Thanks again for those who reviewed, I appreciate the support and the criticism! Ah, Natalia, thank you for your review! You touched on a few things that I thought about myself. I thought hard about giving Kaoru more time in the fic, granted she is Kenji's mother, and us mom's love our little boys and they love us! (Though mine isn't lovin me much right now, I made him turn off Kenshin and go do his homework…hee hee)…anyway, most of my fics will focus on Kenji and Kenshin's relationship (That's why Kaoru isn't in them too much). Little boys do love their mom's, but sometimes the bond between father and son is something us mommies can't understand and can only envy. In our case, my son and his grandfather are connected at the hip(my son's father is no longer with us, but the two of them shared an amazing bond, something I can't even explain really). My boy follows his "papa" around, has him twisted between his fingers and gets what ever he wants from him. It's so funny to see my seven-year-old boy bossing my dad around sometimes! Hee hee! They are quite the pair! Anyhoo…Ya, maybe Kaoru was out of character in the other fic, sorry (smiles), but once again, I wanted to focus on Kenshin looking for him without being hampered by an irrational Kaoru as well (imagine the chaos…cringing…hee hee) Shrugs, ah well! Jason, I'll probably see the OAV's, but it won't be for awhile (unless you know where I can get a hold of a fan sub…lol), ADV is releasing them and God only knows when they'll get around to it….grrrrrr…J. Liha, I felt horrible for little Shinta in the OAV's, I think he was in shock or something, REALLLY calm for being 8 and burying a bunch of dead people…oh well, human beings are interesting creatures, never know how they'll act in a situation! (giggles) Thanks to everyone for reading!

Standard disclaimers apply

Chapter 3

"Kenji chan, it's too hot to carry you back to the dojo, so you're just going to have to walk!" Kaoru scolded her son lightly, as she turned and yanked the fabric from his sweaty grasp. She took his small hand in hers and sighed as he deliberately drug his feet, practically being pulled along behind her. "Mou, Kenji chan! Stop being so stubborn!"

Kenshin grinned at his wife as she fixed him in a heated glare. He wanted no part of the squabble between mother and son, discipline not being his forte, to say the least. Kenji ran circles around Kenshin when it came time to issue a scolding or a punishment, while Kaoru was much better at keeping a handle on their son's behavior. Kenshin liked to call it "a mothers spirit," which he classified as the amazing love his wife was capable of showing her child, while lashing his ears at the same time for some sort of ill mannered deed. He wasn't sure how she did it, but Kenji normally snapped to attention when he pushed his mother to the edge or her patience.

Kenshin, on the other hand, merely melted when his boy batted his eyes or squeaked his name. He was a poor excuse for a stern father, but he really didn't care. Kenji respected him and was smart enough to pay attention when his father spoke, that was all that really mattered.

Kenji huffed at his mother, taking note of the warning tone in her voice, and pulled his hand from her grasp. He followed along behind the group, studying the ground in intense concentration. He listened to the random chatter of Sano, Yahiko and his mother, not really paying attention to what they were saying, thinking instead of the story his father had told him. Who was this Shinta? Was he another brother of his fathers? What had happened to them all and why did they leave his father in Japan? His brow furrowed as he though hard, trying to come up with the answers on his own, but quickly realizing there were no easy conclusions.

The only thing he fully understood was why his father told him that particular story. The two brother's fought with each other often, but no amount of anger could make them stop loving each other. Even through the bloody fistfights, harsh words, and nasty pranks, the brother's were willing to risk their lives for each other. Kenji pondered the story a moment. "No matter how angry…no matter the bad words….they still loved each other…" Kenji glanced up at the back of Yahiko's head, cocking a brow slightly. If that was the case then, the two of them could go on tormenting each other forever. Kenji hoped that love was as powerful as everyone said it was.

Kenji kicked a rock in frustration, watching stir up the sun baked dust and skip along the path in front of him. Suddenly, his eyes focused on the path before him, noting the over abundance of pebbles and stones making walking a bit awkward. He kicked another rock, a little harder this time, and watched it bounce off the back of his father's heel. Kenji felt his eyes narrow and a sly grin spread across his face, which he quickly hid with wide eyes and innocent shrug as his father cast him a suspicious glance over his shoulder.

Kenji watched Yahiko's steps carefully, taking into account the width and speed at which the feet carried the man. He counted carefully, hawk like eyes never missing a single motion. It was a difficult task, counting, watching, and suppressing his ki from his father, almost not worth the effort. He remained silent, walking as an obedient child should, calculating his plan carefully.

Kenshin frowned and turned his head to look at his son, the child was so silent it was almost deafening and there was something strange going on within the boy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He slowed his steps somewhat so he could walk just a little a head of the boy, watching him out of the corner of his eye. His son was concentrating very hard on something and his little lips moved occasionally as if talking to himself. Kenshin began to worry the heat had effected the boy, but his eyes slitted suddenly. No, Kenji was up to something.

A fist sized stone rolled innocently underneath Yahiko's feet. His left foot came down awkwardly on top of the rock, his ankle twisting slightly. The sudden shift in weight, along with the ruggedness of the terrain and the heavy basket in his arms did nothing to help him hold his balance. He toppled forward, tripping again over his other foot, and rather ungracefully slid down the grade of the trail on his backside. Once he came to a stop, his face contorted in surprise and pain, he howled in rage at the state of his pride, using words Kenji had never heard before.

Sano doubled up in laughter and pointed a finger, "Baka! You should have seen yourself! You looked like one of those fancy dancers or something!" The lanky gangster made a rather unsavory attempt at a ballerina imitation and then continued to roar at his friends injured dignity.

"Are you okay?" Tsubame shouted, peering down the edge of the trail, wringing her hands in worry.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru shouted, "You klutz! You broke my basket!"

Kenji stifled a giggle and hid a smile, making a point to stay out of Yahiko's view. He failed to see his father watching him with look of surprise and a disapproving frown.

**********

"Gee Jou-chan," Sano snorted, kicking the rice bucket slightly, disgusted with the lack of rice inside, "I can't believe there's hardly anything to eat!"

Kaoru glared at him and stirred the soup she was cooking. "Sanosuke, you have a home and a wife now. Why don't you and eat there if you don't like what we have here. It certainly wouldn't bother our pocket book if you did that." Feeding her own three men was hard enough, each one having the appetite of two, and filling Sano's empty stomach was like multiplying by four. Money was tight these days considering that the dojo wasn't running and Kenshin hadn't been needed for any minor police issues in the past few weeks. The money they received from the government in retribution for the Shishio and Enishi incidents was all they had to keep them fed, and Kaoru chose to make that money stretch as far as possible.

"Didn't I tell you Jou-chan? Megumi's coming over here tonight."

Kaoru slapped the spoon she was stirring with smartly on the table, "No. You didn't tell me that." Great, now she had four men and a pregnant woman to feed. Money didn't grow on trees and neither did food for that fact. Megumi made a decent living working at the clinic so there was no reason for her husband to freeload off friends anymore. "Mou," Kaoru sighed, shaking her head in defeat, "Kenshin? Can you go get some more rice and tofu for dinner? We're having more guests than usual tonight."

Kenshin appeared from around the corner, nodding his head slightly and smiling his normal rurouni smile. "Hai, koishii, that sounds like a good idea. I'm going to take Kenji with me as well."

Kaoru smiled and shrugged, "Thank you Kenshin. Don't go buying him any sweets while you're in town, okay? And hurry home, it'll be dark soon."

