Ya, Mara, I do draw from some personal experience with children…LOL…but Kenji and my son are very different types of children. My son in very MELLOW, and when he does misbehave, normally all I have to do is look at him and he stops whatever he's doing…I'm a big fan of grounding and don't mess around (like Kenshin), luckily my boy isn't a trouble maker and doesn't need to be punished very often…I worked in daycare from the time I was 17 to about 21, so I've dealt with all kinds of kids…I have a new appreciation for teachers and such…Hana Himura, I laughed so hard when I read your review, that is totally priceless. Yes, I know how hard it is to make a seven year old sit for 15 minutes, but 3 hours?! Wow, that's harsh, I'm glad your not my babysitter (LMAO). Still laughing….Calgar, How do I do it? Ummm, insanity…pure insanity…not to mention not having a life outside of my house and work so I spend countless hours watching anime and reading manga…pathetic, I know…LMAO…I'm still perfecting things though, so I hope you all will scold me and keep me in line…(wink) Anyhoo, as for Saito having four kids, I wanted him to have more than one, so I just picked four…Hideki is the second youngest, but I'm not saying anymore than that…Thanks again for all the reviews, and for reading this story…your all great, not to mention extremely patient!

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 9

Kaoru ushered her son into the isle, holding onto his hand tightly against the rush of people trying to disembark the train. His sweaty palm felt limp and cold as she pushed him along in front of her, shielding him from the jostling people. She frowned slightly, her brow furrowing with worry. After coming and apologizing to her, Kenji became almost lifeless, watching out the window in a melancholy silence, his usually bright eyes, dull and void of the fiery spark he was so well known for. He uttered not a word or whimper the rest of the trip, avoiding the eyes of his father and Saito's boy.

Kenshin was in no better state either. He glanced at his son numerous times, occasionally opening his mouth as if to say something, only to snap it shut suddenly and turn away. He plodded along behind them now, his pace amazingly slow and eyes glazed over as if he was lost in some other world. Kaoru knew he was brooding again, more than likely thinking how horrible a father he was and tying himself into knots thinking Kenji now hated him.

"Mou," she thought to herself. It was like she had two children instead of one, and sometimes the bigger one was more trouble than his littler counterpart. She was determined not to become involved with this dilemma though. Father and son had things to work out between themselves and within each other. All she would do for now was offer support and a gentle shove in the right direction every now and again.

She carefully helped Kenji down the steps of the train and out into the busy Kyoto station, turning slightly to catch her husband's eye, afraid that in his mind boggled state, he'd become separated from them. That was so like Kenshin, and Kaoru briefly wondered if it was his hand, instead of Kenji's, she should be holding. She caught a glimpse of his flaming red hair through the sea of people, and paused to wait for him as he pushed his way through the crowd, trodding closer to where they stood.

Kenji scuffed the ground with a shoe in agitation and felt his mother give his hand a slight squeeze. He gave her a dirty look and continued kicking up dust. His heart wasn't into making any trouble right now, he dared not risk another scolding from his father and especially not one from his mother, though it was hard to tell which one he felt was worse.

Punishment was inevitable when his mother scolded him. She was undeniably frightening when angry and Kenji never doubted her threats. If she told him he was losing his privileges or toys, he lost them, not questions asked. His mother was quick and thorough when it came to doling out proper discipline, but even Kenji's young mind respected that. His father, on the other hand, was almost laughable when it came to handing out a decent scolding. Gentle words only fell from the man's lips, no matter how stern he tried to be, and it was difficult to take him seriously.

Until now. In a matter of a week his father had turned into a master of tongue lashing, and Kenji was shocked. In his six short years, he'd never seen his father raise his voice at anyone in their home, not even the arrogant Yahiko or insufferable Sanosuke. He often thought his father incapable of getting angry. The man was a pillar of politeness and patience, content to do his chores and converse with a constant, simple smile on his face, taking each day in a steady stride. Now, his sudden mood swings and quick temper were unnerving, confusing, and worst of all, seemingly directed at Kenji alone.

