A/N: Oh boy… well I've lost my beta. She's just to busy to do it anymore. She was still very helpful and I am forever in her dept. So I am going by what I've corrected myself… hoo boy… but at lest after this chapter there are only two more left. Also the next chapter may be a bit short. Like this one… sorry! But I'm really working hard to get this to you! I'm even working during Lupin for you guys! I love Lupin and it's even my favorite episode. Buns, Guns, and Fun in the Sun. Come on! What more do you want from me! Faster updates? Um… (starts typing) I'll try!
rain angst - Thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapter!
Ms. Zeal - I don't care what you say! I think you've been reading my mind through the whole story! (puts on more tinfoil) You're not getting any more secrets from me! You know that the best thing about the wood being gone? I DON'T HAVE TO DESCRIBE IT ANYMORE! I always hated that. He grabbed the wood. She found the wood. It just annoyed me. The stupid block wood.
Nekotsuki - I'm glad you find this story fun to read. Hey… can I have some of that popcorn?
Hitokiri-san - You where the only one to catch that! I was coping (a little) from the manga on my "Get up and go to the girl who is in love with your smile" I love the manga! Volumes 20-27 are my favorites! I'm also glad you liked my ghost stories. Creep huh? Where do I think of these things. (Goes and reads Hellsing and Uzumaki) BLOOD!
Tiger of the Sonicboom - Thanks so much for the corrections! I will be fixing my stories asap. (Right now I'm just trying to get them written in a timely fashion.) I really do appreciate them! Also I don't care if you made up the word… it still rocks! It reminds me of me. BUW HA HA! (BUW HA HA! Is the trademark evil laugh of Zig-zag. Anyone else using it will be hunted down by all those silly lawyers that sue people for writing fanfics.)
Tera - Really? A great fanfic! Aw… you make me blush.
Shaolin 10 - Of course I cherish your reviews. Your such a great writer then you give me such nice reviews it makes me happy!
Chapter 22 - Reunion
"She's dead." Tsuki jumped slightly.
"SHE'S WHAT!" Tsuki yelled angrily.
Kenshin silenced him with a hand. "Where's Senko?" He repeated.
"You knew. You knew the whole time didn't you?" Suiso said with a laugh. "Of course you did." He shook his head and told them the room Senko was locked in. As the group made their way to Senko, Sano forced Suiso to come with them so he would jump over the edge of the ship. Outside the door Suiso dismissed the guards and gave the key to the door to Kenshin.
Kenshin unlocked the door and opened it. He was surprised to see Senko come flying at him. "TAKE THIS SUIS…. KENSHIN!" She yelled in midair, surprised. She had been excepting Suiso to open the door and had planed on knocking him out and making a run for it. Kenshin was not suppose to be there. The two collided falling down in a heap of arms, legs, and oros.
"Ororoooo…."
"Kenshin! I'm so sorry!" Senko cried trying to untangle herself. "Will you stop with the oros and help me!" When the two were able to part Senko looked up and saw Suiso. "SUISO!" She threw herself at him and Suiso allowed her to pound his chest. "I HATE YOU! YOU KILLED TAKU!"
"Senko, enough." Kenshin said and Senko stopped. "Suiso, what have you done with Taku?"
Suiso smiled slightly. "I told you. I killed him. Look high and low on this ship but you won't find him." Suiso started to laugh slightly and walked away.
"Where do you think you're going!" Tsuki yelled to Suiso's back but Suiso just kept walking. "Get back here!"
"Let him go." Kenshin said as he fell to the floor felling his energy slowly draining away, replaced with pain. "We have to find Taku right now."
"Kenshin are you alright?" Kaoru asked worried.
He gave her the best smile he could muster. "Yes Miss Kaoru. This one is just a little tired."
Kaoru bit her lip. She didn't believe him. "You just stay right there!" She said shaking her finger at him.
"Yes Ma'm!" Kenshin said surprised by the finger in his face.
