Standard disclaimer apply: I'm just playing with them, Watsuki-san...honest, I am!

White Rose, Black Rose

By Amberle-chan

Chapter Eight

After Megumi tore up every piece of cloth in the commissary to staunch the flow of Aoshi's blood, she ran back into the hospital hallway, screaming for help. Two residents and a nurse answered her summons and ran back with her toward the commissary. All of three of them were shocked to see Dr. Inoue lying unconscious on the floor, but after telling them that he would be fine, she instructed the two residents to carry Aoshi to the nearest room with a free bed. It was then she tried to become the efficient, clinical doctor, because she knew that if she didn't, she would fall apart and be no help whatsoever to Aoshi. He grew paler with every drop of blood that pumped out of his wounds, but as the minutes passed, his skin turned ashen and gray. She then ordered the two residents back to get Inoue, bring him to another room, and look after him. She next asked the nurse to fetch another doctor immediately to help her and to bring hot water and fresh bandages.

She had already unwrapped the makeshift bandages she had placed earlier around Aoshi's chest when Dr. Sugikawa, an older doctor on the staff, arrived in the room. "What happened here, Takani-san?" he demanded as he rushed over to the bed to grab Aoshi's wrist so he could check his pulse.

"Dr. Inoue attacked us," she replied tersely. "I don't know why...please help me, Dr.

Sugikawa." She gently lifted another blood-soaked bandage off Aoshi's body.

He reached out to grab her hand. "Stop, Dr. Takani. I'll take care of him."

She lifted tear-filled eyes to the older doctor's face. "I have to help him," she sobbed softly.

"You're too emotional right now," Dr. Sugikawa said. "I will take care of him." He bent down to inspect the open wound on Aoshi's chest.

She backed away from the bedside, one trembling hand pressed against her mouth. "You have to save him...please you have to save him," she gasped pleadingly.

Dr. Sugikawa did not reply but began the work he needed to do to save Aoshi Shinomori's life.

Hours later, Aoshi remained in a coma. After Dr. Sugikawa had tended to Aoshi's wounds, Megumi stood by his side, both of her hands clutched around Aoshi's arm. She looked up at the older doctor, already knowing what he would tell her, but terrified of hearing it.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Takani-san," he said gently. "He's lost a lot of blood, and the wounds to his chest and leg are severe. You know more than anyone else right now what that means. He could live or he could die. We have to wait."

"This is Aoshi Shinomori, Doctor. He's too stubborn to die," she said vehemently as she tightened her grip around his arm. She then bent down and laid her forehead against his. Aoshi's breathing was a shallow rasp against her face. "I love you, Aoshi. Please don't prove me wrong," she whispered desperately.

Later on that day, with Misao's help, Megumi dragged an old futon into Aoshi's hospital room so she would not have to leave his side. All of the Aoiya staff had crowded into the room at one point, all of them silently staring as Megumi continually encouraged Aoshi to wake up in barely heard whispers. After a few moments, Okina quietly ordered everyone out of the room. Megumi lay awake on the futon for the remainder of the night, waiting for any sign that Aoshi was awakening.

Hideo Inoue visited briefly the next morning, bowing deeply as he entered the room. "I deeply apologize for this, Takani-sensei," he said formally. "I knew how Benjiro's mother died, but it never even occurred to me that he would seek revenge. I tried to teach him not to dwell in the past, to live in the present moment and for the future. Perhaps I did not teach him well enough. Please forgive me."

Megumi looked at the older man with pity and just a touch of scorn as she gently brushed some hair away from Aoshi's face. "Perhaps you did not know your son at all, Inoue-san."

The older man bowed again. "Hai. Perhaps," he agreed. "How is Shinomori-san?"

Megumi gazed down at Aoshi's beloved face tenderly. "He's strong," she answered softly, brushing a finger across his cheek. "He'll pull out of this. He will."

Inoue did not say anything, a look of profound sadness crossing his face as he watched her. He could see how close Aoshi Shinomori was to death. He silently prayed that Megumi Takani's faith in Shinomori's strength was accurate. He bowed once again and left.

Another night passed and then another day. Megumi hovered by Aoshi's bedside, refusing to even leave to eat until both Okina and Misao demanded it of her.

"You have to eat and rest, Megumi," Okina insisted. "You'll be no good to Aoshi whatsoever if you're exhausted when he wakes up."

"Jiya is right," Misao stated. "Go back to your office. We'll watch over Aoshi-sama for a little while."

Megumi walked back to her office, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. As she opened the door, her eyes widened slightly at the small brightly wrapped package that lay on her desk. She trembled as she slid a finger along the wrapping. Was it another "gift" from Benjiro Inoue? Then she shook her head...the package had not been there when he had left his last note. She opened the wrapping and lifted the lid of the box.

Inside was a small music box of ebony wood, a white rose in full bloom painted on the lid. She lifted out the card that lay next to it and read:

I know that this can never replace the music box that once belonged to your mother, but please accept it with all my love.