Kenji hated the way he felt when his father scolded him. On the train, his skin crawled with disgust and he was ashamed of himself. Never before had anyone's words made him feel dirty or so humiliated. Each sentence cut through him like a hot knife and stung him to the very core. For so long, he could do no wrong in his father's eyes, but now it seemed like everything he did was so far from right. Why was his father treating him this way? What did he want from him?

Kenji's confusion rekindled his anger and he turned to face his father, who had finally caught up with the rest of the family. The boy looked up, watching as his mother and father conversed with each other, trying to remember where Auntie Misao had said to meet her. He locked his gaze onto the man's face and waited for a break in the commentary. Kenji had questions that demanded answers, and he quickly decided that waiting was no longer an option. He tugged on his mother's hand, looking up, his face set in a frown.

"What is it, kitten," Kaoru asked, breaking off her chatter with Kenshin.

Kenji opened his mouth to speak, looking at his father, but the words never got a chance to spill forth. Instead, he felt his hand wrenched from his mother's grasp as he was sent skidding face first into the dirt.

"MOTHER!"

Kenshin and Kaoru jumped back as Hideki charged through them, his arms thrown wide as he ran to his mother. He leapt into her arms, almost upsetting the slender woman, and grasped her in a massive bear hug. "I missed you mother!" he shouted joyously. The woman laughed and hugged her son back, surprised at the explosive greeting.

Kaoru and Kenshin stood several feet away, staring at the scene in awe. It was one thing to meet a child of the Wolf, but to finally see his wife in the flesh was like seeing a myth come to life. Even more shocking was when two other boys appeared and greeted their little brother, each one taking turns teasing and ruffling Hideki's hair. It was rare day indeed to witness a Saito family reunion, almost as if regarding some rare and foreign animals at a zoo.

Kenshin felt Saito's presence as he stopped next to them. "He always was a mama's boy," the man muttered, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He shoved his hands in his pockets and watched the reunion of his family with mild interest.

Kenshin glanced at Saito, still in wonder over seeing the man's family. "They look happy," he stated in a shocked voice.

Saito cast him a sidelong glare.

Kenji sputtered and spit out the dirt in his mouth, trying to regain his senses after being knocked silly by an overly excited Hideki. His hair tie had snapped, causing the thick mane to fall into his face in a mass of tangles and his right cheek stung from the impact of the ground. He groaned slightly, and rolled himself onto his back ungracefully. He could hear the muddled laughter and buzz of people around him and but his eyes weren't willing to open quite yet.

"What happened," he thought to himself, feeling slightly dizzy and out of breath. He remembered his parents talking about Auntie Misao, and he was about to interrupt them but something hit him from behind and had thrown him to the ground. Suddenly, his mind blazed, "Hideki," he thought vehemently. He ground his teeth together and pushed himself into a partial sitting position, wincing at his quickly stiffening muscles.

"Are you okay?"

Kenji cracked an eye at the timid voice, his vision fading in and out slightly. He could sense someone standing over him, watching him worriedly and waiting for an answer. "Hey, are you alright, I said," came the voice again, and he could feel some one gently tug at the sleeve of his shirt. Suddenly, both eyes snapped open as his vision cleared somewhat. He could make out the definite form of a young girl, holding a doll to her chest, and touching his shoulder. He made a slight yelp and back peddled in the dirt.

"Oh! I didn't hurt you did I?" the girl asked, yanking her hand away.

Kenji stared at the girl and shook his head, his mouth clamped shut and anger forgotten for the time being. He'd certainly seen girls his age while in town with his mother and father, but he'd never had one talk to him, let alone touch him before. Yahiko had told him many times that girls were scary creatures and not to be trusted by any means. The seriousness in his brother's words made Kenji take them to heart and he stared back at the girl with slightly fearful eyes.

The girl giggled and regarded the red haired boy sheepishly. "You're silly," she laughed, cocking her head to one side and smiling at him.

Kenji frowned at her and pushed himself up. "No I'm not," he snapped, not liking one bit that the girl was obviously laughing at him and had the nerve to call him silly.

She laughed again and offered a hand to help him up.