Kenshin nodded again and turned on his heel, heading for the back yard where he knew his son was playing. He paused to watch his son as he sat on the dojo porch, a piece of paper spread out before him and a pen in the other. A small smile played upon the boy's lips as he awkwardly scribbled with the quill that was too large for his hands. He noticed his father watching him and cast him a cheerful smile. "To uncle Aoshi, " he chirped, holding up the parchment full of squiggles and lines, a few of them making sense if the reader knew what to look for.

Kenshin smiled, and held his hand out to his son, "Aa, that's very good Kenji chan. Aoshi san will be pleased to see you've been practicing!"

Kenji folded the letter up into a lopsided square, and handed it to his father. "Are we going somewhere," he asked suddenly, his eyes staring at the tofu bucket in Kenshin's hand.

"Hai! We have to hurry too, it will be dark soon and the store will close. Your mother needs more tofu and rice, so I'd appreciate it if you'd accompany me town." Kenshin handed his son the tofu bucket and went back inside to gather the bucket he'd carry the rice in. Jerking his head to the gate, he motioned for his son to follow and the pair set out for town under the slowly setting sun.

********

Kenji wasn't sure what should bother him more, the fact that his father was actually allowing his mother to cook supper or that the man was obviously disturbed by something as he walked in stony silence into town. Kenshin had not said a word to his son since they left the dojo gates, his smile had fallen away almost immediately and his face was pinched in thought. Kenji tried his hardest to feel what his father was feeling, but he could only sense a troubled spirit and a twinge of what he thought could be disapproval. Kenji felt a sinking feeling in his gut and began to wonder if his father realized that Yahiko's little spill down the embankment of the trail had been his doing after all.

"Ano," Kenji started to say, but his father shook his head, cutting him off.

They walked in silence for many moments before Kenshin decided to speak. "Kenji, what you did today was very, very wrong. I'm extremely disappointed in your actions." He did not bother to look at the boy, whose steps faltered slightly at his words. He was undoubtedly impressed with the intelligence and patience his child showed while devising the silly prank on Yahiko. Not many other six year old children would take the time to so slyly compile such a plan and execute it so accurately, but that was not the point. Witty or not, Kenji had not fought fairly, and Kenshin didn't like his son's tactics. Not one bit.

"But father, he started it!" Kenji cried in dismay. "He was picking on me again!"

"That's true Kenji, but at least he did it to your face and not behind your back. There is no honor in attacking someone when they're not watching, and that's exactly what you did today." This would not be the first time Kenji had played a prank on his older sibling, but never before had one been so calculated. Usually, it was spontaneous, as Kenji chose the opportunity as it rose and allowed disaster to follow, but today the magnitude of his wit reared its ugly, untrained head. "What's worse," Kenshin continued, "Is you acted out of revenge, not self defense. A vengeful spirit brings nothing but pain to the one who harbors it. I suggest you rethink the state of your heart the next time you try something like this."

Kenji sulked as he walked into town. He was confused. Yahiko had not been injured, the only thing hurt was the young man's pride as he endured Sanosuke's belligerent jokes all the way back to the dojo. Kenji could not understand why his father was so unhappy with him. Never before had the man scolded him so harshly for a silly prank, and why he chose to do so now was beyond Kenji. All he did know was that his father's disapproval of him was extremely bitter and foul.

Kenshin left it at that. He watched his son from the corner of his eye, seeing the sad lines on the boy's small features and noting the shame in his eyes. In his heart, he knew it was time to start training Kenji and if the boy couldn't pick up a sword yet, he would have to learn his lessons in life first. Kenshin was going to have to be harder on him now, forcing his child to rein in the wild spirit he held inside him and control it with the honor and pride of a true swordsman.

"Train him Kenshin, as I did you," Hiko had told him three years ago.

Kenshin wasn't certain if he was capable of training his son. Could he force the heavy hand of the Mitsurugi style on his boy? Lessons in his style did not come easily and he wasn't sure if he could be the one to put his son through such misery. Hiko called it enlightenment, and Kenshin snorted softly to himself. He certainly enlightened himself with Hiten Mitsurugi throughout his entire life now didn't he? It had not been a pleasant experience, but if he had chosen a different path at the beginning of his life, things may have been very different. He might have enjoyed himself more. Maybe he would be a recluse, sake drinking artist by now, wasting away on a mountaintop in the middle of nowhere. Enlightenment, huh?