Aoshi

Megumi lifted the lid of the music box, and a soft song tinkled out. It was the same song that had played on her mother's music box. How had he known? How had he found out? She stood up, her hands clenched around the music box. "Rest be damned!" she thought vehemently as she ran out of her office and down the corridor back toward his room. She was never going to leave his side. Never.

All of the Oniwanbanshuu came several times to check on her and their leader's condition during the night. Dr. Sugikawa appeared numerous times to check on his patient, each time leaving the room in silence. Another day passed.

Despair began to take over Megumi's spirit that night. Tears fell glistening down her cheeks as she brushed her lips against Aoshi's pale forehead, pleading with him not to die. "You once told me that you believed in my strength, Aoshi Shinomori," she murmured as she leaned close to him. "Now hear me. I believe in your strength as well. You are too stubborn to do this. You will not die."

She sat down in the chair by the bed, folded her arms by his side, laid her head upon her hands, and cried herself to sleep.

Aoshi's fingers were entangled in her hair when she awoke. Raising her head slightly to look at him, she found his blue eyes gleaming down at her. She reached out to cup his face with her hand, a smile of pure joy lighting her face. "Aoshi...," she whispered.

Two days later, Megumi went to the police station accompanied by Okina and Misao. Benjiro Inoue had been taken into custody as soon as he had regained consciousness. Cho had requested her presence while he questioned the fallen doctor. The interrogation was very long and tiring, and Megumi soon grew exhausted of hearing Benjiro's mad voice.

But soon all of what had happened was revealed and the reasons as to why Benjiro had stalked Megumi and attacked Aoshi.

"Why did you destroy all her things?" Okina asked. "If you knew you could draw Aoshi-san out just by threatening Megumi-san, why destroy everything she owned?"

"She humiliated me," Benjiro muttered.

"I beg your pardon?" Cho said.

"She humiliated me!" he screamed. "A mere woman! I could not let that go by without some retaliation!"

Megumi huffed and clenched her fists, shaking her head in disgust.

"I have one last question," Cho said as he rose from his seat and leaned over the prisoner. "How did you know Takani-sensei's nickname was 'Fox'?"

Megumi lifted her head in surprise and stared at Benjiro Inoue, suddenly remembering the note that had been written on the back wall of her house. She had never told anyone at the hospital her nickname. How had he known?

A chill ran down her spine as Benjiro cackled madly. "You're kidding, right?" he gasped through his laughter as he looked at her "That's your nick name?" He laughed again. "I guess it was just a happy circumstance! I used that word because that's how you acted around your students! You were so sly when you taught them that I couldn't help thinking that about you. Ha! A happy circumstance! A happy circumstance!"

Megumi stood up and without a word turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her. Okina followed her a moment later. She stood just outside the door, her arms wrapped around herself.

"You know what's so sad about this whole thing, Okina-san?" she asked. "He really was an excellent doctor. What a waste!"

"Need for revenge drives many men mad, Megumi-san," Okina replied. "You know that. You saw that at one time with Aoshi."

"Yes, but Aoshi had the strength to move past that madness, just as he had the strength to live and come back to me."

Weeks later it was determined that Benjiro Inoue was insane. He was remanded to the custody of an asylum in Yokohama, but on the night before he was to be transferred there, he was found dead in his cell. He had hung himself with some bed linen. His father, horrified by his son's actions and deeply saddened by his suicide, resigned his post at the hospital and left Kyoto for good.

It took weeks for Aoshi to recover enough so that he could return home to the Aoiya, and even when he did return, he walked with a slight limp, a final testimonial to the great harm that Benjiro Inoue had inflicted on him. But as the time drew near for Misao and Soujiro's wedding, the limp gradually disappeared.

His face was solemn as he gave Misao into Soujiro's keeping, but Megumi could see by the light in his eyes that he was happy for them both. Misao was radiant as she and Soujiro quietly pledged their vows. The wedding celebration was loud and joyful and lasted long into the night. Megumi remained at Aoshi's side throughout the evening, her fingers entangled in his own, not needing any conversation, just content in his strong presence and the knowledge that he was finally whole and alive. Aoshi was also content as his eyes took in the frivolity around him, but they always returned to the beautiful young woman at his side. She was smiling at the merriment around her, her head pillowed against his shoulder. Aoshi's eyes roamed once more around the garden and then dropped back to her face when she laughed delightedly as she watched Okina beat Kuro at arm wrestling for a third time in a row.

"Kuro always loses," Aoshi murmured, his words only for her hearing. Megumi turned her face up to him just in time to see a small smile cross his lips. "In all these years, he has never learned what he's doing wrong." He shook his head, a glint of silent laughter in his eyes.

"You've never told him Okina's secret?" Megumi asked.

"No, I thought he should figure it out for himself," he replied, and then paused, his eyes widening in sudden wonder. "Wait...you know Okina's secret?"

