This fic is turning out to be ten times longer than I intended it to be…sorry…I thought I may make the chapters longer, to shorten the fic some, but then I know it would take me longer to update (plus, that wouldn't really shorten the fic, umm, I'm confusing myself again)…so I suppose it really doesn't matter too much…* shrugs * I see so many comments about Kenji hating his dad (at the end of the manga)…I honestly don't believe a child that young is capable of "hating" either of his parents unless he's been abused in some way or form, and I don't see Kenshin as the abusive parent type at all…so that's where a lot of my insanity comes from…It's just my interpretation though (I think the hair pulling and hates his dad comment was a silly joke or an implication of things to come later in Kenji's life), that's the beauty of reading, we are all allowed to interpret things in our own way…sighs…(trying to justify my nut case fics…LOL) blacksakura, ya, your probably right, they could jump pretty high, and I thought about that…but looking out my window at the 50foot tree in my yard, I figured that there would be no way in heck they'd be able to jump "up" without getting conked on the head (too many branches)…so that's my reasoning…(giggles)…shinta sumi, you feel free to email me anytime, I'll discuss D with anyone, anytime, and for hours (I love him as much as Kenshin…GASP) charmin22@hotmail.com…LOL

Standard Disclaimers Apply

Chapter 10

Kenji stared at his father, watching the man climb the tree shakily. This was no good. No good at all. His father was in danger if he climbed any higher, the thin and brittle branches would not be able to hold his weight. What was the man thinking, acting so rashly? Kenji wasn't afraid of falling himself, he knew that wouldn't happen. It was a simple matter to move with the sway of the wind and maintain exquisite balance. The long branch he was on was sturdy, and there was no tremor of it giving out underneath him any time soon. Yet he knew that several of those limbs below him were extremely brittle, almost snapping beneath him as he climbed up higher. There was no way they'd hold his father for more than a split second.

"FATHER!" he shouted, "NO! Stay away!"

Kenshin paused looking up at his son with frightened eyes. The boy's shout scared him, thinking the child had fallen. He was shocked when Kenji released a small hand to wave him away, trying to get him to go back down the tree. "Kenji! I said don't move!" he shouted back. He couldn't leave the boy up there, cutting the tree down was an idiotic idea, nor could anyone jump up to reach him, the branches to thick, and Kenji certainly couldn't jump down. Kenshin was mildly worried about how to get down himself once he got a hold of his son, but he shoved the thought to the back of his mind. If they had to fall, Kenshin would make sure he would take the full force of the impact. He grit his teeth and glanced down at the rest of the group, "You think someone around here would have a ladder," he thought to himself, but that would not do much good anyway, considering how far up the tree Kenji was.

Kenji growled at his father, knowing that the he couldn't hear him, but his frustration at the older man's stubbornness was growing by the minute. Why couldn't the man just listen to for once? He was so thick headed it was insufferable! Kenji suddenly understood why his mother called his father baka all the time.

He had to stop the man from climbing any further. Frantically, Kenji looked around him, searching for something to aid him in halting his father's dangerous ascent. He spied a few brittle twigs and loose bark, thinking for a moment that he could shower his father with debris, forcing him to stop his climb. No, that wouldn't work and could possibly cause his father to fall. He stared down at the flame red hair, watching as Kenshin grasped hold of another branch, tugging at it to test its sturdiness. It snapped off in his hand, throwing him off balance momentarily.

"Baka! He's going to fall!" Kenji thought to himself, cringing as his father wavered in his footing. Kenji crushed his eyes closed, biting his lip against the hot tears that now stung his eyes. His father was going to plummet to the ground and be severely hurt if he didn't figure out some way to stop him. He knew his father's body couldn't take such an impact, having seen Auntie Megumi give his father numerous check-ups and over hearing their conversations. Granted, he didn't understand most of the talk, but he was not so ignorant to know how quickly his father wearied or see how slowly he moved on certain days. He was capable of putting two and two together. His father's body was frail and tired.

Slowly, he opened his pale eyes, watching as several tears slipped down his nose and cascaded to the ground like a silent rain. "It's all my fault," he suddenly thought. If his father got injured trying to get him down from the tree, it would be all his fault. Kenji couldn't bare the idea of being responsible for putting his father's life in danger, nor could he bare the thought of being responsible if his father was severely injured. He had to end this. He had to end this all before tragedy struck them down, and he only knew one way to stop his father from climbing any further.

