Sequel to Between the Devil and the Deep
A Rurouni Kenshin AU Fic
by Gemini
Rated R: For cursing and other naughty things
Disclaimer: This Rurouni Kenshin franchise is owned and operated by Earl "Nobuhiro" Watsuki,
Tim "Shonen" Jump and "Sony" Jones. There are also a few silent partners I can't recall.
The events in this story take place one year after the end of 'Between the Devil and the Deep'
Chapter 10 : The Morning After
For almost her entire young life, Kaoru had slept alone. That meant, of course, that she also awoke alone. With that in mind, it shouldn't be too surprising that she was quite confused when she awoke the next morning to find herself not only in a strange bedroom, but also in the company of someone. It took a few moments for her sleep-muddled mind to clear enough for her to recall why it was that she was currently spooned against a warm, NAKED body, whose owner had wrapped a strong arm around her waist as though to prevent her from leaving.
'Kenshin.
I'm in his bed… and last night we…' Kaoru turned bright red as the
previous evening's nocturnal activities came back to her in vivid
detail. Following on the heels of those particular thoughts were other,
more urgent ones. Specifically about Katsu, Admiral Serizawa's
warehouse and a dawn appointment with her crew. Alarmed, she looked
towards the curtained windows that faced the east to see if she had
over slept. They were only partially drawn and it was possible for her
to see that it was still dark. A very faint light at the horizon
heralded the coming dawn, but she still had enough time to meet her
men, if she left immediately.
She didn't want to leave, and for a long moment, she considered staying
right where she was. But her accursed sense of duty reared its ugly
head and she soon found herself trying to escape Kenshin's hold without
waking him. She knew that if he awoke, she would be in trouble because
at this moment, she was weak. If he asked her to stay, she would. If he
asked her to marry him, to abandon everything and spend her life with
him, she would, damn it.
Slowly, carefully, she eased out from under his arm. He stirred and
murmured her name sleepily. She cursed silently and prayed that he
could be coaxed back to slumber with little fuss.
"Shh…go back to sleep." She whispered, gently touching his face with
just the tips of her fingers. He turned his head into her touch so that
she was cradling his cheek, and cracked open one sleepy amethyst eye.
"Where are you going?" He asked, opening his other eye and blinking at her owlishly.
"Just to wash up a bit. Don't worry." She lied, glad that the room was dark enough to make her expression hard to read.
He smiled and turned his face to kiss the hand that still cupped his face. "I love you."
It took every ounce of her strength not to throw herself back into his
arms and vow to never leave him again. She bit her lip and willed her
tears back. Sano had told her to resolve things with Kenshin, but she
couldn't. She really was a coward. She didn't want to see the hurt in
his eyes or hear it in his voice. She didn't want to have to justify
her actions to him, knowing that she could barely justify them to
herself. What Kaoru wanted was for her last memories of Kenshin to be
these sweet and intimate moments. She wanted to remember him just as he
was right then, sleepy and handsome, his voice hoarse as he told her
that he loved her.
She lowered her lips to his and kissed him gently, just the barest
caress, more reassurance than anything else. "I love you, too. I love
you so very much." She whispered. "Now go back to sleep. I'll only be a
minute."
He nodded and closed his eyes, sinking back into his pillow with a smile still on his face.
She slid the rest of the way off the bed and began gathering up her
clothes from where they had been carelessly tossed the night before.
She dressed swiftly, her eyes straying to the bed from time to time to
make sure Kenshin wasn't awake again. As she pulled on her last boot,
she took one long, final look at him, memorizing every detail.
Kaoru had to take several deep and calming breaths before she was able
to turn her back on him and quietly leave the room, praying for him to
stay asleep long enough for her to get away.
It took Kaoru a long while to find her men once she arrived at the docks an hour later, but she finally located them, hiding in the shadows of a dilapidated warehouse that stood a stone's throw away from Admiral Serizawa's equally decrepit building. Aoshi and Sano were there, along with Chou, Soujiro, Hannya, Shikijo and Beshimi. Her best fighters; all of them, especially Chou, were armed to the teeth. Then again, Chou was always armed to the teeth.
She slipped into the alleyway and greeted them warmly, almost as though there was nothing out of the ordinary going on, as though they weren't heavily armed and about to take on a dangerous enemy. Sano waited until she was within reach, then grabbed her arm and steered her away from the others, ignoring their curious looks.