Kenji snorted at her offer and rose to a standing position, dusting off his clothes and ignoring the girls slightly hurt look. He glanced around for his family, angry that they had not come to help him or at least see if he was okay. He cringed when he saw them standing with the tall police officer and Hideki, talking with a woman and two other boys.

Kaoru was in awe of Saito's wife, Tokio. She was amazingly beautiful with long black hair that hung just below her waist and beautiful, gentle brown eyes, surrounded by thick, black lashes. She was tall, standing even with Saito's shoulder and incredibly slender. Her movements were swan like and flowing, the epidimy of grace and loveliness. Even more surprising, she was incredibly polite and friendly, the exact opposite of her husband in fact.

"It's so nice to meet you both," she replied, giving a bow to each, "It's so rare to meet any of my husband's friends outside of Kyoto." Saito groaned at her comment and in return she leveled him with a glare, before smiling again and pushing forward her other two sons. "This is Anotsu, our eldest, and this is Shirinji, the second born, and you all know Hideki," she stopped and looked around her for a moment the pointed to where Kenji stood glaring at a young girl, "and that is Yu, our youngest and only daughter."

Kaoru jumped, suddenly remembering her son, "Oh my gosh, Kenji! Are you okay?" She rushed over to the boy, checking his arms and legs for any breaks or bumps.

Kenji glowered at his mother, yanking away his arm and turning his back her. His mood had finally met the bottom of the black abyss of foulness. So far, he managed to infuriate his mother on the train, get scolded by his father for defending himself and his family, he'd been knocked silly by his worst enemy, humiliated by the sister, and as he lay partially conscious his parents had totally forgotten him. The day couldn't possibly get any worse. He wanted nothing more than to go to Auntie Misao and Uncle Aoshi's home now and take a long nap.

As if Kami-sama heard his wishes, the distinct sound of Misao's cheerful shout echoed above the crowd. Kenji's head snapped around, searching the station for the wily ninja girl, squealing with glee when he located her bouncing form and noticed she wasn't alone. His dejected mood was suddenly forgotten and he dashed off, ignoring the worried shout of his father, in the direction of his aunt and uncle.

"He's kinda grumpy," Yu observed, watching Kenji dart off into the crowd.

Kaoru looked at the little girl and smiled softly, "He's had a rough day, Yu chan."

Kenji threw himself into Misao's waiting arms, knocking the tiny woman to her rump. He hugged her tightly and giggled, elated to finally see her. Misao laughed at the child's joy, wrapping him in a warm embrace, kissing his cheeks and raving about how much he'd grown.

Smiling at the boy, Misao winked and looked at Kenji, "Look who I drug out of the house to come pick you guys up?" Her tone was teasing, but excited as well. It really hadn't taken much to convince the former okashira, Shinomori Aoshi to come along. Though he tried to hide it, everyone knew the man was particularly fond of Himura chan.

Kenji made a slight gasp and trained his gaze up the long legs of the man that stood over them until he met the Aoshi's sea green stare. They regarded each other quietly for a moment, and then Kenji started to giggle, seeing a slight twitch in the man's thin lips. He launched himself out of Misao's lap, practically climbing up the tall man's clothing.

Aoshi plucked the boy off his pant leg, swooping him up in a fluid motion and resting him against his chest. His stony demeanor did not change, nor did his lips break free of the permanent line, but his eyes softened as Kenji hugged his neck, then rested his forehead against the man's own. "Hello Himura chan," he replied, his voice soft and monotone, "It's good of you to visit us again."

Kenji giggled at the man, finding his stoic façade amusing. "Uncle Aoshi, your so funny," he laughed, rubbing his nose against the other man's. He didn't care that his uncle refused to carry on like Auntie Misao, or roll upon the ground with him like his father did. This tall and standoffish man was a fount of information and knowledge, often telling Kenji wonderful stories of ninja's and warriors or showing him new and amazing things.

Misao sighed wistfully as she watched the two interact with each other. She could see the happiness in Aoshi's eyes as he held the child, though one would have to know him well to catch it. To a stranger, it would appear he was being cold and indifferent the tiny boy, but she knew better. The icy eyes were dancing and a spark that had long since dimmed had come back to life. What she would give, to have what ever Himura chan had in him, to make the glacial man respond in such a way.

