Grace
A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction
By the Dragon's Daughter
Summary: In the smoky streets of London, a battle is brewing. Kenshin is a former business man who has just discovered life in all its varied forms. Kaoru, a vampire, is running for her life when a certain red-head stumbles into it. Modern-Day AU.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I am making no profit by writing this fan fiction. It is intended for recreation purposes only.
Rating: R for language and violence
Pairing: Kenshin/Kaoru, Aoshi/Misao, and Sano/Meg
Chapter Six: Half-truths and Denial
Kenshin puttered about in the kitchen, deliberately giving Kaoru time with her daughter. He could heard them talking quietly in the living room so he decided it was time for him to make a re-entrance. He brought with him some glasses of orange juice, since Kaoru had told him that both she and Misao drank it for its nutritional qualities.
His lady and her young vampire were curled up on the couch. Misao still had her arms around Kaoru's waist and her head pillowed on the older Vampiress's shoulder. The scene was oddly touching for all that Misao was tricked out like a borderline goth model.
Kaoru accepted her drink with a smile that warmed him to the bone and Misao echoed it with one that would one day make some young vampire boy's knees shake. She was a lovely young girl and something about the sheer amount of energy contained in her small frame made her irresistibly adorable.
Kenshin had set out to win Kaoru's young protégé over just because wanted Kaoru as a permanent part of his life, but having met her he found that he'd have liked her anyway.
"I set up the guest room for your use." He told her. "There was a window, but certain events led to it being boarded up. I doubt you mind."
"No way," Misao laughed. "When I die I'm going to be in bed, three thousand years old, surrounded by homicidally protective grandkids, and richer than Bill Gates! Notice that sunlight doesn't factor into that equation."
Kaoru ran her fingers through Misao's bangs thoughtfully. "I like this haircut. It looks good on you, make you look polished."
"You think so?" Misao grinned to hide a little blush. "Tae did it."
"With Tsubame to supervise, no doubt, how many ideas did she veto before Tae came up with this one?"
"Twelve. Tae really wanted it short, but this made the illusion of short hair and let me keep my braid." Misao pulled back from Kaoru to touch the ends of her bangs. "I like it too. It's different. I kinda needed a change."
Kenshin knew exactly what she meant. His big change hadn't originated with himself… beyond the obvious. He'd moved all the way to London to purge himself of the vestiges of his old life. It hadn't worked very well, since his old life showed every sign of following him. Misao's past was doing the same and she was taking charge of one of the few things she had control over. He understood that all too well.
Misao stifled a yawn and stretched. "Oh boy! I'm beat. I better go get the bags before dawn comes around."
Kaoru nodded. "Dawn is almost upon us."
Neither of them looked at the windows or a clock. Kenshin supposed it was some sort of internal clock or a sixth sense concerning the sun. Daylight was so dangerous to them that he could believe that they'd cultivate any advantage they could get.
One thing was certain, storm shutters were going up on all his windows the moment he could have it done safely. He didn't want to have another incident like the one that had ended up with Kaoru in a stasis spell. He didn't want either of these women caught by dawn or anything else in his home ever again. Kaoru already meant far too much to him and he just didn't even want to think about anything happening to the spunky little girl he'd just barely gotten to meet.
..which brought him to his next train of thought and the individual bothering Misao. Yukishiro was enough already, but Kaoru assured him that the Grace would begin once the sun rose. Kenshin was still wary, but willing to concede that there was little the Junior Attendant could do. The man imitating Misao's childhood friend would have to either change his ways or find himself in several pieces scattered across London.
Just then blue light blossomed off in the corner of the living room. Kenshin was on his feet in a second, but it was gone before he could do more than inhale to cast a protective spell. The light left several pieces of unmarked luggage in its wake.
He cast a look at Misao. "Delivery service?" he asked skeptically and got a wicked grin for a reply.
Kenshin turned his attention back to the bags. He didn't even want to think about the kind of creature that could pass over his protections with impunity and would do so just to drop off some suitcases. He especially didn't want to think about how a little girl like Misao could convince it to do so.
One thing was for sure, things were going to be a bit more interesting from now on.
When Misao woke she knew the Grace had settled across the city even though she'd never experienced it for herself. It was an electric charge in the air. It was the feel of large something watching you, just beyond the edges of your sight.
The Grace was alive and watching everything. If Kaoru's stories were to believed, many people would turn up dead tomorrow from mysterious and messy means. There wouldn't be a mark on them, but each one would have been planning something in order to sabotage the Council Meeting. As if someone hadn't tried every year before them and had died just like they would.
Kaoru was now safer than any of her friends could make her. Anyone who so much as looked at her wrong would spontaneously combust on the street or experience a sudden inexplicable urge to walk out in front of a bus.
As she rose from the soft bed (miles of an improvement over the lumpy mattress in the Station and Tae's hard bunk beds) Misao heard smothered giggles coming from down the hall followed by a low moan. A soft blush colored her cheeks as she realized what must be going on in there.