"Did everything go okay?" He whispered, clearly concerned for her.
"Fine." She replied lightly. "All taken care of." She pulled her arm from his grip and turned to her men. "Are all of you ready?"
They nodded silently.
"Good. I have no idea what we're going to find in there. Maybe nothing, maybe Niimi's entire crew, I don't know. But Katsu might be in there and we're going to save his stupid ass even if it kills us." Kaoru checked her two pistols to make sure they were loaded and gave her sword a pat. "Let's go."
Yahiko was sprawled across his bed, his small frame managing to take up nearly the entire double bed that dominated his bedroom. He snored lightly and dreamed the dreams of a nine-year old boy, mostly centering on Tsubame and an entire gourmet picnic lunch he had made just for her. She was generously praising his culinary skills when a loud crash and cursing dragged him abruptly from his sleep.
The noises had come from the direction of Kenshin's bedroom, which was three doors down from Yahiko's. At first, the puzzled and sleepy boy didn't know what to do or think. He could tell from the way light was weakly coming into his room that it was morning, probably about six, if that. But what was going on this early? Had Kenshin or one of the maids had an accident?
Curious, and not a little concerned, he got out of bed and went to his door, cracking it open to look out into the hallway. Saya, still in her nightgown and robe, her long gray hair in a braid, was wringing her hands at the head of the stairs. Behind her, several other servants cowered, unsure what to do.
"What's going on?" Yahiko asked, fully awake now.
"Master Himura seems to be upset." Saya said, her face creased in worry. "In all the years I've worked for him…I've never…"
Her explanation was cut short by another crash and more cursing. One of the servant girls let out an alarmed squeak.
A few moments later, Kenshin's bedroom door burst open and he came flying out, looking rather disheveled and angry. Normally meticulous about his appearance, his current state sent waves of alarm through his already concerned staff and his ward. His red hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail, loose strands flying around his face as though they had a mind of their own. He was wearing a wrinkled pair of pants and a hastily donned shirt that was only half-buttoned. His sword hung at his waist, shoved haphazardly through his belt. He had not even bothered to find its scabbard. Most alarmingly, his right hand was bloody and bruised, as though he had slammed it repeatedly into something. His expression was one that Yahiko had only seen once before, and that was aboard the Kami Kaze, when Kenshin had stood by Kaoru's bedside, listening to Megumi's grim prognosis for her captain's survival. It frightened the boy then and it frightened him now.
Kenshin marched to the stairs, ignoring his staff all of whom scurried out of his way. Only Yahiko had the courage to follow after him as he stomped down the staircase to the foyer below.
"Kenshin?" Yahiko whispered when it appeared that his guardian was going to walk out the door. "Are you okay?"
Kenshin paused, his bloody hand resting on the doorknob. "No, I'm not." He replied gruffly. "Kaoru's gone off and I have the sneaking suspicion that she's not coming back. I think she's found what she was looking for and is planning on leaving immediately."
"Are you going to go find her?" Yahiko asked nervously. "I don't think she'd like that." He didn't need to ask how Kenshin had suddenly come to the conclusion that Kaoru had disappeared. The boy had seen her sneaking down the hallway the night before.
"Probably not. But if she thinks she can just disappear without saying a word to me, she's gravely mistaken. Especially not after…" He trailed off and cleared his throat. "Never mind. Apologize to Saya and the staff for me, will you? I didn't mean to frighten them."
"I will." Yahiko murmured.
"Good. I'll be back soon, Yahiko." He turned and offered his ward a half-hearted smile.
The boy nodded solemnly. "Good luck, Kenshin."
"I'll need it." Kenshin replied as he pulled open the door and stepped out into the early morning sunshine, determined to find Kaoru. He had an idea where he should start looking.
Kenshin handed the reigns of his horse to Maiko Hamaguchi's stable boy, ignoring the young man's startled expression. He didn't particularly care how bad he looked right then. The only concern he had was Kaoru.
Madame Hamaguchi's butler gave Kenshin a similar look, only his was overlaid with a sneer. "I doubt Madame Hamaguchi will see you, sir." The man said stiffly. "She has a guest and is not inclined to entertain persons such as yourself."
Kenshin frowned. "You will tell your mistress that Captain Kenshin Himura of His Majesty's Imperial Navy is here to speak with her."