"Nakami." She said turning to the boy. "Did Suiso ever tell the crew anything about Taku?"
Nakami shook his head. "No. In fact he just told us that both Senko and the boy were dead."
"So he might still be alive!" Senko cried happily and mistakenly grabbed both of his shoulders. The boy cried out as Senko made the wound bleed again. "Oh my! I'm so sorry!" She said as she took her hands off Nakami.
"It's alright." Nakami said chocking through the pain. "There is a room with medical supplies in it not too far from here." Nakami and Senko went to the infirmary room to get supplies to take care of any wounds anyone might had gotten. Aoshi, Sanosuke, and Tsuki started to look around the nearby area for any sign of Taku. Kenshin and Kaoru stayed where they were.
Kenshin leaned his head against the wall and let out a sigh of relief. They still had to find Taku and a way to shore but for now he was just content that they were all safe. He took this small moment of peace and rested. Kenshin let his eyes shut, finding the darkness helped the pounding in his head.
Kaoru watched Kenshin close his eyes and watched his face as it calmed slightly. She knelt down beside him then slowly sat down on his right side. She watched Kenshin's expression carefully for any signs of what she was doing was hurting him or making him uncomfortable. She held her breath waiting to see what he would do as she pressed so close to him that their arms touched. Her heart was lifted and she released her breath when he smiled. She leaned her head back a smile on her face. She closed her eyes and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
Kenshin felt Kaoru's weight on him, he felt the heat of her breath as it passed his cheek, he could feel the beat of her heart, and he was happy. After all they had been through she was still here at his side. She was safe and she was with him. Back when he had told her to leave and she had refused he had felt so happy that she wanted to be with him. Then he left hoping that would keep her safe, but she had followed him. She wanted to be near him, him a man who had done so many horrible things and yet, and yet she wanted to be with him. He wanted to open his mouth and tell her, tell her all the things he had always wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how much he cared for her, how she made him feel happy and full when for so long he had been alone and empty. He wanted to but he was so tried.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru said softly when his head leaned slightly against her own. "Kenshin?" But he didn't answer, he had fallen asleep. Kaoru smiled and snuggled herself deeper into his arm. The two of them sat side by side the only noise being the creaking of the ship as is slowly rolled over the waves. Kenshin woke up when he felt Nakami and Senko coming back down the hall. He felt a little embarrassed that his head had fallen on Kaoru but her hair had smelt so good and she didn't seem to mind.
Kaoru reluctantly rose to her feet when she saw Senko and Nakami coming. The four of them patched each other up and when Tsuki, Sano, and Aoshi came back they also were looked over and any injuries were taken care of.
Suiso retreated to his room and locked the door. For a long while he stood unmoving looking down at the floor. Without warning he suddenly ran around his room tearing charts off the wall, throwing the books on his desk to the floor, he pulled the drawers out of the desk tossing the contents all over the room, he even tried to over turn the desk which was bolted to the floor. When his room was completely trashed he sank into his bed. "Battòsai…" He muttered. "I still have one more ace up my sleeve. Look all you want Battòsai you won't find that boy. I'll kill him and throw you into a living hell." He smiled. "I'll teach you to betray me."
Together Aoshi, Sano, Kenshin, Kaoru, Senko, Tsuki, and Nakami all searched the ship looking for Taku but with each room that they searched unsuccessfully the growing fear that Suiso had really killed Taku grew. They were still searching when Suiso walked up to the group. "I've decided to take you all home. No point in keeping you on my ship." He said as if bored and his face blank, he never even made eye contact with anyone. He left them after that staring straight ahead of him.
"I think he's even creepier looking now that he doesn't smile." Senko said after Suiso had left. No one said anything, they just continued their search. They searched the whole ship but no trace of Taku was found.
"What if Suiso really did kill him?" Tsuki said solemnly looking down at his hands. "That man will pay if he's done ANYTHING to him!"