That aside, he learned something important today, he was certain that the Kamiya Kasshin style would not be enough to satisfy his son's powerful spirit, and Kenshin reluctantly agreed with his master's words. Looking at his son, he wished the boy's body would grow as fast as his mind, but that was an impossible dream. Kenji would always be small, but his intelligence would continue to thrive and grow as he got older.

Kenshin felt his face tense and he decided it best to save his ponderings for a more private time. He could sense Kenji becoming more worried and agitated at his pensiveness. He could tell the boy wanted to say something, but silenced him with a gentle look and nudged him into the door of the shop.

**********

"Well, Kaoru, your cooking is…better," Megumi replied dryly, trying not to squish her face up in disgust. It wasn't a totally lie actually, the young woman had improved somewhat over the years, at least the food wouldn't make anyone physically ill anymore. The dark haired woman looked around at the circle of friends, watching as Yahiko, Kenshin and Kenji ate their supper in contented silence. "They must be immune to it by now," Megumi thought to herself.

Kaoru smiled sweetly and heaped some more rice into her friend's bowl. "Thank you Megumi san! Have some more, I'm certain you've got to be starving after working so hard today."

The doctor muttered a shaky thank you and cast the girl a weak smile.

"You're looking well Megumi san," Kenshin said cheerfully. "I hope you're taking it easy at the clinic."

Megumi smiled and patted her bulging stomach, "Hai. It's hard to be on my feet all day and this little brute is about as stubborn as his father. I don't think he ever sleeps!"

"That makes two of us," Sano muttered through a mouthful of rice. Megumi's restlessness at night kept him up at all hours of the night. She tossed and turned, throwing arms and legs over his body, then complained about being far too hot or far too cold. She got up at least six times a night to use the bathroom and if she wasn't rousing out of bed for that reason, it was to get something to eat.

"I'd be more than happy to exchange places with you!" Megumi snapped.

"No thanks fox," he laughed, "You look much better with that big belly that I would!"

Kenshin grinned at his friends attempt to flatter his wife and smooth the rippling waters. He remembered Kaoru becoming extremely distraught over her expanding waist line, spending hours crying in their room, and even locking herself in the bathhouse once when he made some sort of innocent comment she mistook as an unkind word of the current awkwardness of her figure. He had been fit to be tied, standing in the snow for hours, begging her to come out, apologizing for Kami only knew what. After that, he learned to tread lightly around his wife. Women became strange when with child, and sometimes it was scary.

"You look great Megumi san," Yahiko interjected, "Ole busu there blew up like a balloon! I thought we'd have to roll her to town for a little while." He shoved some fish into his mouth and stared at his master with twinkling eyes.

Kenshin cringed as his wife turned several shades of crimson.

Megumi laughed and patted Kaoru's hand, "Yes, she did get large with Kenji chan, didn't she? But she carried him well. I seem to remember a certain little boy crying when his tiny red haired brother was set into his arms. I wonder if you'll shed tears when Tsubame has your first?" The doctor laughed wickedly and cast the young man a sly smile as he paled.

"Touchet, Yahiko, " Kenshin thought, laughing along with Megumi and the others.

"Well," Sano said thoughtfully, "I know I'll cry when the whelp gets here. Out of relief! 'Cause then I can get some sleep!"

Kenshin and Kaoru cast each other knowing glances and smiled.

"Babies cry, moron," Yahiko snapped. "All the time too. You were doomed the moment you knocked her up."