The butler's expression changed and he nodded. He turned smartly on his heel and marched down the hall, muttering to himself once he believed himself to be out of earshot. "First the pirates and now another Navy man? Who are we to entertain next? Bandits?"
Unfortunately for the butler, Kenshin had rather good hearing and he found himself to be quite concerned by the man's comment. Who else was here? Could Admiral Serizawa have found out about Kaoru?"
He stewed on that until the butler returned, looking almost embarrassed. "Madame will see you now." He said solicitously, leading Kenshin into the large foyer and through a set of mahogany doors into her large, airy morning room.
"Ah, Captain Himura, is it? Kaoru has spoken of you often, and quite fondly." Maiko Hamaguchi, resplendent in a pale pink gown sprigged with tiny embroidered flowers, rose from her seat and held out her hand to him. He took it and gave her knuckles a perfunctory kiss, his eyes all the while darting around the room, looking for her other guest.
"It is a rare thing for Kaoru to have such esteem for a person. Generally, she seems to dislike most everyone." Maiko smiled and removed her hand from his, her sharp eyes taking in his battered hand and disheveled appearance. She said nothing about it, however. Instead, she offered him a seat.
"I'm afraid I am in a mood to dispense with pleasantries, Madame. I must apologize for my behavior and my appearance, but I need to speak to Kaoru. Is she here?" Kenshin asked brusquely.
Maiko raised an eyebrow. "No, Captain. She left last night and I do not expect her to return."
Kenshin's expression darkened. "I see. And you do not know where she is?"
Maiko turned and moved to seat herself in one of the overstuffed chintz covered chairs that the room offered. She took a moment to settle herself and smooth out her skirts before she replied. "Last I knew of her, Captain, she was with you." Her tone was polite, but underneath, there was steel.
Kenshin had the good grace to look embarrassed.
A small smile flitted over his hostess's mouth. "Didn't expect me to know that, did you? Well, I know a lot more than you think."
"Then you do know where she is?" Kenshin sounded almost desperate.
"No, but I do." A man's voice, deep and authoritative, interrupted their conversation. Kenshin turned, his hand on the hilt of his sword, prepared for almost anything, except for the man standing in the doorway.
"Ah, there you are, Toshi! I was beginning to think you had gotten lost on the way to the washroom." Maiko admonished her guest gently.
"Your house is indeed large, Maiko, but I did not get lost. I was speaking with a subordinate." He replied.
Kenshin gaped at the other man, his mind making connections left and right.
Admiral Hijikata strode into the morning room, Lieutenant Okita, Saitou's second in command, at his heels. "I have just gotten word of the young lady's whereabouts." He said, his eyes on Kenshin. "May I assume that you are interested, Captain Himura?"
Kenshin nodded dumbly and allowed his hand to drop from his sword hilt.
"Toshi, must you interrupt our nice visit with work?" Madame Hamaguchi asked crossly. "Kaoru is no doubt on her ship, sailing off to do something I don't want to know about. And if she left this young man without an explanation, I'm sure she had a reason."
"Actually, Maiko, according to Lieutenant Okita here, your Kaoru has gone off to fight against better armed and decidedly more ruthless pirates."
Admiral Hijikata gestured for Lieutenant Okita to step forward and explain over Maiko's startled gasp.
The
young man glanced sympathetically at both Maiko's pale, worried face
and Kenshin's drawn one before opening his mouth to speak.
"We've been following the movements of Admiral Serizawa for some time
now. For the past few months, there has been excessive activity in the
vicinity of one of his warehouses in the southern district. Early this
morning, Captain Kamiya's ship, The Kami Kaze, anchored just off the
south-side docks and several of her men were spotted heading in the
direction of the Admiral's warehouse." Okita paused and glanced
over at Admiral Hijiakata, who nodded and indicated for him to
continue. "The pirate Niimi and his crew have been coming in and out of
the warehouse as long as we've been monitoring it and they were there
as of last night."
"In other words, she's heading into a trap." Admiral Hijikata finished. "Or already has, for all we know."
Kenshin was already half-way out of the room before the Admiral stopped
him. "Captain Himura, are you going to that warehouse?"
Kenshin didn't turn around, but nodded.
"You are in danger of a court martial, Captain." Admiral Hijikata
intoned. "I won't bend the rules, even if I don't necessarily disagree
with what you're about to do. To go there without a direct order from
your superiors, with the intent of aiding a known pirate gang, goes
against the laws you were charged with upholding."