After a moment's thought, she wrestled out of her night dress, changed into night clothes, slapped on some make-up, fixed her hair, and grabbed her book bag. On her way out, she paused by the Master Bedroom and called out, "I'm heading out for a bit! Don't wait up for me! I'll be back by three am!"
There was a muffled assent from Kaoru and Misao fled before she interrupted things any further. She knew when to make herself scarce.
The cool night teased the edges of Misao's coat as she jogged out onto the abandoned street. Once on the sidewalk, she relaxed into her 'street persona #2'. She wasn't dressed for #1, which involved a lot of not being noticed. #2 was built around a series of subtle nonverbal messages that read 'Don't Touch'.
Misao cocked her hips in that confident self-assured runway walk that models and the wives of Mob bosses used. She showed no fear and for a woman alone at night that meant to most that there was someone very powerful keeping an eye on her; someone who would take purse snatchings or attempted rape very badly.
'Mess with me and end up on the bottom of the Thames in chains and cement blocks.' Misao said it with her entire body and the look in her eyes. Now, none of the street trash needed to realize that she'd be the one doing the dirty work and not a rich boyfriend. It would happen either way.
There was a small coffee shop about two blocks away from Kenshin's apartment and a sign in the window declared it to be 'open 24/7'. Misao entered hesitantly, half expecting to find a poetry slam going on or a group of goth vampire wanna-bes reading sour free verse to each other. Instead she found a clean little parlor lined in richly designed rugs with big cushy couches lining the walls. There was a counter in the corner where a young university student worked the Graveyard shift and did her homework at the same time.
She gave Misao a once over and a friendly smile then fiddled with something under her counter. Soft instrumental music sprang up bringing a smile to Misao's face. She couldn't tell if it was pop or classical. It was some strange, but pleasant blend between.
"Can I help you?" the girl at the counter asked, thumb-marking her book in favor of Misao.
"You make a decent Café Latte?" Misao asked and the girl grinned.
"Baby stuff, give me a challenge next time!" she laughed. "Two quid and I'll bring it to you when it's done. Just pick a place and relax!"
"Thanks." Misao chose a place where the light was good, although it was muted all over the place. The seat was an old one-piece booth someone had ripped out of an upscale restaurant. The wood surface was chipped and scarred, but someone had refinished and restored it with a loving hand. Misao could practically feel the accumulated history of the piece thrumming up through her fingers as she laid out her school work.
From there on she delved into mathematics. She didn't even notice when the girl set her drink down by her elbow. Complex numbers took over her mind, but they weren't a welcome guest.
When she took a break to bang her head against the table, she found she'd acquired a tablemate. The man claiming to be Hanya had made his reappearance. He'd forgone the mask and trench coat tonight, or had ditched them outside. He'd scraped his black hair back into a short ponytail that Misao privately thought made him look like a pimp. The little goatee he'd cultivated didn't help the image much.
Misao eyed him coldly. "You're crossing a line here, buddy. Homework time is Misao time. You can mess with my head later, but I've got a math test due in two weeks that includes mail time. Piss off."
"I need to speak with you." Hanya-or-whoever-he-was said earnestly. "Please, just talk to me now and then you needn't ever see me again."
"I don't suppose you understand complex numbers then?" Misao sighed and idly clicked on her mechanical pencil. Unbeknownst to the Hanya-Impersonator, her spell chains writhed around her waist in agitation. She wanted to just strike out at him and have done, but he just didn't feel evil. No matter how uncomfortable he made her feel, she just couldn't countenance attacking him until he proved himself hostile.
Hanya looked confused. "Yes… I majored in Math, but I fail to see how it relates."
"Look, buddy. You don't feed me, fuck me, or pay my bills. You're here impinging on my study hour. My time does not come cheap. You're lucky you only have to help me with my homework." Misao told him shortly. "Usually I charge a lean against your soul so feel privileged or get lost."
The man frowned. "I wish you wouldn't use language like that. Your grandfather would kill me if he heard you now." He peered over at her book. "Are you adding, subtracting, or multiplying?"
"Multiplying," Misao pointed out the series of example problems in her book. "I need to do this section. Starting with (23i)(4-6i), but I can't get these answers right for the life of me."
Hanya studied the problem for a moment. "Consider the problem like this…. He tore a piece of paper out of Misao's notebook and scribbled the statement down for her to see. "You multiply this like any statement. This problem would become: (8-12i) 12i - 3i²."
"I get that, but I can't figure out what to do with the i²! There's no i² in any of the answers in the key." Misao growled. "It should be just 'combining like terms' at this point except for that little bastard!"
That earned a laugh from the older man. "Well, bear in mind that i² -1. That would make your -3i² into 3. Now you can 'combine like terms'."
Misao's brow creased. "Okay… I can see that, but what about this one." She indicated one of the trickier questions near the end of the section. "3i(24i) ²? I worked that one earlier and ended up with and i³! Where does that work in?"
"Unlike i², i³ i. Then you're right back at 'combining like terms'." Hanya folded his arms on the table and watch Misao puzzle through a few of the problems, check them, and then sit up to look at him with an expression of amazement.
"They worked out…" a grin exploded across her face. "Yes! Thank you!" She lunged across the table and gave him a quick powerful hug that left the older man shocked. Misao fell back into her seat practically sizzling with excitement.
The fact that Hanya-impersonator was staring at her like she'd sprouted a second head dimmed Misao's excitement a bit. She scowled at him. "What are you staring at?" she asked defensively.
"Are you really the same Misao Makimachi?" he asked softly. "You've changed so much since I last saw you." His black eyes rested on her thoughtfully, sadly. He watched her exactly the way she'd have expected the real Hanya to.
Whoever he was, he was right. She had changed. The old Misao would never have hugged a stranger. The old Misao wouldn't have even been doing homework in the first place. She'd have been out somewhere in the cold with a cigarette and her grudge against the world in general to keep her warm. She had changed a lot and for the better from her point of view.
"Damn straight." She muttered. "I put a lot of effort into it too. It's not exactly easy to claw your way up from the bottom of the barrel and I had myself to work against."
"What happened to you, Misao?" Hanya's mouth twisted with pain and Misao saw his gloved hands spasm as if he wanted to clench them into fists, but didn't want to let her see him angry. He might as well have not bothered because she could see his aura spark and sizzle with suppressed irritation. "Why did you leave us to become a vampire? You were such a good kid, when did that change? Was it us?"
Misao's good mood burnt off like dew under the morning sun. Her mouth narrowed into an angry little line. "Look, buddy… let's just pretend for a moment that you are who you say you are and that I owe you an explanation, which really I don't. I didn't choose this life because I wanted to stay indoors all day and kill people to survive. It was either this or something a hell of a lot worse. You don't know a fucking thing about what I've been through. How dare you sit there and judge me!"
She slammed her book shut. "Furthermore, I've made a good life for myself! Despite everything I'm putting myself through school and for once I'm actually proud of myself! For the first time in my life when I look in the mirror I like who I see! I could never have done that back at home with you and the others!" Her fangs glittered in the dim light as she spoke to him in a low deadly voice. "You want to know what went wrong? Yeah, I was I was great kid! I was really good at it too. So good in fact that I never wanted to quit! That was apparently okay with you guys! The Vampiress who changed me didn't put up with that crap. She gave me a good swift kick in the rear and reinforced it anytime I needed it."
When she heard how her voice was rising, Misao clamped her jaw shut and forced herself to calm down. When she felt she could speak without screaming, she continued. "My Sire made me do a lot of growing up, which I wouldn't have done on my own. I hated it at the time, but now I'm grateful to her. Even with my… condition, I'm happy with my life now. I had to give up a lot and that makes me sad, but all you guys are mortal and I'd have lost you eventually anyway. I'd just as soon you lived longer without me."
Misao turned her face away from her audience. She let her hair slide over her face to hide her blazing cheeks. Inside she felt curiously light, as though she'd set down a heavy burden that she'd been carrying so long that she'd learned to ignore the weight. She'd purged that old pain, spoken it out loud, and made it real. Somehow… she felt better.
"That doesn't really matter to you, since you're not really Hanya. So why don't you tell me the real reason you've been following me around, huh?" Misao turned back to face him. "Tell me. After that you owe me the truth."
"How can I tell you the truth, Mii-love?" he told her. Sorrow echoed through every nuance of his tone. "You've already told me that you don't want to hear it. Why do you refuse to believe who I really am?"
"Because if you are really Hanya, then that means the only person I ever really trusted lied to me for my entire life. Hanya told me that he was human, but you're not. You never were. There's nothing mortal in your aura. You may be young, but you've got the capability to live longer than me. If you really are Hanya then that means I never really knew you at all and my past is an even bigger lie than I thought it was."
Hanya bowed his head. "I am sorry, Misao." He slid out of his seat and made a regal bow to her. "If that is the case then nothing I can do will ever make up for it. I'll take my leave now." He reached into his coat pocket and brought out a business card. There were a few numbers printed on it, but no names. "Take that and if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call. Even if we can't be a family anymore, I will still be there for you when ever you need me."
Misao accepted the card with a semi-amused snort. "You're a ham, you know that? I'll keep it mind though." She pocketed the card and grinned at the way Hanya's nostrils flared with indignation. "Aww, did I spoil the moment? Sorry. Come on, sit back down. I'm not done with you yet."
He regarded her with something akin to awe, but let her pull him back into the booth.
"You take yourself far too seriously, you know that? It's against the Laws, so quit." she told him. "At the moment, I don't care who you are. You can explain my math so I'm not letting you get away!"
"The Laws?" Hanya echoed her. "What Laws?"
"The Laws of Misao Makimachi, there are just three and they improve your health, promote happiness, and prevent cancer." Misao informed him seriously. "Rule One: always take the job seriously. Rule Two: always take people seriously. Rule Three: Never take yourself seriously. Now, I need help with this problem here…"