She nodded, smiled and laughed again. She pointed toward Okina, whose legs were splayed and firmly anchored to the ground. "Okina has got better leverage than Kuro. And as he long as he does, Kuro will always lose."

"But how...?"

She reached up to touch his face with one finger. "I had a very good teacher." He did not reply but brushed her forehead with his lips and brought her closer into his embrace.

Moments later, Kenshin joined them, smiling. "I'm very glad to see you both happy and whole, that I am," he said. "Both Kaoru and I were upset that we could not be here to help, but given the circumstances," his words trailed off as his eyes sought his wife, who was sitting on the other side of the garden, surrounded by Omasu, Okun, and Misao, one hand held protectively against her swollen stomach. "It will be a girl this time, of that I'm certain."

"Congratulations, Himura-san," Aoshi said.

"Perhaps you can help me with advice, Aoshi-san, seeing that you raised Misao so well." Kenshin said.

Aoshi arched an eyebrow. "I have no doubt that you will do very well, Himura-san."

"Perhaps." A sudden mischievous gleam came into Kenshin's eyes. "And then again, you also will be busy with... other things."

"Ken-san?" Megumi asked, a puzzled frown crossing her face.

Kenshin's eyes were all innocence, but his smile was cryptic as he looked back at her. "I should get back to Kaoru, that I should." He bowed slightly and left.

"Himura-san sometimes has a strange sense of humor," Aoshi commented. Megumi quirked an eyebrow up at him but kept her silence.

It was nearing midnight before all the wedding guests began to leave or return to their guest rooms. Misao and Soujiro had left quietly on their own an hour before. Megumi stood up and stretched. Aoshi watched her movements with pleasure and Megumi blushed slightly as she noticed his unwavering gaze. She stretched out a hand toward him. "I'm not really tired yet. Will you play a game of chess with me?"

He took her hand and they went back into the house together.

An hour later, Aoshi gave Megumi a measured glance. Either he was very distracted or her chess game was improving. His head was propped up on one hand as he watched her fingers wrap around her knight to move it to bishop six and his eyes gleamed in amusement. "Are you sure want to move that way, Megumi?" he asked her. "I seem to remember warning you about that move once before."

Megumi gazed back at him, a mischievous glint in her own eyes. "Oh, I'm sure, Aoshi."She moved the knight and smiled in smug satisfaction as his eyes widened in surprise. "Checkmate!" she declared. It was the first game she had ever won.

Aoshi stood up, picked up his king, walked over to her, and placed it gently in her hand, wrapping her fingers about the ivory carving with his own. A light blush tinged her cheeks as she looked up at him. His gaze was searing and intense and she found herself getting lost in the deep crystal blueness of his eyes. For a moment she remembered how she had once thought of those eyes as icy and expressionless, but now she knew the truth.

Aoshi Shinomori was certainly a quiet man, a private man, and could be calm to the point of frustrating her to pieces, but she would never think of him as being "icy" ever again.

Aoshi reached out to caress her cheek. She was so beautiful. So fierce in spirit. She had regained her strength back just as he had regained his, and they had shared in that journey together. And he knew now in his heart that he wanted their journey together to continue. He bent down to kiss her tenderly, but after a moment he turned from her and walked to a chest on the other side of the room. He opened the lid and pulled out a box, returned to her, and laid the box in her arms.

She looked up at him wonder. "Aoshi, what...?"

"Open it."

She lifted the lid of the box and put it aside. Then she gently removed several layers of tissue paper, finally revealing a blue silk kimono embroidered with red and pink roses sprinkled with violets throughout. "Aoshi," she breathed, "it's beautiful."

He gazed down at her with tender eyes. "I would be greatly honored if you would wear it on our wedding day."

She stared up at him with startled, wide irises. "Wedding day?"

His long, slender fingers reached out to caress her face. "Marry me, Megumi."

Megumi's hand slid up to wrap around the hand that was pressed against her cheek, her eyes beginning to glisten. Alarmed, Aoshi knelt down next to her. "Megumi? If you do not wish to...."

Her radiant smile instantly allayed his fears as she laced the fingers of her other hand through his hair. "No...no," she assured him softly.. "I couldn't help remembering how I almost lost you all those weeks ago. You were so close to death, Aoshi, so close...but you're still here, and I never want to let you go." She stared into his crystal eyes, her own eyes gleaming with undisguised warmth. "I want you to hold me forever, Aoshi."

His only answer was to enfold her into his warm embrace, his lips brushing against hers in a tender kiss. He pulled back after a moment to gaze down at the beautiful woman in his arms who held his heart and soul in her hands. "I'll never let go, Megumi," he whispered. "Aishiteru."

The End

Author's Note: Once again, I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story. A special thanks goes to Evil-Addict who gave me such a wonderful review in the last chapter. A very special thanks also goes to the ladies of the Shrine of Ice and Fire who gave me lots of support. My most heartful thank you is for my beta reader, Eriesalia. She opened my eyes as to how much fun it is to write about Aoshi and Megumi. Guess what, S? You've got a true convert on your hands now! -