Kenshin's shoulders tensed and he slowly turned around. "You can't
court martial me if I'm no longer in the Navy." He said quietly.
"That is true." Admiral Hijikata agreed. "I have no legal power over civilians."
"Then please accept my official resignation from my post, Admiral
Hijikata." Kenshin replied, facing the Admiral with determination.
"You are resigning your post? You no longer wish to be a Captain?" The
Admiral asked, eyebrows raised in surprise. "You were perhaps a year or
so away from being promoted to Commodore. Are you sure you want give
all that up for a woman?"
"I am." Kenshin murmured. "For her, I would."
Admiral Hijikata stared at Kenshin for a long moment, taking his
measure before he cleared his throat and replied. "Well then, Mister
Himura, I accept your resignation and wish you luck." When Kenshin
didn't move, he frowned slightly. "You probably don't have a lot of
time, sir. I'd recommend leaving immediately."
"Thank you, Admiral." Kenshin said with a bow of his head. "For everything."
Admiral Hijikata waved him off. "Don't be so grateful yet. I will be
sending men out to the warehouse soon, if you are found there with the
other pirates, you will be arrested. You have a small head start; I
would take advantage of it."
Kenshin nodded and swiftly left the room.
Sighing in irritation, Admiral Hijikata stalked over to Maiko's chintz
couch and slumped down onto it, his frown deepening. "I just lost an
exceptionally dedicated and honest man to a pirate, and it wasn't even
in battle." He groused. He glanced over at Maiko. "She must be quite a
woman, this Kaoru Kamiya."
Maiko's smile was tinged with worry. "She is."
Admiral Hijikata grunted in annoyance and turned his attention to Lieutenant Okita.
"Go to the garrison and get some men to accompany you to the warehouse.
Arrest anyone you find there and hold them. Tell Saitou to deal with
the prisoners. And make it clear to him that I want some information
from them. Last time he killed them all before he learned anything
useful. I'd like some more evidence against the Admiral so that I can
justify his assassination to the others. Kondou and Yamanami are giving
me problems."
"What about Captain…I mean, Mister Himura? Do you really want Saitou to deal with him, too?" Okita asked with a frown.
"If he's still there when the troops arrive then he deserves to get
caught. I gave him a warning and that's all I'm going to do." Admiral
Hijikata replied gruffly. "Now go."
Okita nodded and left without further comment.
"Will she be all right, Toshi? I promised Hanae that I would keep her
safe." Maiko murmured, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, her
knuckles white.
"Even if Himura fails, Okita and the others won't." Admiral Hijikata muttered, running a hand through his dark hair.
"I can't help but think that this whole mess is entirely my fault. If I hadn't introduced you to poor Katsu…" She bit her lip and looked down at the floor. "Oh, Hanae and Tetsu must be so disappointed in me! I promised…"
"Maiko, listen to me. You did the right thing. Tsukioika wants to see Serizawa go down just as much as I do…and you." The Admiral rose from his seat and went to stand by Maiko, resting a hand awkwardly on her shoulder. "Don't forget that it was Serizawa who sent your husband to an early grave, Maiko."
She shuddered. "I haven't forgotten, Toshi. That's why I introduced you to Katsu. But I didn't mean to put him in danger, he was like a son to Tetsu and to Kaoru, he's a brother. I wanted to see Serizawa suffer, but if I've put Katsu and Kaoru into danger..." She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I'll never forgive myself if anything happens."
Admiral Hijikata squeezed Maiko's shoulder. "Don't worry, Maiko. Niimi is strong, but so is Kamiya and so is Himura."
"I hope you're right, Toshi." Maiko replied quietly. "I sincerely do."
A/N: Eh? What? And welcome to my lame attempt at a plot. .:re-reads chapter:. Well, it makes sense to me, anyway.
I just got out of school a few weeks ago and now I'm back in class! Summer courses! NOOOO!!! ARGHH!! When will it end? Next August, actually. Until then...papers and lectures and coursework, oh my!
Thank you guys for being patient. I only got...hmm...let me count...3 death threats. I'm also working on my Rurouni Kenshin Elections 2004! Which is a continuation of my Elections 2000! fic, which you can find here on ff.net if you click on my pen name. Reader participation is very important and I'd love to hear from you at my RK elections forum. The address for that page is on my profile page. Go and tell me what you think! And thanks for sticking with me thus far!
-Gem