He looked down at the family members that stood below them, watching the terrified faces. He met the impassive gaze of his okashira uncle, locking eyes with the man for many moments and gave him a slight smile. He wondered briefly how much trouble he'd get into once he made it to the ground, or if he'd even live to see him mother's enraged face or listen to his father's harsh words. Knowing his mother, he'd be staring at a corner for the next three months, from the time he woke up until the time he went to bed. He giggled slightly, thinking how things like that didn't sound so bad right about now.

Kenji tore his gaze away from Aoshi and craned his head to look at his father. His eyes softened and he felt a few more tears fall. How strange, he was crying, but not out of hurt or fear for himself, but out of sorrow and penitence. He was a horrid little creature for putting his mother and father through such panic. He could feel his father's pure terror battering against him like a howling wind. The man was truly mad with fright, totally willing to throw away his life to save him. Well, it was about time to turn the tables.

Kenshin froze as a few drops of liquid splashed against his hand. He looked upwards and sucked in his breath as he caught his son's gaze with his own. Kenji's face was an eerie sight of remorse mingled with fondness, his pale eyes shimmering with tears, but a small, almost twisted, yet timid smile playing upon little lips. Never had Kenshin seen his son look so dreadfully frightening and cold tremors ran up his spine. "NO!" The word thundered through his mind and exploded into a million shards as he realized what his son was about to do.

"KENJI! DON'T…." he screamed.

Kenji slammed his eyes shut and pushed himself off the branch. The wind howled in his ears as gravity pulled him into a spiraling fall. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, the adrenaline pumping through his veins like some euphoric drug. He had no idea if he was falling head or feet first, it really didn't matter, but he felt himself smile slightly as he pictured himself descending to the ground like a sparrow's feather. He faintly heard his mother scream and his father's strangled shout. Oh, how he was going to get it now, if he survived the impact. He wondered how much it was going to hurt.

The fall took only a few seconds, but for everyone present it took a lifetime. Aoshi moved quickly, he had known what the boy was going to do the moment he locked eyes with him. Kenji hit Aoshi with such a force that both man and boy were thrown backwards, falling head over heels in a tangle of arms, legs, and clothing. There was the distinct sound of cracking bones and a sickening thud as one of their heads made contact with the large wash tub. Once the inertia gave out, stillness settled over the shadowed heap

"Oh, Kami," Misao whispered, her body in shock and unable to fully register what had just happened.

Kaoru made a few choking sounds, and tried to move her feet to the fallen pair, but they would not cooperate. She could feel the blood rushing to her head, causing her to swoon slightly and suddenly everything went black. She fell into a slack Misao, almost knocking the girl to the ground, but luckily the little ninja snapped out of her astonishment and caught the woman before she fell.

Kenshin frantically maneuvered his way out of the tree, half-climbing, half-falling as he made his way down. Branches snapped under his weight, causing him to slide a few feet until he caught himself on a sturdier limb. The rough bark tore away at his skin, opening bleeding wounds on his arms, face and chest, but he didn't care, he had to reach his son. Snarling as a twig hit him in the eye, he jumped, not caring how high up he was. He was still a Hiten Mitsurugi master, he should be able to at least manage a short fall, even with his body's frail condition. He winced as he hit the ground, a sharp pain in his hip forcing him to roll several feet across the yard. Ignoring the shooting pain, he leapt to his feet and ran to where the fallen pair lay.

Aoshi lay extremely still, keeping his eyes tightly shut. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth where the boy's head had connected with his teeth. He ran his tongue over them, astonished, but relieved to find they were all still intact. Next, he wiggled his toes, making certain he could still feel them and that his neck hadn't been broken when he slid into the wash basin. He took a deep breath and hissed in pain as his expanding rib cage seared with fire. Well, he considered himself lucky if all he came away with was a couple of broken ribs, things could have been much worse.

He glanced down at the boy he held tightly clasped to his chest. The flame red hair was dark with blood, obviously the work of his own teeth. The former okashira wondered if the cut would need stitches. That would be unfortunate, sewing up the scalp was difficult, and it would require the boy to lose some of his hair. He could feel Himura chan's rapid breathing against his skin, as well as the thundering beat of his little heart. The boy was alive, which was amazing to say the least. This situation could have had a horrible ending. He still needed to check the rest of the boy's limbs though, he was certain the child had landed awkwardly on an arm, but it was hard to tell whose bones he'd heard snapping.

"No, Aoshi sama, stay down," Misao cried, pushing the man back to the ground.

"I'm okay Misao, just a few broken ribs," he stated, "Take Himura chan, make sure he's okay."

Misao nodded, looking over the lanky man worriedly, "We've called for a doctor. He should be here shortly."

Aoshi only nodded slightly, resting his head against the ground and shutting his eyes.