"Well it doesn't look too good." Sanosuke said, arms folded him front of his chest, eyes on the floor. "We've searched this whole ship and haven't found any sign of the kid."
"But… but he was so young." Senko said softly doing her best not to cry.
Kenshin placed a hand on Senko's shoulder. "It's alright, this one doesn't believe Suiso killed Taku."
"How can you be so sure," Senko wiped her eye "you're the one who told me he was dead."
Kenshin sighed softly. "Yes but now this one thinks Taku is still alive, that I do." Then he grinned a little and with a small laugh to his voice added. "Just not on this ship." Senko tried to cheer up by his words but she still felt so empty.
So they sailed on, heading back home. The crew eyed the group warily but never threatened or approached them. Nakami went around doing his old chores and some of the crew members began to talk to him when he wasn't with the others. He checked with the other crew about their location to make sure they were really heading home. He asked if anyone knew about a little boy, no one did. Suiso kept to himself in his room. He hardly ever left it and when he did he would stare out in front of him not making eye contact and if he did he would stare as if he could see right through you. The days pasted without much happening.
"LAND HO!" The yelled echoed through the ship one morning. Everyone raced for the edge to see for themselves and indeed the land was getting closer.
As it came close to docking Suiso emerged from his room to join the onlookers at the rail. A small smile graced his face today for the first time in days. He would dock, get the kid, then make Battòsai pay. "Kenshin! Father! Look! Look!" Senko's annoying voice broke through his thoughts. What was she so happy about? Ever since they failed to find Taku on the ship she had been moping around but now she was jumping up and down like crazy. Suiso's smile widened as he thought of her over jumping and falling overboard. "Dad look! It's Taku! Kenshin! It's Taku! Everyone look!" She yelled again.
"What?!" Suiso screamed horrified pushing himself in-between Sanosuke and Tsuki. His mouth slackened as he looked at what awaited the ship on shore. There was Yahiko, Misao, Maki, Megumi with Unmei leaning slightly on her, and even little Taku waiting for the boat to come to shore.
A/N: I've been thinking of changing the summary for this story but I have no idea of what to change it to. Any suggestions? All I know is that I want to keep the fact that this is the sequel to Kenshin Lost At Sea and that you don't have to read that to understand this story but other than that I think I need something better then what I have.
rain angst - Thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapter!
Ms. Zeal - I don't care what you say! I think you've been reading my mind through the whole story! (puts on more tinfoil) You're not getting any more secrets from me! You know that the best thing about the wood being gone? I DON'T HAVE TO DESCRIBE IT ANYMORE! I always hated that. He grabbed the wood. She found the wood. It just annoyed me. The stupid block wood.
Nekotsuki - I'm glad you find this story fun to read. Hey… can I have some of that popcorn?
Hitokiri-san - You where the only one to catch that! I was coping (a little) from the manga on my "Get up and go to the girl who is in love with your smile" I love the manga! Volumes 20-27 are my favorites! I'm also glad you liked my ghost stories. Creep huh? Where do I think of these things. (Goes and reads Hellsing and Uzumaki) BLOOD!
Tiger of the Sonicboom - Thanks so much for the corrections! I will be fixing my stories asap. (Right now I'm just trying to get them written in a timely fashion.) I really do appreciate them! Also I don't care if you made up the word… it still rocks! It reminds me of me. BUW HA HA! (BUW HA HA! Is the trademark evil laugh of Zig-zag. Anyone else using it will be hunted down by all those silly lawyers that sue people for writing fanfics.)
Tera - Really? A great fanfic! Aw… you make me blush.
Shaolin 10 - Of course I cherish your reviews. Your such a great writer then you give me such nice reviews it makes me happy!
Chapter 22 - Reunion
"She's dead." Tsuki jumped slightly.
"SHE'S WHAT!" Tsuki yelled angrily.
Kenshin silenced him with a hand. "Where's Senko?" He repeated.
