Nornal text = the present
Bold = written articles: letters, newspaper clippings, etc.
Italic = the stuff that happened leading up to the stuff in normal text. (flash back)
Bold/italic = Setsunas past (flash back)
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"Here's your tea dear," Setusna said placing the steaming cup in front of her husband. He was reading the local newspaper and didn't even look up from his article. She smiled at him and tousled his hair. He looked up and gave her a look of, I'm going to get you back later.
She smiled again and returned to the small kitchen. She had been so happy the past 7 months. No more wandering from dojo to dojo trying to prove herself anymore. She had stopped at a Juu Jitsu school those many months ago. Strangely enough that is where she had meet him. Most of the men at the school complained about a woman attending a school as prestigious as their Masters. Setsuna never let it get to her. After getting shit from the men at the first five schools she had attended, she didn't let it bother her. In the end, they were the fools. He had been there for her from the beginning. Samanosuke had shown her around town, told her about certain guys not to tangle with, things like that. He had looked after her as best he could, said it was something he had to do or he wasn't a real man. She had laughed at him long and hard at that one. She could remember the confused face she got after that. He looked so cute that way...
"Prove to me that you're the man who can protect me better then myself," she added after her laughter fit stopped.
"Okay then, I challenge you to a match tomorrow after dinner," he said with a weary smile on his face. From what he had heard about her, she was a assistant master at a sword school, and had attended some 20 or more of them.
"Agreed then. I hope you don't wimp out on me. You need to give me a good fair fight. Don't think of me as female, think of me as just another opponent." She walked away from him, saying nothing else.
That next evening was filled with cheering, laughter and a Samanosuke almost beaten by a girl. She was way to good to have just started Juu Jitsu. She had mastered some techniques that had taken him much longer to learn. In the end though, he cleared the anger from his mind, and defeated her. He couldn't believe it. She was so strong he almost knew for sure at the beginning of the fight that he would surely loose.
"You had us worried Samanosuke!"
"I can't believe that she almost took your stupid ass down!"
He slipped out of the dojo, knowing his fellow students wouldn't let him get away with almost being beat by her...or better yet even, beating her in the match. Samanosuke walked out of the dojo and sat down in front of the Koi pond watching the fish swim about lazily. The sun was starting to set in the west and the crickets had started their songs. He sat there thinking for about twenty minutes, trying to think of a formal way to apologize to Setsuna. He felt it was bad of him to hurt her to the point of bleeding.
"Sama-kun?"
He turned around to see Setsuna standing behind him, a few bandages on her hands and face. He stood up, put his right hand behind his head, and looked away from her. "I...um...uh...," he stuttered not finding the words to apologize to her. She walked over to him with a big smile on her face and took his left hand in hers. He looked up at her blushing. "Come have tea with me in the dojo Sama-kun." She smiled at him and ran off to the dojo. He knew that it was inevitable to hide his feelings now. He had loved her ever since she showed up at the dojo. She was beautiful, yet strong. She was independent, but kind.
He followed her into the dojo, which was surprisingly empty of all the stupid guys that were just in there moments ago. She sat on the floor with a tea tray in front of herself. He sat down in front of her, getting a small hint of the perfume she had recently put on.
How could I have not noticed that when she was outside moments ago...he thought taking a tea cup in his hand. It was now or never, he thought, no one is around and the guys can't crack on me.
"Setsuna-dono...I um...would like to tell you something."
She looked up from her tea with a gentle smile on her lips. "Sure, what is it?"
He looked into his tea, not sure how to tell her...not even sure if he should. Samanosuke looked up into her eyes, "Boku...boku..." He just couldn't get it out of himself. He swallowed hard, looked away from her smiling face again and started over.
"I really...uh...like you a lot Setsuna..." He couldn't finish what he was trying to say because she had leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. He was surprised, but returned the kiss, putting his hands around the sides of her slim waist....
Setsuna shook her head and smiled...
"No more daydreaming." She looked down at her stomach and rubbed her hands over it gently. She was now married for three months to Samanosuke and expecting their first child together. She was so happy to be carrying his child in her womb. She had never thought of herself as a Mother, but, she wanted to have a family with him. She was two months along and her friends at the dojo had cracked on her and Samanosuke about not wasting any time. She always blushed, and he always joked right back.
She finished the dishes from that evenings dinner, dried her hands on a towel, and walked back out of the kitchen to the sitting room where her husband was still engrossed with the newspaper. There was a knock at the door, she turned away from her husband, walking to answer it...
~~~~~
Kenshin sat in the hot bath inside the dojo thinking about Setsuna. One day had passed and she hadn't come around for more then fifteen minutes. Megumi had been by earlier in the day and told him about it:" She woke up around noon. I asked her some simple questions like, 'Do you know what your name is', and she just stared at the ceiling. I tried to talk to her about anything and she just stared up at the ceiling. I don't think she is ready to talk to anyone right now about what happened yesterday. I think she may have shock or something like that right now. I'll have her rest for the week, then maybe someone can talk to her."
Megumi was probably right, Setsuna had to have gone into shock. The face that she had when he found her was still transfixed in his mind. He tried to think of better things and kept coming back to the previous evening.
Sano had given Setsuna enough blood to stay alive, but, it would be quite some time before she could leave the clinic with enough strength to carry out normal activities.
Speaking of Sano, I was suppose to go visit him today in the clinic. He got out of the tub, grabbed a few towels he had brought in, dried off, then walked into the connecting room to dress