There was a thunderous crash as Sano and Kaoru simultaneously smashed Yahiko along side the head, both their faces black with rage and utterly appalled at his lack of courtesy. Megumi sat with one hand to her mouth, stunned at the boy's obnoxious words. Kenshin covered Kenji's ears, and closed his own eyes, cringing as he heard the impact.

"I didn't knock her up asshole! We were married a long time before she got pregnant!" Sano shouted. "Talk to Kenshin if you want to talk about knocking people up!"

Kenshin's eyes shot open, his temper flaring slightly, but Sano didn't even have time to duck before Kaoru blasted him with a blow to the chin. She screeched with rage and stood over both the fallen men, her words roaring through the kitchen in a string of barely intelligible sentences, but a few choice words were very clear.

Kenji whimpered slightly, his pale eyes wide with shock. He was used to seeing Yahiko and his mother argue and spat with each other, but nothing like this before. She was raving mad now, waving her tray around and pointing to the door. This was it, his mother had gone insane, he was sure of it. He had no idea what they were talking about before all of this started, but it had something to do with Auntie Megumi's big belly, babies, and knocking something around. Well, whatever it was, he certainly didn't want any part of it now.

"Maa, maa," Kenshin replied, trying to keep his voice calm, "You're all acting like madmen! There's a child in the room and you scaring him!" He was quite perturbed at Sano's comment, but there was no need to add fuel to the fire, his wife had said enough for the both of them. It was true, Kenshin had gotten Kaoru pregnant before they were married, a fact but only a few people knew.

"GET OUT! Both of you!" Kaoru shouted, her face red and blue eyes blazing. Sano and Yahiko dared not press her further, and both quickly beat a rapid retreat.

Kenji watched his mother wearily as she took her place next to his father, straightened her kimono gracefully, and began refilling her tray. She smiled at Megumi and offered the woman more tea, proceeding like nothing had happened at all. "Well then, " she stared, smiling at the small group before her, "Where were we?"

************

"Kenshin?"

The red haired man turned his head slightly from his spot on the porch and smiled at his wife. She came to him from out of the shadows, the moonlight dancing off her hair and illuminating her blue eyes in heavenly fashion. He extended a hand, welcoming her presence and motioning for her to sit with him under the stars.

Kaoru settled next to her husband, laying her head on his shoulder and resting a hand on his thigh. "You're quiet tonight, anata," she observed. Her tone was light and soothing, hinted with mild concern.

"It was a long day, koishii," he replied, looking down at her fingers and twining his own through them.

"It wasn't that long, Kenshin," she stated, pulling her head back and staring at him curiously, "What's on your mind?"

Kenshin sighed and quit toying with his wife's fingers. There were a thousand things on his mind right now and he hardly knew where to begin. He couldn't just blurt out that he was worried his son would become disillusioned if he didn't train the boy now. To make matter's worse, he didn't want to tell his wife that his son needed to be trained in the Hiten Mitsurugi style, too afraid she'd be hurt or angry at his decision.

"It's about Kenji isn't it?"

Kenshin looked up quickly, his eyes widening at his wife's perceptiveness.

"Don't give me that look baka! You've always been poor at hiding your worry," she stated, pointing a finger into his chest playfully, "It's about what he did to Yahiko, isn't it?" She smiled at her husband's stupor and turned her face up to the stars, "Give me a little credit Kenshin, I'm not totally ignorant."

"How did you know?" Kenshin stammered, running a hand through his red hair.

Kaoru smiled again, "He's Kenji. I never underestimate him and it's not like Yahiko to fall so easily. I just put two and two together, especially after I saw the look on your face."

Kenshin grinned sheepishly, scolding himself for taking his wife lightly. He still saw her as the young girl he met in the streets of Tokyo, but she had indeed grown into a wise woman with remarkable skills. Still, he liked to think of her as his young girl, innocent and pure, that would never change.

"Aa, Kaoru, I should know better than to try and hide things from you. I am worried about Kenji. He's become far too intelligent for his own good and has no proper training. I'm worried he'll follow the wrong path, as I did, and allow his spirit to be torn. I think it's time he started his training." Kenshin's face fell into solemn lines and he closed his eyes.