"You knew. You knew the whole time didn't you?" Suiso said with a laugh. "Of course you did." He shook his head and told them the room Senko was locked in. As the group made their way to Senko, Sano forced Suiso to come with them so he would jump over the edge of the ship. Outside the door Suiso dismissed the guards and gave the key to the door to Kenshin.
Kenshin unlocked the door and opened it. He was surprised to see Senko come flying at him. "TAKE THIS SUIS…. KENSHIN!" She yelled in midair, surprised. She had been excepting Suiso to open the door and had planed on knocking him out and making a run for it. Kenshin was not suppose to be there. The two collided falling down in a heap of arms, legs, and oros.
"Ororoooo…."
"Kenshin! I'm so sorry!" Senko cried trying to untangle herself. "Will you stop with the oros and help me!" When the two were able to part Senko looked up and saw Suiso. "SUISO!" She threw herself at him and Suiso allowed her to pound his chest. "I HATE YOU! YOU KILLED TAKU!"
"Senko, enough." Kenshin said and Senko stopped. "Suiso, what have you done with Taku?"
Suiso smiled slightly. "I told you. I killed him. Look high and low on this ship but you won't find him." Suiso started to laugh slightly and walked away.
"Where do you think you're going!" Tsuki yelled to Suiso's back but Suiso just kept walking. "Get back here!"
"Let him go." Kenshin said as he fell to the floor felling his energy slowly draining away, replaced with pain. "We have to find Taku right now."
"Kenshin are you alright?" Kaoru asked worried.
He gave her the best smile he could muster. "Yes Miss Kaoru. This one is just a little tired."
Kaoru bit her lip. She didn't believe him. "You just stay right there!" She said shaking her finger at him.
"Yes Ma'm!" Kenshin said surprised by the finger in his face.
"Nakami." She said turning to the boy. "Did Suiso ever tell the crew anything about Taku?"
Nakami shook his head. "No. In fact he just told us that both Senko and the boy were dead."
"So he might still be alive!" Senko cried happily and mistakenly grabbed both of his shoulders. The boy cried out as Senko made the wound bleed again. "Oh my! I'm so sorry!" She said as she took her hands off Nakami.
"It's alright." Nakami said chocking through the pain. "There is a room with medical supplies in it not too far from here." Nakami and Senko went to the infirmary room to get supplies to take care of any wounds anyone might had gotten. Aoshi, Sanosuke, and Tsuki started to look around the nearby area for any sign of Taku. Kenshin and Kaoru stayed where they were.
Kenshin leaned his head against the wall and let out a sigh of relief. They still had to find Taku and a way to shore but for now he was just content that they were all safe. He took this small moment of peace and rested. Kenshin let his eyes shut, finding the darkness helped the pounding in his head.
Kaoru watched Kenshin close his eyes and watched his face as it calmed slightly. She knelt down beside him then slowly sat down on his right side. She watched Kenshin's expression carefully for any signs of what she was doing was hurting him or making him uncomfortable. She held her breath waiting to see what he would do as she pressed so close to him that their arms touched. Her heart was lifted and she released her breath when he smiled. She leaned her head back a smile on her face. She closed her eyes and gently rested her head on his shoulder.
Kenshin felt Kaoru's weight on him, he felt the heat of her breath as it passed his cheek, he could feel the beat of her heart, and he was happy. After all they had been through she was still here at his side. She was safe and she was with him. Back when he had told her to leave and she had refused he had felt so happy that she wanted to be with him. Then he left hoping that would keep her safe, but she had followed him. She wanted to be near him, him a man who had done so many horrible things and yet, and yet she wanted to be with him. He wanted to open his mouth and tell her, tell her all the things he had always wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how much he cared for her, how she made him feel happy and full when for so long he had been alone and empty. He wanted to but he was so tried.
"Kenshin?" Kaoru said softly when his head leaned slightly against her own. "Kenshin?" But he didn't answer, he had fallen asleep. Kaoru smiled and snuggled herself deeper into his arm. The two of them sat side by side the only noise being the creaking of the ship as is slowly rolled over the waves. Kenshin woke up when he felt Nakami and Senko coming back down the hall. He felt a little embarrassed that his head had fallen on Kaoru but her hair had smelt so good and she didn't seem to mind.
Kaoru reluctantly rose to her feet when she saw Senko and Nakami coming. The four of them patched each other up and when Tsuki, Sano, and Aoshi came back they also were looked over and any injuries were taken care of.
Suiso retreated to his room and locked the door. For a long while he stood unmoving looking down at the floor. Without warning he suddenly ran around his room tearing charts off the wall, throwing the books on his desk to the floor, he pulled the drawers out of the desk tossing the contents all over the room, he even tried to over turn the desk which was bolted to the floor. When his room was completely trashed he sank into his bed. "Battòsai…" He muttered. "I still have one more ace up my sleeve. Look all you want Battòsai you won't find that boy. I'll kill him and throw you into a living hell." He smiled. "I'll teach you to betray me."
Together Aoshi, Sano, Kenshin, Kaoru, Senko, Tsuki, and Nakami all searched the ship looking for Taku but with each room that they searched unsuccessfully the growing fear that Suiso had really killed Taku grew. They were still searching when Suiso walked up to the group. "I've decided to take you all home. No point in keeping you on my ship." He said as if bored and his face blank, he never even made eye contact with anyone. He left them after that staring straight ahead of him.
"I think he's even creepier looking now that he doesn't smile." Senko said after Suiso had left. No one said anything, they just continued their search. They searched the whole ship but no trace of Taku was found.
"What if Suiso really did kill him?" Tsuki said solemnly looking down at his hands. "That man will pay if he's done ANYTHING to him!"
"Well it doesn't look too good." Sanosuke said, arms folded him front of his chest, eyes on the floor. "We've searched this whole ship and haven't found any sign of the kid."
"But… but he was so young." Senko said softly doing her best not to cry.
Kenshin placed a hand on Senko's shoulder. "It's alright, this one doesn't believe Suiso killed Taku."
"How can you be so sure," Senko wiped her eye "you're the one who told me he was dead."
Kenshin sighed softly. "Yes but now this one thinks Taku is still alive, that I do." Then he grinned a little and with a small laugh to his voice added. "Just not on this ship." Senko tried to cheer up by his words but she still felt so empty.
So they sailed on, heading back home. The crew eyed the group warily but never threatened or approached them. Nakami went around doing his old chores and some of the crew members began to talk to him when he wasn't with the others. He checked with the other crew about their location to make sure they were really heading home. He asked if anyone knew about a little boy, no one did. Suiso kept to himself in his room. He hardly ever left it and when he did he would stare out in front of him not making eye contact and if he did he would stare as if he could see right through you. The days pasted without much happening.
"LAND HO!" The yelled echoed through the ship one morning. Everyone raced for the edge to see for themselves and indeed the land was getting closer.
As it came close to docking Suiso emerged from his room to join the onlookers at the rail. A small smile graced his face today for the first time in days. He would dock, get the kid, then make Battòsai pay. "Kenshin! Father! Look! Look!" Senko's annoying voice broke through his thoughts. What was she so happy about? Ever since they failed to find Taku on the ship she had been moping around but now she was jumping up and down like crazy. Suiso's smile widened as he thought of her over jumping and falling overboard. "Dad look! It's Taku! Kenshin! It's Taku! Everyone look!" She yelled again.
"What?!" Suiso screamed horrified pushing himself in-between Sanosuke and Tsuki. His mouth slackened as he looked at what awaited the ship on shore. There was Yahiko, Misao, Maki, Megumi with Unmei leaning slightly on her, and even little Taku waiting for the boat to come to shore.
A/N: I've been thinking of changing the summary for this story but I have no idea of what to change it to. Any suggestions? All I know is that I want to keep the fact that this is the sequel to Kenshin Lost At Sea and that you don't have to read that to understand this story but other than that I think I need something better then what I have.