"Himura chan," Aoshi protested as the child's hands prodded the folds of his kimono, searching for something only he and his uncle knew was there. Aoshi put his lips to Kenji's ear, "Wait until we get to the Aoiya" he whispered. Kenji giggled again and ceased his poking, liking the idea of having a secret only the two of them knew about.

Misao pretended she hadn't heard, knowing what ever gift Aoshi was going to give Kenji would be done in private, with out the watchful eyes of the rest of the family. She smiled to herself and shaded her eyes, scanning the crowd of Kenji's parents. "There they are!" she shouted, pointing to a group of people, "Who's that they're talking too?"

"Saito Hajime," Aoshi replied bluntly, striding forward, Kenji held tightly in his grasp.

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

"I cannot believe that man is married with four kids! Did you see his wife?" Misao said for the millionth time that evening. She scrubbed the dish she was washing a bit harder and cast Kaoru a glance. The small ninja girl snorted, simply disgusted that even the likes of Saito could manage to be happily married, to a beautiful woman none the less, who obviously held some sort of power over him. Yet, she herself, could not even manage to crack the shell of the man she loved so much. It was positively infuriating.

"Yes, I did Misao chan," Kaoru replied, drying a tray carefully, "She's a very nice woman!" So nice, in fact, Tokio san made a point of asking Misao and Kaoru to join her on a shopping trip in Kyoto. The woman simply wouldn't take no for an answer, no matter how hard Kaoru tried to protest. A day on the town wouldn't be so bad, but the younger children would have to come along, and that only spelled disaster. Kenji and Hideki were flame and gunpowder around each other, and there was no way they would be content to behave an entire day with each other. Tokio brushed the incident off and told Kaoru she had nothing to worry about. The outing was set, and there was no way out of it.

"It's got to be rough, being married to that guy," Misao stated. Oh, it was obvious Tokio held the cards in her hands, the way she looked at Saito, almost daring him to make a smart retort in her presence. It was shocking to see the wolf retreat so quickly, threatened by a mere reed of a woman. Yet, still, their family life had to be intensely stressful, being that Saito was the former leader of the Shinsengumi and not a well liked man. A life full of secrets and enemies held no security and robbed people of simple joys.

"Oh, I think Tokio san is a strong woman. She's very proud of her family. Did you see her little girl? She was adorable!" Kaoru laughed, remembering the fair skinned child in a pink kimono, holding a doll to her chest as she offered Kenji assistance. Yu was six years old as well, the only girl among a family of swordsmen. She was slightly taller than Kenji and her hair black as a crow's wing, hanging free to her shoulder blades. Like her brother, her eyes were her most striking feature, a magnificent golden color, like a dying ember in a fire. She was the only one of Saito's children to inherit those wolf's eyes, the boy's each shared the same chestnut colored orbs, amazingly rich and beautiful in their own right, but no where near as noticeable as their sisters.

Misao laughed, "Yes I did! To think, Saito with a daughter! It seems so weird!"

"Why's that Misao?"

The ninja girl shrugged, "I dunno Kaoru chan. It's sort of like trying to picture Kenshin with a daughter. It just doesn't seem to fit? I mean, such strong men are better suited with son's, right?"

Kaoru raised a brow at Misao and brushed a hand over her stomach slightly, thinking for a moment about her husband and son. "Maybe Misao, but I think Kenshin would do just fine if he had a daughter, and I hardly doubt Aoshi would complain much either." She grinned wickedly as the smaller woman blushed an unusual shade of crimson. "As a matter of fact, I think a little Misao would turn Aoshi san to pure mush!" It was a horrible to tease her friend so, but Misao was so obvious and hung her emotions out there for the taking.

"Kaoru!" Misao shouted indignantly, covering her face with her hands, "I can't believe you just said that!"

"Oh, come on Misao, how old are you? Twenty-five now? And Aoshi is thirty-two? I'm surprised Okina hasn't arranged a marriage for you two already! And don't tell me you haven't thought about children yet either!" Kaoru mockingly scolded her friend. The game Aoshi and Misao played was far worse than the one Kaoru and Kenshin had been involved in, it was time someone gave them a push in the right direction.

