I don't own Ruroni Kenshin!
The Reluctant Half-Sibling
Part 2
"There you are!" an angry female voice growled.
"Karou…" Kenshin quickly drew his reverse blade and placed it in front of him, the girl still clinging to him.
"No more! Sister, please!" the girl screamed in fear, as Karou stepped closer. The girl released Kenshin and ran into the farthest corner away from her sibling.
"You are not my sister!" Karou screamed at the cowering girl behind the batossai, "Get out of my way, Kenshin!"
"I will not!" Kenshin glared angrily at Karou.
"I thought you were better than that filth, Kenshin," Karou snarled at him.
"Kenshin!" Sano rushed into the room with Yahiko and Megumi on his heals. "Missy, Kenshin, what's going on?" Sano blinked in surprise as he saw Kenshin ready for a battle with Karou.
Karou whirled around at Sano and aimed to strike him, but it was to distract Kenshin. It succeeded. Karou threw herself behind the batossai and lunged at the girl hidden in the corner, but the girl jumped high into the air and seemed to stick to the rafters, "I won't let you do that to me again!"
"YOU ARE A FREAK! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" Karou screamed at the girl who looked comfortable clinging to the rafters.
"I did not mean to," the girl whispered softly.
"THEN DIE!" Karou shrieked and began to throw things at the rafters, but the girl managed to dodge most of them. The girl was tiring quickly, she could no longer avoid the things being tossed at her, and she fell from the rafters.
Sano ran forward and caught the girl before she hit the floor, "Are you okay, girl?" The girl hissed in pain, before she passed out.
"Sano, get the others out of here, I will deal with Karou," Kenshin stood between the small group and Karou, his reverse blade in hand.
Sano listened to his friend and quickly ran out of Megumi's home, "Karou's finally flipped!"
"Are you sure that was busu?" Yahiko swallowed nervously.
"That was her, but Sir Ken did not tell me that the one who had tortured the girl was…" Megumi felt tears falling from her eyes.
"NO!" the girl woke up in Sano's arms and tried to get out of his powerful grasp. "NO! SISTER DON'T!" Sano and Yahiko stared at the girl in shock, and Megumi stared at her with a look that could only be described as horror. "She hurt him, she hurt the nice man!" the girl cried into Sano's shirt.
"Karou hurt Kenshin?" Yahiko paled.
A few minutes later, Kenshin walked out of the house carrying a knocked-out Karou. He placed Karou on the ground, and was surprised to have the girl jump into his arms and hug him fiercely, "Oro?"
"You're okay!" the girl sighed happily.
"Kenshin!" his three friends ran over to see if he was alright.
"Why do you all look so worried?" Kenshin laughed a little.
"She hurt you," the girl frowned as she let go of Kenshin. The girl pulled his arm out and handed it to a startled Megumi.
"Missy, I think she wants you to fix that cut," Sano chuckled.
"Who are you?" Yahiko tried to get close to the girl, but she ran behind Sano.
"Yahiko! You're scaring her!" Sano growled at the boy as he felt the girl cling to his shirt. Sighing, Sano turned to the girl, "Yahiko won't hurt you… he's just got a big mouth."
"My sister liked him," the girl whispered softly.
"She liked Yahiko?!" Sano blinked in amazement. "Well, I'm Sanosuke, but you can call me Sano. The lady fixing Kenshin up is Megumi, and the brat is Yahiko."
"I'm Neko," the girl whispered softly.
"Well Neko, you're safe with us," Sano chuckled.
"Is the nice man going to be okay?" Neko tugged on Sano's shirt.
"Kenshin will be fine," Sano smiled down at the girl, but laughed when he heard her stomach growl.
"I tell ya what, Kenshin," Sano chuckled. "You take Neko and get her some chow, and I'll take care of Karou."
"Alright Sano," Kenshin smiled tiredly, but managed to not yelp as Megumi tied a bandage around his arm. Neko was back at his side before he could blink. She was only a little shorter than he was, and he couldn't help but smile at her as she grabbed his hand, still not liking being close to Yahiko or Megumi.
"She's a clingy little thing, isn't she Kenshin," Sano smiled sadly.
"Sano," Kenshin cautioned his friend.
"Kenshin-sama, thank you," Neko stared at the ground as the entire group turned to her with a look of shock.
"Oro?" Kenshin blinked in surprise, "What did I do, Miss Neko?"
"You saved me, Kenshin-sama," now it was Neko's turn to look upon him in confusion.
"Miss Neko, please call me 'Kenshin'."
"Only if you stop calling me 'miss'," Neko replied stubbornly.
"Alright, Neko," Kenshin smiled good-naturedly as they entered the restaurant.
"Kenshin, what's going to happen to my sister?" Neko asked worriedly.
"Sano is taking her to the police," Kenshin sighed.
"She'll never get better, will she," Neko stared down at the ground again.
Kenshin squeezed her hand, "It is not likely, that it is not."
