Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, that I don't.
A/N: Thanks everyone for your reviews!!! ^_^x They made me really happy! Well… the chapter did have loads of mistakes =P lol … but hey… I'm trying lol. Well… on with the chapter \(^_^x)/
Chapter 2
"Oh no…..… we're out of tofu!" Tae said, looking frantically around the kitchen of the Akabeko. It was almost time to open the restaurant and she still hadn't started to cook anything. Tsubame was already there and only too busy giving the place a last minute 'make-up'.
"Good morning Tae!" came Katsumi's cheerful voice as she entered through the back door. But before she could come in, Tae had shoved some money on her hand and turned her around, pushing her back outside. "Yes-good-morning-dear-We-need-some-tofu-pronto-Go-get-it-now-ok? Thankyou-GOGOGO!!!" she said nervously. "And get rid of that thing before you come back in!!!" she called out to the girl as she ran off, referring to the sword she insisted on carrying around. "Hmpf… that thing's still gonna scare off the customers……." she added to herself as she turned back inside.
Katsumi trotted up to the store. The place was crowded and a long line of people were waiting to be attended. *oh…….… perfect..…* she thought to herself as she got in the line herself. When it was finally her turn, she asked the man on the counter for the tofu. As he walked back with her order, she reached inside her pockets for the money…….… only to find……….. *It's empty????????* she thought, patting around her clothes desperately.
"What's the matter missy?" the man asked, a suspicious look on his face.
"I… I can't find the money……….…" she murmured.
"Riiiight……….… here's what you do………" he started, on a soft tone. "Get out of my store! No money, no tofu!" he finished harshly.
"But sir! I……… you don't understand………. I had the money right here, I swear………" she pleaded, still searching for the lost money. *Oh my, Tae's going to KILL me!*
"Make that two sir." came a soft, friendly voice from behind her as she saw a hand stretched out with money enough to pay for both of them.
"You'll pay for the girl's order?" the man asked. "Yes." The stranger answered.
Katsumi turned back to thank the stranger for his kindness. " Shin – Ken – I mean… thank you." She stuttered, as she found Kenshin was the so kind stranger paying for her tofu. He smiled at her and gave a little nod. The man handed him the orders and they walked out of the store together.
Katsumi was very nervous and Kenshin could tell. In order to make things less awkward, he decided to brake the ice, "Here, let me help you with that." He said, taking the package from her hands. "Thank you, but I'm really in a hurry. I got to rush back to the….…"
"Akabeko?" He cut through.
"Yes. We need this back before we open up."
"It's ok, I'll walk you there." The said politely, smiling his rurouni smile.
Katsumi didn't know what to say, she was totally lost for words. *Say something you baka! Tell him who you are!* came that little voice from the back of her head. *Grrrr……… what's wrong with me????? Why is this so HARD???*
"I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced…….. I am Ken-"
"I know who you are….…" she interrupted almost with a whisper. Not genuinely surprised, Kenshin asked, "Oh……. you do?"
"Yes…..…" she answered, looking down at her feet.
"And who are you, may I ask?" he asked softly.
"Katsumi." She said simply as they arrived at the Akabeko.
"Katsumi............?"
"Yes, Katsumi." se said shortly, refusing to reveal her last name. She took the tofu from Kenshin a bit rougher then she meant to do and added, "Thank you for everything Kenshin. I'll explain what happened to Tae and make sure you get you money back.", still looking down.
Kenshin looked at her fixatedly, his expression serious. "Don't worry about that. It was nothing."
She looked up at him and he saw that her eyes had a rather sad expression, which he found that shook him greatly inside. She smiled briefly, a smile that didn't really reach her eyes, and entered the restaurant, leaving him with a greater suspicion then he had had the last time he saw her.
Still, he wanted to be sure, he wanted to run inside and shake the answer out of her! The pain of the doubt and uneasiness was corroding him inside like he never thought it would.
He remembered how he had received the news a couple of years before he had left his master. Hiko himself had given it to him. A news that moved him immensely, that left him no choice but to ignore it.
A sister. He had thought his mother dead for all that time, only to find – several years later – that she had survived and given birth to a little girl, dying shortly afterwards. It had made him so happy to know that he still had a family left! A happiness that didn't last very long. It finally hit him: he couldn't allow that child to live a life like his. A hard life, indeed, even though he had no idea that it would become harder then ever in two years time.
But no. He couldn't just burst in there and make her talk. He could see that life had had its blows on her, and that she was nervous and just as uncertain as him. He had to give her time.
With a sigh, he started for the Dojo, shooting a last look inside the restaurant's window, where Katsumi stood, explaining to Tae why she had taken so long.
Tae, stressed as she was due to the lateness of things, brushed away Katsumi's explanation with a "Yeah, ok……. whatever." And she rushed to get on with the cooking. She then turned around at her, "And for Kami's sake, get rid of that thing!!!" she yelled.
Katsumi flinched at that and apologized with a smile, leaning her sword on the corner of the kitchen. She then made it for the front doors of the restaurant and opened them, welcoming the first customers inside. She took they're orders walked back into the kitchen. As Tae got the food ready for her, Katsumi looked out of the window, totally lost in thoughts.
*Does he know who I am? If he did……… why didn't he say anything? Or…….. am I thankful that he hasn't? Damn….. why am I so confused? After all I've been through to find him, this should be easy! But…… after seeing him here that day, with a new family…….. HIS family. He seemed so happy with the life he's finally found. I couldn't possibly interfere with that……. I couldn't ruin it for him…….. after all, everything I touch gets ruined……*
"Hellooooo… Earth to Katsumi!" Tae's voice invaded her thoughts and brought her back to reality.
"Huh? What?"
Tae chuckled at how easy the girl could shut down everything and travel on her own mind. "The order from that first family is ready." She repeated.
"OOoooh! Thanks!" she took the tray and left the kitchen once more.
"Is she ok?" came Tsubame's timid little voice. Tae smiled down at her and said, "Yes, Tsubame. She'll be ok. I think she's just a little lost. She came from far away you know……. It must be all too new for her. But I'm sure she will fit in soon enough."
A/N: Well… um… yeah... some things were clearly changed from the actual RK story… (yes, I'm talking about the mother bit) but… there couldn't be a sister without the mother… so… meh… it's a FANFIC after all.. xD
Please review ^_^ anything helps, just be honest, so I know what should be changed or improved ; ) Thanx!!