Misao moaned and dropped to the floor. "I know! I know! But I'll wait for him, no matter how long it takes!"

Kaoru sighed and patted her friend on the head, smiling softly, "Well, it will be worth it when he does come around. Trust me, Misao chan."

A sudden shout coming from the back yard caused both women to start. The jumped up, tossing away their kitchen towels and ran for the door.

"Kenji! Don't MOVE!" Kenshin roared, his voice laced with panic.

Kaoru ran to her husband's side, grabbing him by the arm. "Kenshin! What's the matter? Where's Ken…" She stopped suddenly and followed her husband's line of vision. She let out a startled gasp and her eyes widened in fear. "Kami-sama…" she whispered.

Kenji clung to the thin branch of a tall oak tree far above the ground of the Aoiya. His tiny arms and legs wrapped mercilessly around the coarse wood, only his fine sense of balance and bird like weight allowing him to remain safe so high above the ground. He stared down, wide eyed at his parents and the Aoiya inhabitants, amazed at how small they looked from so far up.

Getting up the tree had posed no problem, in fact, it was a simple feat as he scaled the thin branches like a common tree rodent. He hadn't realized how far up he had gone, his only intention was to retrieve the kite he and Aoshi had been flying in the back yard, but once he did notice the dizzying height, he began to get slightly worried. The kite was still a few feet above his head, almost with in his reach, but something in him told him not move. Maybe it was the creaking of the branch as it barely bore his weight, or the notable breeze ruffling his hair. He really didn't know, but was now posed with the problem of getting back down the mighty tree.

"Why is MY son in a tree, Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted, pointing at her son. "And how in the name of Kami sama did he get up so high?" She swallowed the fear and anger that rose in a nasty bile in the back of her throat. If Kenji fell from that far up, he wouldn't just break a bone, he would break many bones, probably his neck.

"Little boys climb trees Himura san," Aoshi stated simply, staring up at the boy with mild interest. Yes, it was a well-known fact that boys did climb trees, chase snakes, and cause trouble. Aoshi himself could remember falling out of several trees when he was young, but never at such a height. He had been far too large to make it that far up a tree, but little Himura chan was a completely different type of boy. Aoshi was worried, but showing it would do no one any good.

Kenshin growled in frustration, watching the branches sway back and forth as the evening breeze began to pick up. The light was fading quickly and that would make getting Kenji down even more dangerous. He had to act now. He moved swiftly to the base of the tree, staring up at the limbs, examining which path would be the safest to follow.

"Kenshin," Kaoru whispered worriedly.

"Himura, I dunno," Misao replied, her hesitation at his intentions obvious.

Aoshi stepped forward and grabbed Kenshin by the shoulder, shaking his head, "Himura san, I don't think that's a good idea. Even with your small size, you're far to heavy to get more than half way to Himura chan. You would definitely fall." He closed his eyes against Kenshin's violet glare, "You know your body could not take a fall from that height. We do not need two tragedies in one night."

Kenshin wrenched his shoulder away from the taller man, his eyes slitting. "What do you suggest we do then Aoshi san? Cut down the tree?" He waited for an answer and when he received none, he began to climb.

Well, I finally saw the first half of the new OAV, and I thought it was fairly good. I'm having mixed feelings about it though, but I'll make my final decision as soon as I see the last half. As for Kenji, I warn everyone now (those who have seen the OAV), I will continue to write Kenji as I have been writing him, if he's out of character, sorry, I haven't seen the entire thing and I honestly don't think I could write him as he is in the OAV. I wanted to do a fic when he is older, but now I'm not sure if I will or not…I haven't decided yet…Anyway, I've embarked on another journey, so I'm sorry for the delay in this chapter…I picked up two books that are extremely interesting and I haven't been able to put them down. Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, very good reading! (I highly recommend people to see The Count of Monte Cristo, it's VERY GOOD..that's why I picked up The Prince)…Oh oh oh oh, and to the Vampire Hunter D fans (swoons) Bloodlust will be out Feb. 12th…(getting giddy)!