"Neko, why do you fear me?" Megumi asked as they sat down at a table, Neko staying close to Kenshin.
"Sister talked about you bunches. Said you were mean, old, ugly fox-lady, but she was wrong, you're pretty," Neko watched in puzzlement as Megumi blushed. "Sister was beautiful, too…"
"Oro…" Kenshin felt understanding strike him. "Then you fear women."
"Hai," Neko stared down at the table.
"Then why do you fear me?" Yahiko crossed his arms and pouted stubbornly.
Neko almost laughed at how indignant he was being, "Sister liked you lots. She said you were a better sibling, that I was no good at being her half-sister. She told me she had a crush on you..."
"An old crazy lady had a crush on me?!" Yahiko yelped in horror. Neko tried not to smile, but soon she was grinning away and not as afraid of Yahiko as she had been.
"What would you like to eat, Neko?" Kenshin grinned as the girl became more relaxed with his friends.
"Calamari, please?" Neko stared at the table yet again.
"Squid?!" Yahiko wrinkled his nose. Neko seemed to shrink into herself.
"Oro… I think I will have that as well, Neko," Kenshin smiled.
"I will as well," Megumi nodded. "Yahiko, have you ever had calamari?"
"No, but…"
"You're trying it," Megumi glared at him.
"But…!" Yahiko tried to protest, but Megumi's glare told him he'd best be quiet.
"Yahiko, it could be worse, they could make you eat sprouts or artichoke…" Neko looked up at Yahiko and tried to make him less sullen.
"You sure squid tastes good?"
"Better than dill, sprouts, artichokes, and brussel-sprouts," Neko smiled at him guardedly.
"Is that what busu gave you?" Yahiko frowned.
"Yes, she never let me have meat, or fish, or anything besides a few vegetables here and there. Once or twice she kicked a few nuts down by accident, and I'd always know about what season it was because they only fall in spring or summer."
"How long were you down there?" Megumi asked curiosity getting the better of her.
Sano walked in just as Neko bit her lip, "I think I was down there for a few months…"
"What would you like?" a waitress asked politely.
"Five orders of calamari," Megumi glared at Sano, telling him he'd best keep his mouth shut.
"Anything you would prefer to drink?"
"One sake and four waters," Sano chuckled as Megumi glared at him fiercely.
"Miss Megumi, I believe Sano said he was footing the bill this time," Kenshin winked at Neko mischievously.
"…………………………….." Sano just gaped at Kenshin in shock.
"Sano, you're letting the flies in!" Neko laughed. Everyone turned and smiled at her, except Sano. "What?" Neko stopped laughing and turned to the others curiously.
"You laughed!" Yahiko grinned.
"Are you going to be Captain Obvious?" Neko smirked as Yahiko tried to think of a good comeback.
"Well… well… UGH! I can't think of anything!" Yahiko pouted.
"Hiko, I was only teasing you," Neko threw him a smile.
"Did she just give me a nickname?" Yahiko stared at the girl in shock.
"Is it a bad one?" Neko bit her lip.
"NO! It's just the first one that I've actually liked!" Yahiko puffed up his chest proudly. The entire table but Yahiko and Neko laughed.
"You're all nicer than my sister claimed you to be," Neko grinned happily around at the small group. "You're a family."
"Why do you say that, Neko-chan?" Megumi asked kindly.
"Before mama and daddy left, that's how we acted," Neko seemed to be trying to remember something.
"Is anything wrong Neko?" Kenshin frowned in concern.
"I was just thinking, Kenshin," Neko turned and smiled at him. "I remember the first time I had calamari. Daddy was trying to get Karou to try some, but she just turned up her nose, but then mama told me to try some… I tried to be like Karou, but the smell of the food got to me, and before I knew what was happening, I had popped a bite in my mouth. My expression of surprise and delight, made mama and daddy laugh at me."
Kenshin chuckled, "It is good to know that you have happy memories."
"Don't you have happy memories, Kenshin?" Neko looked at him in concern.
"…" Kenshin stared at the table, when suddenly a dish of calamari appeared under his nose, startling him.
Sano laughed, "Who would have thought that the Batossai would be shocked by food?"
Kenshin nearly jerked his head away from Neko, but she placed a hand on his arm, "Sano, I bet you've been startled when you are in deep thought. So don't tease Kenshin."
Sano and Kenshin turned and blinked at the younger girl that had just stood up for the murdering batossai gone good citizen. Yahiko grinned, "You tell him, Neko!"
"I do have many good memories," Kenshin smiled nervously down at Neko.
"Yeah!" Yahiko laughed, "Like when we all had to take the train and Sano thought it would eat him!"
"Though that must have been funny, Hiko," Neko chuckled slightly, "I'm sure that you are afraid of something, too. I know that I'm afraid of snakes, bugs that sting or bit, and my… Karou."
"Well, I think it best we eat before Sano there consumes all of our meals," Kenshin placed a hand on the hand that had remained on his arm. Everyone laughed, but Sano and they all dug in.