Diaclaimer: I do not own RK or PMK.
This fic's set some time after the Enishi arc. I will feature some characters from Peacemaker Kurogane's Shinsengumi to pull in Saitou's past. I WILL take creative liberties with history, loads of it...
Chapter 1: In the Wolf's Den
Her pregnancies had always been difficult. But heaven has finally blessed them with a long-awaited heir. The child's very agreeable in nature, unlike her first. She was still weak but she wanted to greet her husband on his return.
Fujita Tokio nursed her newborn son as she sat on the tatami, waiting. He'll be home soon. After years of hunting, her wolf is ready to rest. Hajime had told her that he was considering retirement in his letter. In another room, her twelve-year-old foster son, Eiji, worked at his sums. The maid was cleaning the veranda when she looked up and saw a tall figure in a blue uniform approaching the residence.
"Kaasan! She's doing it again!" She smiled. It had taken Eiji a while to get used to addressing her as such. "Play nice now," she almost got up when the maid exclaimed, "He's back! The master's back!" The woman ran to the gate to let him in. Tokio quickly patted her hair and arranged her kimono.
"Master?" The maid opened the gate to discover not her master but a stranger. She did not even have a chance to scream as the katana ended her life. Inside the house, oblivious to the danger, Tokio waited for her Hajime.
"You're not Hajime," she observed as the man entered. He was young and wore a policeman's uniform. She tensed. Had something happened to Hajime? The man smiled and introduced himself. Tokio held her hand over her mouth as the emotions threatened to overwhelm her. "We thought you were dead..."
"Well, I'm alive. How's Saitou-san?"
"He's well," Tokio beamed. Hajime will be very pleased to see their visitor. The man's eyes rested on the infant she cradled. Catching his gaze, she nodded. "Hajime's son."
"Does he have a name?"
"Not yet," Tokio admitted. "I was hoping to name him Sosshi after Okita-san..." The man's face darkened. "A poor name for a traitor's pup!" He drew his sword as a screaming Tokio tried desperately to shield her baby...
"Sorry I've to do this, Tokio-san. You can only blame your fate for marrying a traitor..."
Eiji heard the scream and ran out. From behind the shoji, he saw the stranger standing over the corpses of his foster mother and the baby. His katana dripped blood. He froze when the stranger turned his malevolent stare on him. The boy fled to his room.
No time to escape! I've got to protect... Eiji gripped his niichan's sword as he stood before the closet. No matter what, don't make a sound! He shut the door and turned just as the killer caught up to him...
His bloody work done, the killer wiped his blade clean and strolled leisurely out of the house to join his companion. "That uniform doesn't suit you," his companion observed. They started on towards Kyoto...
Kamiya dojo. Kaoru's expecting and the men-folk are feeling the effects of her mood swings. Yahiko dodged a flying slipper as Kaoru flared up again at her long-suffering husband. The boy decided he could do his training outside the dojo and fled as a flowerpot sailed past his head.
Poor Kenshin found himself struggling to reason with his wife. "Kaoru, I thought we agreed on this last night! The baby will take your family name!" He dodged a bamboo sword. "Liar! Why is it we can't use your name?!" Kaoru screeched as she grabbed the kitchen knife... Kenshin fled.
Tet had warned him about expectant mothers being highly-strung, but she didn't mention homicidal! He decided to stay out until she cooled down. Since the Enishi incident, life has been peaceful, peaceful enough for him to marry Kaoru. Sano had embarked on a world-wide journey and sent letters occasionally from wherever he was traveling.
Life's good to him. Who would have ever thought Battousai will adjust so well to a regular life? Battousai? Why would he think of that name? He was Himura Kenshin, husband of Kaoru and a father to be.
"Kenshin! Wanna spar?" Yahiko crowed from an empty lot. Kenshin declined politely. Megumi had warned him about his health at his last check-up. Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu was a sword style that required almost superhuman strength and built. Being built too slight, his body had suffered damage whenever he fought.
Already, he was noticing the effects. He will not be able to use what Hiko had taught him within ten years. Strangely, he did not feel the loss too badly. Maybe he wasn't really meant to be a swordsman. He could consider a second career as a teacher... or he could help run the dojo.
Similar thoughts ran through the mind of ex-policeman Fujita Goro aka Saitou Hajime as he made his way up the hill to his home. He had handed in his resignation. What's next? Maybe he could open a dojo and teach kendo. After more than a decade of serving the Meiji government, he was ready to call it quits.
He had bought some ginseng for his Tokio. Someone once told him it was good for replenishing the blood. He also bought some sweets for the children. Okay, maybe Eiji's getting a little old for sweets... He realized he hasn't thought of a name yet for his new son.
As he drew close, he felt a chill run through him. Shouldn't the lights be lit at this time? The house was too dark. A sickly familiar smell assaulted his senses. The smell of blood! He dropped his purchases and ran.
He found the decapitated body of their housemaid by the open gate. In the hall was Tokio lying dead in her own blood with one stiffening arm still shielding her equally dead baby. Saitou bent over both corpses. He touched his wife's cold cheek and fought back tears. The baby's corpse was icy cold. We haven't named him yet!
His training came back to him. He stood up alert and ready. The killer of his wife and child may still be in the house. He drew his katana. He was allowed to keep it as a token for his long years of service, provided he didn't wear it in public. He searched his home cautiously.
Both their cook and nursemaid were dead in the kitchen. Where are the children? He went to Eiji's room and found the lad lying in a pool of blood with the sword still gripped in his hands. Eiji had put up a fierce fight... Saitou felt his loss keenly. He had always been convinced that young Eiji will grow up to be a fine policeman like his brother before him.
Where was the other one? Saitou stopped and stared at the closet behind the dead boy. Praying, he slid the door open. A pair of frightened amber eyes peeked out from the gloom. He reached out to her as he fought back sobs.
"Midori-chan? Everything's alright... Papa's here..."
Author's notes:
Who's the mysterious stranger? A bit of fatherly/ husbandly affection from Saitou. Hope it isn't too OC. Hey, the guy's married with family lol. And Tokio didn't walk out on him. And he did adopt Eiji...
Kenshin giving up Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu?