Disclaimer: Watsuki-sensei owns the Kenshin-gumi. I'm just playing with them...

AN: Please don't forget to review! I love reviews! However, any flames will be used to help keep my hair its lovely red color...

White Rose, Black Rose

By Amberle-chan

Chapter Five

Several days later, Megumi once again walked home with Aoshi Shinomori in the early twilight. After days of being tense and anxious, she finally found herself relaxing. There had been no more roses and no more notes since Aoshi had started to escort her home on a nightly basis. She began to think that whomever had threatened her had been scared off by the constant presence of the tall, handsome Onmitsu at her side.

As she had done on every night since they had begun their nightly trek back to her house, Megumi invited Aoshi in for tea when they reached the front porch of the house. She was a bit surprised at how disappointed she felt when he refused the invitation for the first time.

He regarded her with cool eyes. "Unfortunately, I cannot tonight," he said. "There is a group of foreign business men at the Aoiya that I must meet with tonight. However, I will be glad to have tea with you tomorrow night."

She bowed and smiled at him. "Have a pleasant evening then, Aoshi-san," she replied, "and, once again, thank you."

"You are welcome. Good night, Megumi-san," he said as he turned and began to walk down the street back toward the Aoiya.

Megumi watched him walk away for a few moments before she stepped into her house. She closed the door behind her and bent down slightly to light the lamp she kept on a table near the doorway. She turned away from the lamp to face her main living area.

She screamed.

Aoshi was barely a hundred yards away when he heard Megumi's scream rent the night air. In an instant, he whirled and ran back toward her house, his long strides covering the distance in mere seconds. Megumi stumbled out of the house and into his arms, sobbing hysterically.

He could see by the light of the single dim lamp that the front room of the home was in complete disarray; the thin rice paper walls had been torn and her few pieces of art shredded and sliced by a dagger or knife. Every single bottle, piece of ceramic, and glass had been smashed to the floor, except for one. A single glass vase stood on a table near the back wall in which three black roses had been neatly arranged. On the wall, in glistening black ink, were written the words:

Three more black roses for a lovely, dead woman

Soon the fox will sleep forever...

Kuro and Okun appeared at his side, their eyes widening as they took in the scene.

"Okashira, you must believe us, we never saw anyone!" Kuro exclaimed as Okun nodded vigorously in agreement.

Aoshi narrowed his eyes at them and nodded, knowing that neither of them would lie about such a thing. He tightened his arms around Megumi, who was still crying in gasping sobs against his chest. "Kuro, go back to the Aoiya and bring the carriage," he commanded. Kuro turned and ran down the street. "Okun, go into Takani-san's room and gather some of her clothing together. Do not touch anything else." The young woman entered the house, gingerly stepping over the items strewn about the floor.

Aoshi guided Megumi over to the porch where they sat down. She clung to him, his arms wrapped around her. One hand brushed through her hair as he whispered softly, "It's alright, Megumi. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." She pressed herself against his chest and he instinctively tightened his hold on her.

He did not speak again as he waited for her tears and sobs to lessen. Yet, even as he held her, his eyes scanned the area around the house, trying to pierce the shadows, searching for anything unusual. He had no doubt that they were being observed. Whoever had entered Megumi's house was very good at hiding if they could have gotten past the watchful eyes of both Kuro and Okun.

"Aoshi...?" Megumi's voice was a soft murmur against his chest. He looked down at her; she had raised her head to look up at him. Her eyes were still glistening, but she had stopped crying. He brushed one tear-stained cheek with his finger. "It's not safe here, Megumi," he said gently. "I've sent Kuro for the carriage. We'll go back to the Aoiya. I can protect you better there."

Megumi nodded wordlessly and Aoshi loosened his hold on her a little as she scrubbed her eyes with the back of one hand.

"Aoshi-san." He turned to see that Okun had returned to the porch. She was not carrying any clothing. "All of Takani-san's clothing has been ripped and torn," the young woman explained in a whisper. Megumi did not give any sign that she had heard Okun speaking.

He nodded in acknowledgment and went back to watching the night. The person stalking Megumi was beyond vicious. Not only did he want to kill her, but he also wanted to obliterate everything that meant anything to her before he could carry out his threat.

Megumi and Aoshi continued to sit quietly together on the porch while Okun stepped back into the house to check the other rooms. Aoshi was beginning to be concerned by Megumi's silence, but decided to leave the matter alone for the present. Megumi sat with her head down, her face hidden by her hair, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she leaned against Aoshi's side, one of his arms wrapped loosely about her waist. Okun reappeared a few moments later. When Aoshi turned to look at her, she shook her head. He mouthed the word, "Everything?" Okun's head bobbed down once in reply. His assessment had been correct. This madman wanted to destroy Megumi completely.

Kuro arrived with the carriage several minutes later accompanied by Shiro. After telling both Okun and Shiro to remain at the house, Aoshi helped the still unsteady Megumi into the carriage. "Go quickly, Kuro," he ordered curtly as he climbed in after her. He did not want to give anyone a chance to follow them.

Aoshi did not say anything when she leaned her head against his shoulder as the carriage bounced noisily down the street. He placed an arm around her shoulders. It seemed that he worked to protect this woman as often as she mended his wounds. Even when he had been her captor when he worked for Kanryu Takeda, he had protected her, from Kanryu and the other bodyguards who had not been Oniwabanshuu. The Oniwabanshuu had known better than to make perverted advances upon an innocent woman who had had no choice in the destiny forced upon her, and it was that protection of Megumi Takani that had allowed them to keep some shred of their honor. Aoshi pondered about why he still felt such a need to protect Megumi for a moment and then pushed the thought aside to meditate upon another time. There were more important matters at hand. He needed to focus on finding the person who was stalking Megumi Takani.

She was laying limp against him, asleep, when the carriage arrived at the Aoiya. Kuro pulled it around to the back of the compound where they were greeted by a furious Okina.

"Just where the hell have you been, Aoshi?" the older man demanded as Kuro jumped down to open the carriage door. "Those men in the common room have been waiting... ." He halted his tirade as Aoshi emerged from the carriage, Megumi cradled in his arms. "Megumi-san! What happened?"

"You'll have to make my excuses, Okina," Aoshi said flatly. "After I get Megumi-san settled into a room, I'm going straight to Cho."

Misao appeared at the back door. "Megumi-san!" she cried, rushing over to them.

"I'll explain later," Aoshi said. "Go to Omasu and borrow one of her sleeping yukatas, Misao. Bring it to the upper guest room in the back."

Misao's eyes were wide with curiosity but she obeyed, scampering instantly back into main building of the Aoiya. Megumi stirred in his arms, awakening.

"You can put me down, Aoshi," she said faintly. "I can walk."

He ignored her and proceeded to carry her up the stairs to the upper story. Megumi sighed, her breath coming out in a big huff, but she did not protest further. Aoshi's lips turned upwards slightly in amusement. She was regaining her composure. It was only when he reached the guest quarters that he put her down in front of the one of the closed doors.

She stared up at him as he let go of her. Aoshi's blue eyes regarded her calmly, and he was pleased to see that her eyes were now clear and absent of tears.

"Thank you, Aoshi," Megumi said, her voice a mere whisper as she continued to study his face. She paused. "I don't know what else to say...it does not seem enough..."

"I am glad that you are alright, Megumi-san," Aoshi replied, as his fingers brushed some stray hair from her face. "Misao will be here to help you in a few minutes. I'm going to see Cho now. Perhaps he can help find out who broke into your house. You should rest now. I'll speak to you in the morning."

She nodded, opened the door and stepped into the room without another word, closing the door behind her. Aoshi stood by the closed door for just a moment before he turned to go back down the stairs. He realized that the words he had spoken to Megumi were true, that he was truly happy and very relieved that nothing had happened to her... .

"This is the second time you've come to me about Takani-san, Shinomori," Cho commented as he sat behind his desk at the Kyoto police station. "What is she to you?"

"That is none of your concern," Aoshi replied coldly. "What is your concern is the fact that her house was broken into tonight. There was another death threat written on the wall."

Cho's eyebrow lifted as he stood up and strapped his sword belt around his waist. "Another one?"

"She is being hunted." Aoshi stated. "I want to find out why and by whom."

"So the great Oniwabanshuu Okashira came to me for help," Cho said sarcastically.

"A good leader knows when to use his resources, Cho," Aoshi said, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You are a resource, nothing more. However, if you choose not to be, perhaps I should speak to Saitoh."

Cho raised his hands in defeat. "No, I'll help. Let me get another couple of officers and we'll go to the house now. You have your people there watching the place now, I suppose?"

"Of course."

"Why do I even bother asking?" Cho muttered under his breath.

Three hours later, after a thorough search of the house by the police officers, Cho joined Aoshi on the porch. The tall dark-haired man was leaning against a post, facing toward the open doorway, his arms folded, his face expressionless.

"Well?" he asked.

"I'll agree that someone has definitely broken in," Cho said, "and that someone is threatening her. Everything in the house has been smashed, ripped or shredded to pieces, but there doesn't seem to be a clue anywhere as to who did it."

Aoshi raised himself off the post. "Perhaps there is," he said as he stepped into the house and approached the wall on which the threatening message had been written. The black ink had long since dried. He pointed to one of the words. "He uses the word 'fox' here. Only those closest to Takani-san know that to be her nickname. She picked it up in Tokyo, and she hasn't been living in Kyoto long enough for anyone else but those at the Aoiya to know about it. It's also a nickname she's not particularly fond of, so I doubt she would have told anyone living here about it."

Cho rubbed at his chin thoughtfully with one hand. "It could be that someone from Tokyo discovered she was here and followed her." He paused for a moment and then shook his head dismissively. "No, that doesn't track, either. He could have just as easily tried this there."

"Not if he is as smart as I think he is," Aoshi stated. "She had been living at the Kamiya dojo for a couple of months before she decided to move to Kyoto."

"Where she would have been protected by Battousai," Cho completed the thought. "And we both know what he's like when he's protecting someone."

"Which means this person is clever as well as careful," Aoshi mused, his head turned downward, his black bangs shadowing his eyes as he thought over the situation. "If he followed her from Tokyo, he waited until there was no such protection evident. That has changed, of course. She'll remain at the Aoiya until this person is found."

"There's also her past, Shinomori," Cho commented.

Aoshi raised his eyes to stare at the message on the wall again. "Yes, I have considered that as well. There weren't that many people who died from the opium Kanryu forced her to make, but there were a few. Perhaps it is a relative living in here in Kyoto who found out she was here and is now exacting revenge." He sighed and turned back to Cho. "However, we are both just speculating. There is nothing more I can do here right now. I must return to the Aoiya." He walked toward the door.

"I'll leave an officer here just in case someone returns," Cho said. "I think I should also put some officers around the Aoiya." Aoshi turned back to him, one eyebrow raised. "I know, I know, your own people are more than sufficient to take care of things, but humor me, okay?" He waved his hands around the room. "This is a madman's work, and they have a tendency not to care how many people they hurt in order to get what they want."

Aoshi smirked but then nodded in agreement as he strode out into the night.

Megumi's thoughts were full of Aoshi Shinomori when she awoke the following morning. She knew that she should be thinking about her situation, about the menacing messages, trying to figure out who was threatening her, but she could not focus on them. Her mind was too distracted by the memory of his touch, the way he had held her so tightly to him, the reassuring words he had spoken warm against her skin. No man had ever held her like that before, and she was surprised how safe she had felt in his arms. However, given their shared shadowy history, she had never imagined she would ever have been held so comfortingly by Aoshi. She had always thought Aoshi to be a cold man whose heart was ice, but after spending the last several days in his company and after his reaction to what had happened the night before, she was beginning to realize that he did care, he did have emotions, but that he chose to keep those emotions tightly leashed.

She rose from the futon, straightening the sleeping yukata that Omasu had lent her. Both Omasu and Misao had been so worried about her the night before. A few moments after Misao knocked on the door to give her the yukata, Omasu arrived with tea, for which she was grateful. She knew that they were both curious as to what had happened, so she told them as they listened in rapt attention, knowing deep within herself that talking about the situation would only help her more. Even Okina had peeked in once to check on her, his usual flirtatious manner lost in his concern for her safety.

Megumi went to the bath house, and after finding it empty, she stoked the furnace and immersed herself in steaming water for many long minutes. After drying herself off, she slipped the yukata back on and went back to her room where she found a yellow kimono embroidered with pink and purple flowers folded neatly on the futon. She put it on gratefully and went in search of Omasu to thank her. She would return the kimono once she could return to her house and get her own things.

She headed straight for the kitchen, knowing that was where most of the Aoiya's staff shared their breakfast before beginning their day. Omasu was not there, but Aoshi was. He stood up as she entered the room and bowed slightly.

"Good morning, Megumi-san," he said. "I hope you slept well."

"I did," she replied, "which is surprising, considering what happened." She bit her lower lip and looked around the kitchen. "I wanted to thank Omasu- san for letting me borrow her things."

"She had an errand to run before we open the restaurant today." Aoshi supplied. "Please, come and have some tea."

Megumi settled herself across from him as he poured out some tea for her. "I really should return to my house today to get my own things, Aoshi-san."

Aoshi's hand hesitated for just a moment before he put the teapot back in its place. He turned his gaze up to her face, studying her for a moment, judging if she was now strong enough to hear about the complete destruction of all her possessions.

Megumi did not understand the strange expression he had on his face. "Aoshi- san? What is wrong?"