***********

Kenshin walked softly into Aoshi's room, knocking lightly on the door before entering. The man lay on his futon, his broad chest wrapped in bandages, his eyes closed as if in a deep sleep. Kenshin sighed softly and turned to leave.

"Come in Himura san."

Kenshin jumped slightly, startled by the suddenness of Aoshi's voice. "I'm sorry Aoshi san, I didn't mean to disturb your rest."

Aoshi only nodded slightly and motioned for Kenshin to come in and sit down. Actually, he had been waiting for the samurai to come to him, knowing that the man would have some things to say and would update him on the state of little Himura chan. He did not bother to open his eyes, keeping himself prone as he listened to the sounds of Himura settling himself next to the futon. The two of them sat in silence for several moments, Aoshi waiting patiently for the man to start speaking.

Kenshin gave the younger man a slight bow, "Aoshi san, I am very grateful for you saving Kenji's life. Words cannot express Kaoru's gratitude and mine. I must also apologize for the trouble he's caused you. We are so very, very sorry."

Aoshi did not reply to the apology or the thank you. "How is Himura chan?" he asked.

Kenshin sighed, his heart heavy. "He's sleeping, as the doctor said he would after taking that medicine. Surprisingly, he only sprained a wrist, suffered some badly bruised muscles, and a deep cut on his hairline. He'll be quite sore for a few days, but the medicine the doctor gave us should keep him free of pain until he's ready to get out of bed. The doctor said we were all very lucky." Lucky indeed, that they had come away with only a few minor injuries was nothing short of a miracle. Aoshi had suffered the worst, two of his ribs broken, while Kenji came away virtually unharmed. Kenshin himself suffered only a stiff hip, a couple aching bones, and several cuts and scratches.

"And then what?"

Kenshin tilted his head slightly, puzzled at the man's question. "What do you mean, Aoshi san?"

"What will happen to him when he's able to get up?"

Kenshin's lips thinned slightly. Though he was relieved his son was unharmed, but he could feel the underlying rage boiling in his heart. He was furious that the boy had put himself and everyone else in so much danger by throwing himself from the tree. It was insanity, by far the most mindless and malevolent trick the boy had ever played. "He will be punished accordingly," Kenshin replied dryly.

Aoshi opened his eyes and turned his head to see the other man, "For what? Saving his father?"

Kenshin sputtered slightly, wondering if the hit on Aoshi's head was worse than the doctor had figured. "What are you talking about? Saving me? By throwing himself out of a tree?" He stared at the man's impassive face, trying to see what was going on in the man's mind.

Aoshi sighed softly, waiting for the pain in his chest to pass. "I thought you, of all people, would see why he did what he did, but I suppose being a parent clouds one's vision."

Kenshin shook his head, not understanding.

"I warned you not to go up after him, but you did anyway. Himura chan saw the same thing I did. You would fall before you could reach him, and we all know that a fall from that height could very well be your undoing, Himura san," Aoshi stated. He watched the red haired man's eyes grow wide, shocked that the oniwaban knew of his condition, and even more astonished that his son was aware of it as well. Aoshi continued, "You refused to listen to him when he told you to go back down the tree. He had to get you to stop climbing for if you fell, your injury, or possibly death, would be on his shoulders. He saw all that, and you left him no other option."

Kenshin stared at his hands, his body shaking slightly as Aoshi's words began to sink in. "His tears," Kenshin thought, "He was crying…for me?" His fearless son, the one who shed no tears, had cried out of fear for his father, then chose to take the leap of death in order to save him. "Kami sama," Kenshin breathed, holding back his own tears and standing up swiftly. Children were suppose to be ignorant to sacrifice, especially ones as young as Kenji. Where his son came up with such a harsh resolve was beyond Kenshin's comprehension, but it did give him a better insight to how his boy's mind worked.

"So, Himura san, don't you think he's been punished enough already?"

Kenshin glanced back at Aoshi and thought of his son's tears. He remembered the boy's pained face, so full of sadness and regret, staring down at him from the branches far above him. Kenji was begging him for forgiveness, not for climbing the tree, but for putting his father into danger by being careless. For a brief moment, he knew his son understood what it meant to deal the cards with death, but the child played anyway, willing to lose the hand if it meant saving the one he loved most dearly. Kenshin shut his eyes against a whirlwind of memories. How many times had he, himself, played that same game? Far too many, and he understood far to well the pain, sorrow and suffering, that the rules followed.

"Hai, Aoshi san," he replied, padding softly out of the room and down the hall to where his son slept.

