A/N: Miracle of miracles. Okay. I am still keeping my promise to finish this fic. As of June 14th til June 30th, I will be focusing on this fic and the others will have to be on the backburner. And since I don't think I have the energy to make my Meiji timeline fics a trilogy, the story might end with this one. =P

Chapter 12: Thoughtfulness

Aoshi turned to her. "We should be getting inside."

She began to place several items in the bag that hung in the corner of the room. Once she was finished, he led the way up the stairs, pushing the door open.

But it refused to move. She must have sensed this, for a frown appeared on her delicate features.

"It won't open." Her comment was a statement, rather than a question.

He pushed harder. "Is there something I can use to force the door?"

Megumi quickly looked around before handing him a shovel. Aoshi attempted to pry the door open. After several minutes, the door gave way.

Much to her relief. The last thing she'd need is to be confined into a small space where she could possibly freeze. Once they emerged on to level ground, Megumi began to make her way towards the house. When she realized that Aoshi hadn't moved, she stopped, looking at him.

He seemed to be concentrating. His head was tilted slightly, his eyes shifting…as if…listening for something.

"What is it?" Megumi whispered.

"Someone's calling for help."

Her eyes rounded. "What…?"

He then took off, exiting the clinic grounds, making a sharp right outside.

Megumi followed as quickly as she could, but he was fairly difficult to follow. She soon reached a small clearing with a spanse of cracked ice. In the middle, in a small hole revealing icy water below, a young boy and woman struggled to stay afloat.

"Stay here," Aoshi told her.

Megumi's lips parted in shock. "Aoshi..."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I am not sure how long they've been there." He handed her his coat. "They will need this when I get them out."

Megumi watched as Aoshi carefully made his way across the ice, her heart leaping in her throat.

Just as Aoshi got close, the ice beneath him collapsed.

"Aoshi!" Megumi called out.

He disappeared beneath the surface of the water for several long moments. Megumi clasped her hands together, her heartbeat echoing in her ears.

No, please…

His head appeared, and he made his way to the two quickly. From her position, she could see Aoshi speak to them, but they were too far away for the conversation to carry through the air. The girl then climbed on Aoshi's back with the boy latching on to her and they slowly made their way to safety.

Once they reached Megumi's side, she quickly removed her coat and gave it to Aoshi to wrap around the young woman. She wrapped the boy with Aoshi's long coat, and lifting the boy in her arms, followed Aoshi as he made his way to the clinic while holding the young woman in his arms.

The boy, the young woman, and Aoshi were shivering, the two younger ones more so as they hurried into the clinic.

Megumi immediately started a fire in two rooms. Aoshi placed the girl in one room while he and the boy occupied the other. Working quickly, Megumi fetched several blankets and three yukata for them to use.

"C-cold…" the young woman muttered, her eyes closed.

"I know," Megumi murmured. "You're going to be okay…"

She quickly changed the girl's wet clothes out and wrapped her in a blanket. When she went to check on Aoshi and the boy, she came in to see him finish tying his yukata closed. The boy lay close to the fire, surrounded in blankets.

"Are you all right?" Megumi asked.

Aoshi nodded. "How is the girl?"

"She's cold. But she'll be all right…" Megumi lifted the boy's blankets and checked his temperature and pulse.

She left the room for a bit and returned with a few towels.

"That was a very brave thing you did," she commented, holding out two towels for him to use. "I…I don't know what else to say…"

When he reached out, his fingers brushed hers and lingered. To her surprise, there was a faint warmth beneath the chilled surface of his skin.

"There is no need to say anything," he assured.

She nodded. He was right. There was no need to say anything. She had seen quite a few kind gestures from this man for some time now. Yet each one surprised her.

She studied him for a few moments. "Are you all right?" she asked.

He frowned. "Yes. Why?"

She grasped his wrist, observing the occasional shiver of his fingertips while taking his pulse rate. "For someone exposed to a significant drop in temperature, you…you seem…almost normal." She released his hand. "Although I think it's best you get warm as quickly as possible."

He arched a brow at her commanding tone.

"Doctor's orders," she added with a quick smile before turning to leave. "I'm going to fix you something warm to drink."

()

Aoshi rubbed his hands together to generate warmth. Megumi had only been gone for a few minutes.

He needed the time away from her at the moment. Being around her had strange effects to his thinking.

He didn't know why he only noticed it now. It all made sense. Why he seemed so…off around her.

The answer was simple. Yet complex. It had been there all along, hidden, waiting.

When he had fallen in the ice, and heard her call out his name, fear had been evident in her voice. He could see her in his mind's eye as she waited for him.

Sometime during their acquaintance and friendship…Takani Megumi had started to mean something to him. It would be the first time he truly admitted that to himself. He wasn't exactly sure when he started to care for the woman...it probably went back to the time he came to Aizu so many months ago.

But before he could consider that, there were two young patients in the clinic who needed looking after. And who knew how many others come morning. With the trains closed and Takani Kei gone for a few more days, Megumi might need some assistance.

A/N: More explanations later.