He sighed and knew that he had to inform her. "You were too upset last night to pay any attention to what Okun found," he stated, his voice calm. "Whoever entered your house destroyed all your things, Megumi-san. All your clothes were torn and ripped and everything else had been smashed."

Megumi put down her cup with a trembling hand and stood up, turning away from him. She heard a slight rustle of cloth as he stood up as well. "Everything?" she asked quietly as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

Aoshi placed one hand on her shoulder and turned her around. He reached out and gently brushed the tear away before letting his fingers drop away. "Your things can be replaced, Megumi-san," he said, his eyes intent on her face. "You, however, cannot be replaced."

She searched his face, wondering for a moment if his words carried more depth than the simple logic they entailed. She couldn't tell and so she dropped her head. "I know," she murmured in agreement.

"Misao has agreed to go shopping with you today, Megumi-san, so you can at least buy what you need immediately," Aoshi said, his voice still calm, and yet in the back of his mind he wondered if the words he'd spoken only a moment before had conveyed too much. When he had begun his morning meditation just as the sun was rising, he had found it difficult to center himself. His thoughts kept drifting to her, the way she had felt in his arms, the way his heart clenched in fear every time he thought about the possibility of her stalker getting past the defenses he had set up to hurt her. He placed one hand on her arm. "Come finish your tea."

Megumi was startled later that morning when Aoshi announced that he had decided to accompany her and Misao on their shopping trip. She had never pictured Aoshi Shinomori shopping for anything. His eyes glinted with amusement when she expressed her surprise.

"I do have to purchase something appropriate to wear for Misao and Soujiro's wedding, Megumi-san," he said lightly. "Now is as good time as any to do so."

Thus, she found herself walking down the main street of Kyoto's market district between Aoshi and Misao, peering into various shops, especially those that sold clothing. She kept her purchases to simple, unembellished kimonos, one or two smocks, underclothes, and sleeping yukatas, given her limited monetary resources and the fact that she now had to replace everything she had ever owned. Aoshi hovered by her side constantly, except for when he entered one store to purchase of a simple but elegant outfit of his own for Misao's wedding.

It was early on during the walk that she realized that Aoshi was continuing to watch over her. For a moment or two she felt irritated, thinking that no person, no matter how crazy, would dare attack her in the daylight while she walked around the market. He did not need to watch over her here. Her irritation soon melted away, however, when she recognized that she had been just as naïve about someone following her and breaking into her house. She kept taking surreptitious glances at Aoshi all afternoon, wondering how he was actually feeling about going on a shopping excursion with two women, but his face continued to wear a mask of calm coolness all afternoon.

Misao soon left them by themselves as she went to search for presents for Soujiro. She had no need for clothing and knew that Aoshi was perfectly capable of taking care of Megumi. Aoshi and Megumi continued to stroll along the street, seldom speaking, but he never left her side as she peered into various shop windows. At one point during the afternoon, Megumi found herself drawn to one stall in which bolts of heavily embroidered fabric were laid carefully on several tables. The older, gray-haired man minding the stall stood up, smiled and bowed as she began to look at the many beautiful fabrics for sale. Her eyes fell on one bolt of sky-blue silk. It was a color she seldom wore, but this particular fabric had been daintily embroidered with red and pink roses along with violets sprinkled throughout. It was very pretty.

"You would look very beautiful in a kimono made from that," the older man said.

Megumi smiled in reply. "Thank you," she replied. She was used to getting such compliments from many people, but also knew that the man was trying to be a good salesman, but he didn't need to be much of one when he sold such beautiful fabrics. She slid one delicate finger down the soft silk, mentally counting the money she still had at her disposal, and shook her head. "Unfortunately...," she began to say and then smiled again at the old man. "Perhaps another time."

"Of course," the man replied, moving off to speak with other customers.

Megumi reluctantly left the stall, Aoshi still walking beside her, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes moving constantly, observing the crowd around them.. As they moved down the street, he glanced down at her once and then stared straight ahead again.

"The old man was correct, Megumi-san," he said suddenly. "You would look beautiful in such a kimono."

Megumi halted, her eyebrows rising in shocked surprise. "Are you paying me a compliment, Aoshi-san?"

He did not turn to look at her, but continued to watch the people mingling in the street. "Just stating a fact, Megumi-san," he replied. His voice was flat, inflectionless. She stared up at him until he turned to face her. His countenance still wore the same calm, indifferent expression he had been wearing all day. "We should continue on, Megumi-san," he said, prompting her to walk forward. Megumi wondered vaguely if she was blushing.

Author's Note: Once again, I am very grateful to everyone who has reviewed this fic. A special thank you goes out to Mirune Keishiko: You can gush all you want!