***********

A golden trickle of light shone onto Kenji's tightly shut eyes, rousing him from a dreamless sleep. It took a mighty effort to force his eyes open, his lids heavy with drowsiness from the medication. His head felt light and the room spun around him in a foggy dance as he tried to focus on the ceiling, vaguely remembering what had happened the previous night. He knew he was in bed and morning had risen. Strangely, he could feel a slight ache throughout his body, not extremely painful, but enough to bring an annoying discomfort.

"You're awake."

His father's greeting floated by him like a feather on the wind, he could feel a touch on his cheek, but he could not will his head to turn and look at him just yet. Instead, he cast a half hearted, lopsided smile in return.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

Kenji uttered a throaty, hoarse affirmative, not able to form the simple word. His father gave him a worried smile and dabbed a cloth to his face. Kenji shuddered at the cool touch of the cloth, growing frustrated at his inability to move or communicate. He made another small noise, a whimper of agitation, and twitched a finger in the direction of the door.

"Hmm," Kenshin asked, setting the cloth down into the bowl and regarding his son with a worried frown. Over all, the child didn't look too bad. His face was a bit pale and his eyes dull from the numbing effects of the medication, but the scratches and cuts where the twigs and limbs and hit him during his fall were no longer welted or angry red. His little wrist was swollen, even through the tight bandage it was noticeable, but his fingers moved easily.

Kenshin shook his head. It was obvious the gods loved his son. How many times had the child gotten himself into dangerous situations and managed to come out alive and unharmed? The luck this boy had was nothing short of a heavenly gift and Kenshin couldn't help but to chuckled slightly.

Seeing his father's shoulders jump as he laughed, Kenji frowned and glared. This was no time to be laughing. Important things were at hand, he had words that needed to be said, but yet his father sat there, laughing and smiling at him.

Kenshin grinned at his son, seeing the boy's furrowed brow. "I'm sorry, chibi chan. It's just that you are a very lucky boy, that you are. You could have been badly hurt, doing what you did." He picked up the cloth, wetting it again, and dabbed the boy's forehead. His smile faded and lines worried lines formed around his eyes. He suddenly felt very, very old.

Kenji looked up at his father with sad eyes, waiting for the man to continue.

Kenshin sighed, "I know why you did what you did Kenji chan. Thank you for looking out for me."

Kenji gasped, but immediately winced as his muscles protested. The pain was returning slowly, creeping over him like a predator stalking its prey. He tried to speak again, but his tongue was thick and heavy in his mouth, incredibly dry as well, barring all words from being spoken.

Kenshin put a finger to his lips and shook his head. "No, don't talk. Just listen to me, very carefully." He waited for his son to acknowledge his words. "Words cannot tell you have deeply moved I am to know you care for me so much, but throwing your life away, for my sake, should have never been a decision you had to make. Sacrifice is a tricky thing, my son. Though you may believe what you are doing is the right thing, you must always remember the people you will leave behind in suffering. Your life is just beginning, chibi chan, I have lived mine, but I believe in this case, we both made very wrong decisions. I hope you will accept my apology, for forcing you to make such a harsh choice."

Kenji stared at his father, his pale eyes wide with astonishment. He expected to be scolded, screamed at, punished until the day he came of age arrived, but his father had just apologized to him. Was this some sort of sick joke? Surely they had a list of chores and a tatami in the corner with his name written all over it. What ever his mother and father had planned, it wasn't funny. He frowned and tried to push himself up, only crying out in pain as his wrist gave out from under him and his body roared at the abuse.

"Kenji, you mustn't move. Just rest for now, there will be time for more talk later," Kenshin replied gently, moving his son carefully back into a more comfortable position. Once tucked in, he picked up a small cup and sloshed the liquid around inside, "Drink this. It will make you feel better."

Kenji didn't argue, thankful for the liquid's wetness in his throat. He lay back down and sighed, feeling his eyes grow heavy and the dizziness return. His mind began to fog over, sending him floating down into a misty abyss of a dreamless sleep.

********

Kaoru paced the grounds of the Aoiya, her face set into a frustrated frown. She searched high and low for her son and husband, yet could not find hide nor hair of them. She was certain Kenshin hadn't taken Kenji to town, the boy was still far to weak to spend all day trudging through the city streets, and there was no way they had gone up the mountain to see Hiko san. That trip had been delayed for several days, depending on the recovery of Kenji.

"Mou!" she snapped, putting her hands on her hips and tapping a foot impatiently. It was so like them to not tell her what was going on or what their plans were. Such was the life of a woman married to selfish men. She stormed off, sliding open the Aoiya's back door and proceeded to recheck the restaurant.

She bumped into Aoshi as he moved stiffly down the hall, his bandages freshly changed and hair damp from a bath. He hardly moved himself from bed, several days not being nearly enough time for recovery, so it was surprising the see him up and about. "Aoshi san! You should be in bed!"

