some, began to cough frantically. He turned red and then purple before slumping over the table.
Gina rushed over, ""kita?"
Kaoru was tearing, "Oh my..."
Soujirou was in utter despair.
All of a sudden, Okita lifted his head with a grin, "Gott'cha!"
Gina slapped her forehead. "Should've known."
Kaoru sat down quickly, "Dear me."
Soujirou waved the wooden spoon at his friend, "Don't do that again."
"Only works once." Okita shrugged, "But who knows, I may just die like that some day."
Kaoru got up and rushed into the bathroom to throw up. Coming out, Soujirou placed the soup in front of her, "Drink. It'll make you feel beter."
Gina glanced at the soup before rushing into the bathroom to throw up too.
Soujirou narrowed his eyes. Gina was pregnant and she had often threw up doing her first pregnancy. Kaoru was throwing up; Soujirou wondered if Kaoru was pregnant... but why did she not tell him?
He hoped Kaoru would tell him what was going on!
***
Kenshin half-heartedly opened the door. A man gave him an 'urgent' letter.
Kenshin tore the envelope; the letter was from Tomoe.
Instantly he felt ill. How could he further destroy his family?
Kenji, the boy never really knew his father. Kenshin had neglected his family for so long... Daichi he barely every saw and Tomoe, his sweet loving wife...
He needed a drink. He grabbed his coat and made his way to a local tavern.
He needed to clear his mind, find someone he could just throw his troubles at, drinking his sorrows away.
The bartender looked at the red head, "So what's your problem?"
Kenshin looked up sadly, "A lot..."
"No problem man... that's what I'm here for..."
Nearby, a reporter named Kanryu Takeda leaned over. Kenshin Himura, the author, having problems? This would make a great front page headline.
***
Kenshin got up early the next morning. He had a slight headache, but he dismissed it. He was going home.
He pulled a large hat over his head; he just wanted to get home in peace.
He wrote a quick note to Kaoru, leaving it on his desk before closing the door to his room. It had been a room of passion and inspiration, but they were only dreams.
With dreams, reality was not too far behind.
***
Okita stepped out to greet the bright morning. He made his way through the early morning merchants who were just beginning to set up thier wares.
He purchased fresh cut lily and narcissus flowers for the house. He bargained with the local shopkeeper for a ladle that had broken when Soujirou was cooking his soup. He was happy to get the prince he asked for.
He had gotten a letter from Mr. Saitou found that the letter contained a considerable amount of money for the passage to the United States. There was almost enough, perhaps they would leave in a month or two, before Gina had thier baby.
Okita grinned, perhaps his second child would be an American!
On his way home he picked up a newspaper. He folded it carelessly without even glances as he searched his pockets for loose change.
He finally opened the paper, trudeing back home in a blithe mood.
That was... until he read the headline story...
***
Soujirou slammed the paper down, make the table jump. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"
Sorry for the long wait on this chapter.
I've been really busy... ALMOST SPRING BREAK! ^.^
I'll try to get another chapter up before I go on vacation April 9th.
*TRY!* No promises.
Thanks for reading. Please review!