His wife's laughter startled him and he turned to look at her, confused.

"Kenshin, Kenji is just a boy. He's smart and I agree he needs to begin his training, but don't fool yourself. Our child never had a chance of being normal, not from the minute he was conceived," Kaoru giggled at the look on her husbands face, "Just look around you Kenshin. He's born into a house of orphans, former criminals, and the socially ignorant. None of us would know how to behave in a normal household, so don't expect Kenji to either, besides, I think he'd get bored way to fast." She moved closer to her husband, taking his hands into hers, "What matters, my dear husband, is that your son is probably to most loved boy in all of Japan, and he knows it."

"Still, Kaoru, we need to think about his future. No matter which way I turn it, Kenji chan will have to learn Hiten Mitsurugi, " he shook his head slightly at the thought and waited for his wife's reply.

"I figured as much, " Kaoru whispered, nuzzling her husbands neck and allowing her hands to trace a lazy path up his arms. "It'll be okay," she murmured into his ear, "You worry far too much anata. Have a little faith."

"A…little…faith…" Kenshin sighed, cocking his head to get a better look at his wife's roaming hands. He'd married such a wicked woman, it should be no surprise his son was blessed with cunning and the impeccable ability of observation. Kaoru knew how to take away her husbands worries in such a way it would benefit them both in the end, and Kenshin wasn't going to complain.

He pressed his back into the support pole as she straddled his lap, her blue eyes laughing at his rapidly dissolving worry. "Yes, faith," she replied, running her hands down his chest and inside his gi. His skin jumped in response to her electric caresses and warmth seared in his veins.

Kenshin made a low growl in his throat and caught his wife's face in his hands, "You're an evil woman, koishii." He brought her lips to his in a passionate kiss, his needy hands finding their way inside her yukata and grasping her hips.

The fire starting to rage in his blood exploded into a million stars, followed by an inky blackness. The small shoe hit its mark with deadly accuracy and the last thing Kenshin remembered hearing was his son's angry cry. He slumped over, managing a weak "Oro," as the pain in his temple shot like white lightening through his brain.

**********

The fuzziness began to fade and he could feel someone shaking him a little too roughly. "Oooh, my head," he moaned, trying to focus on the figures that stood around him on the porch. He rubbed a tender spot on his temple, wincing at the tender goose egg, "What happened…" Suddenly his face paled and his vision became extremely clear. He could see Yahiko grinning wickedly next to his wife, whose face was embarrassed and worried, while Kenji glared at him with narrowed, violet eyes.

"You got busted," Yahiko laughed, pointing at Kenji.

"It's not nice to bite mama!" Kenji snapped, baring his teeth in typical Kenji fashion. The small boy stood between his mother and father, a solid barrier warning him not to come any closer.

Kenshin glanced at Kaoru, who was just as white as he. In the heat of their desires, they failed be discrete and Kenji had discovered his father and mother in a tangle of limbs and loose clothes. Kenshin could only imagine what went through the child's head at the time, but he was certain it was nothing less than pure panic. The look on Kenji's face was that of murder, and the boy wanted explanations.

"Father wasn't hurting mother, Kenji chan," Kaoru urged softly, picking the boy up and trying to sooth him. "Your father would never hurt me!" Kenji cocked a brow at his mother, but did not take his eyes off his father.

Yahiko laughed harder and turned to go back to bed, "You two have fun explaining this one." He could still be heard laughing as he crawled under the covers of his futon.

Kenshin placed a hand over his face and sighed.

Grrrr….I've had the worst head ache for three days, I think it's from trying to think too hard…I hated this chapter and rewrote it over and over again…finally, I decided to just leave it as it, and move on….(throwing hands up in the air)….don't hate me, I'll do better next time…I hope…LOL