The man only nodded at her and continued down the hall at an incredibly slow pace.

"Umm…Aoshi san," Kaoru called after him, wringing her hands together nervously, afraid of sounding rude or uncompassionate, "Have you seen Kenshin or Kenji around here anywhere?"

Aoshi stopped and turned to her slightly. "Hai," he replied, pointing to his study before continuing back to his room.

"Thank you, Aoshi san," Kaoru replied.

"What are they doing in there," she wondered. No one entered Aoshi's private study with out him being present. It was incredibly rude of her husband and son to infringe on the man's private things, especially after causing him such a horrible time. She stalked down the hall to where the tall man had pointed, and slid the door open with a snap.

"Kenji chan, you don't have to do this," Kenshin pleaded, stooping low next to his son. "Come on, chibi chan, you should be resting."

Kenji sat, his back stiffly to his father, on a tatami mat facing an empty corner in Aoshi's dimly lit study. His little legs were crossed, hands set in his lap, as if meditating. He did not acknowledge his father's words or even gave hint that he knew the man was there. He sat in stoic silence, ignoring the world around him, eyes staring blandly at his chosen corner.

"Kenji, son, I told you already, we are both at fault for the accident. If you were to be punished, than I would have to be as well!"

Kenji pointed to an empty corner in the room, then returned to his self-inflicted punishment.

Kaoru stifled a giggle, thinking how funny it would be to see her husband sitting in a corner like a misbehaving child. Part of her felt that they both needed to be scolded for their rash and idiotic actions, but after talking with Kenshin, she knew that no punishment she could think of would mirror the absolute horror of what man and child had just been through. The pain they had suffered was enough, and she was content to be thankful no one was seriously hurt.

She moved closer to the pair and watched as Kenshin ran a finger through his shaggy hair, obviously distressed at his son's stubbornness.

"Kenji," Kenshin almost whined, but stopped short upon realizing his wife's presence. He turned around and looked up at her, his violet eyes pleading for her help.

"Would you like me to get you a mat, anata," she teased.

Kenshin shook his head in mock disgust and turned back to his son. The boy had woke up that morning, before anyone else, found himself a mat and solitude corner, intent on punishing himself for the actions of several days ago. Misao and Aoshi failed in coaxing him out, and Kenshin was having no better luck. Hours had already passed and the boy showed no intention of moving anytime soon.

"He doesn't have to do this, koishii," Kenshin complained, staring at his son's tiny frame.

Kaoru shrugged, "Let him anata. He obviously feels he needs to be punished and maybe this time to think things over will do him some good." She could tell by the state of Kenji's posture that his determination would not be broken, so it was a waste of time to argue with him so. It struck her funny, how her husband was unable to see his own concrete stubbornness inside the boy. He should be the one to understand how difficult it was to sway the child once his mind was set on something, but he was blind to his own traits. It was extremely amusing.

Kenshin stood up slowly, tucking his hands into his gi and sighing heavily. At least the boy couldn't get into any trouble sitting inside the dark room, but that offered little solace. He couldn't help but feel guilty, unable to make his words reach the child and set his mind at ease. There was no need for discipline, he thought he made that quite clear, and could not understand for the life of him why Kenji was so insistent on wallowing in guilt.

He shook his head slightly and turned to meet his wife's glittering gaze. He could see her amusement dancing upon her features, and bitterly wondered how anyone could find this funny. "I'm going to see shishou," he stated, then padded out of the room.

Kaoru arched a brow and laughed softly. He poor husband, in a fit over his young son's insistence to be punished. She knew that one day they would all look back on this and laugh. Quietly, she stooped down and issued a kiss to the top of her son's head, then left the room, leaving her son to think things over.

Marwoly, gasp, you found me out (laughing)…YES! I love that manga! Totally amazing, and just being lazy, I thought of the first two names that popped into my head for Saito's other two kids…(okay okay, lacking in originality, but I didn't feel like searching too hard at the time…don't hate me…giggles). Now, the question is, where did the name Yu come from? Hee hee! Honestly, folks, I don't know too much about Japanese names, nor am I confident enough to make them up, so I search around for ones I find fitting…I must say, you all are fantastic for putting up with me for this long…Thank you so much…This fic is turning out to be a lot different that I imagined it in the beginning, it suddenly took a wild turn and became a story about Kenji and Kenshin learning about each other, I hope I'm portraying that okay…I'm never really satisfied when I post the chapters, but I tend to never be satisfied with anything I do…at one point I actually thought about redoing the entire thing, but your reviews have kept me going and contributed to many of the ideas….Thank you so much!