Three months had gone by, and Kenshin and Kaoru had seen little of Sano and
Megumi. They saw them once at the market place, and once at the bridge, but
that was it.
"I wonder if anything is wrong," Kaoru wondered. She and Kenshin were sitting on the porch, watching Yahiko practice his swordsmanship and drinking hot green tea. He was coming along nicely. It was a hazy morning, and the sun was hidden behind clouds. The birds did not sing, and something seemed different about the day.
"Yahiko doesn't even know about it," Kenshin said. "He hasn't been over there for months, though."
"I think we should pay them a visit," Kaoru said, standing up and knocking her tea cup to the ground, spilling the tea and breaking the cup. "Oops!"
"I hope they're there," Kenshin said, looking towards the path.
"Well, we need to go to the market anyways. We need soy sauce, miso, and rice," Kaoru explained. "It's a good reason to stop by their house!"
"I don't see why not," Kenshin sighed. "Yahiko, do you want to come with?"
"I'd rather practice right now," he said, stabbing his imaginary opponent with his sword.
"We'll be back in a few hours. We'll be in town if you need us," Kaoru said.
Yahiko dropped his sword as he saw them leave, and started to follow them in the shadows.
In the clinic, Megumi and Sano were sitting in the sunroom.
"I think they should know," Megumi said.
"Kenshin will be so disappointed," Sano said, taking hold of her hand.
Megumi looked down. "But," she looked into his eyes, "it's for the best. For our friendship. We've tried to avoid them for three months, and they'll know eventually. Sano."
"I guess you're right, like always," he sighed. He ran his hand through her smooth black hair as she laid her head on his strong chest. He kissed her head and whispered, "I love you."
A sharp knock came to the front door. Megumi sat up and started to get up, but was stopped by Sano. "You stay here," he told her. She nodded and followed him with her eyes out the door.
As he opened the door he was greeted by two very familiar faces.
"Good morning, Sano!" Kaoru said happily.
"Hey guys! What're you doing here? Come on in," he said nervously. He ushered them in and closed the door. "Megumi's in the sunroom, even though there's really no sun today," he laughed.
As they entered, they saw Megumi sitting in the dim light coming from a window.
"Kenshin and Kaoru are here," Sano said.
"Great!" she said, getting up slowly.
As they looked at her, something seemed different about her appearance. She had a difficult time getting up, as though she was being cautious about something. Suddenly it hit them.
"Megumi! You're"
"Yes. I'm expecting, and already three months since the day we were kicked out," she said, looking at Kenshin, whose face was now stern and serious.
"Kenshin! Isn't that wonderful news?" Kaoru asked.
"Yes, in some aspects. But even before you're married? I wouldn't take too much pride in that," he said, shaking his head slightly.
"Kenshin, please," Sano said, putting his arms around Megumi.
"It's not something to be very happy about," he said.
"Why? It's going to be so great! A baby! Aw! So cute!" Kaoru said, hugging Megumi. "Don't mind Kenshin, he's a party pooper."
"I'm proud, Kenshin. I really am," Sano said, pulling Megumi in tighter.
"Kaoru, it's time to go. We still need to go to the market," he said neutrally.
"Oh! I forgot! Goodbye for now! Will the wedding be postponed a bit?" she asked.
"Until the baby is born. I'll look more presentable," Megumi chuckled.
The two left with Kaoru going on about how exciting it was going to be and Kenshin doing his best at pretending to be interested.
A small head looked into the window and saw that what they had been saying was true. 'This might mess up my plans,' he thought, walking back to the dojo through the woods. 'No. It might fall in just perfectly,' he thought, grinning slyly.
A hawk cried in the distance, catching a smaller bird from the skies. A mother bird sat with her one hatched egg, watching the father being taken from her with no mercy. She looked down at the baby, small and weak and dying. It peeped quietly and fell to the prickly bottom of the nest. She was all alone, nobody to love and protect her. Abandoned and downtrodden.
"I wonder if anything is wrong," Kaoru wondered. She and Kenshin were sitting on the porch, watching Yahiko practice his swordsmanship and drinking hot green tea. He was coming along nicely. It was a hazy morning, and the sun was hidden behind clouds. The birds did not sing, and something seemed different about the day.
"Yahiko doesn't even know about it," Kenshin said. "He hasn't been over there for months, though."
"I think we should pay them a visit," Kaoru said, standing up and knocking her tea cup to the ground, spilling the tea and breaking the cup. "Oops!"
"I hope they're there," Kenshin said, looking towards the path.
"Well, we need to go to the market anyways. We need soy sauce, miso, and rice," Kaoru explained. "It's a good reason to stop by their house!"
"I don't see why not," Kenshin sighed. "Yahiko, do you want to come with?"
"I'd rather practice right now," he said, stabbing his imaginary opponent with his sword.
"We'll be back in a few hours. We'll be in town if you need us," Kaoru said.
Yahiko dropped his sword as he saw them leave, and started to follow them in the shadows.
In the clinic, Megumi and Sano were sitting in the sunroom.
"I think they should know," Megumi said.
"Kenshin will be so disappointed," Sano said, taking hold of her hand.
Megumi looked down. "But," she looked into his eyes, "it's for the best. For our friendship. We've tried to avoid them for three months, and they'll know eventually. Sano."
"I guess you're right, like always," he sighed. He ran his hand through her smooth black hair as she laid her head on his strong chest. He kissed her head and whispered, "I love you."
A sharp knock came to the front door. Megumi sat up and started to get up, but was stopped by Sano. "You stay here," he told her. She nodded and followed him with her eyes out the door.
As he opened the door he was greeted by two very familiar faces.
"Good morning, Sano!" Kaoru said happily.
"Hey guys! What're you doing here? Come on in," he said nervously. He ushered them in and closed the door. "Megumi's in the sunroom, even though there's really no sun today," he laughed.
As they entered, they saw Megumi sitting in the dim light coming from a window.
"Kenshin and Kaoru are here," Sano said.
"Great!" she said, getting up slowly.
As they looked at her, something seemed different about her appearance. She had a difficult time getting up, as though she was being cautious about something. Suddenly it hit them.
"Megumi! You're"
"Yes. I'm expecting, and already three months since the day we were kicked out," she said, looking at Kenshin, whose face was now stern and serious.
"Kenshin! Isn't that wonderful news?" Kaoru asked.
"Yes, in some aspects. But even before you're married? I wouldn't take too much pride in that," he said, shaking his head slightly.
"Kenshin, please," Sano said, putting his arms around Megumi.
"It's not something to be very happy about," he said.
"Why? It's going to be so great! A baby! Aw! So cute!" Kaoru said, hugging Megumi. "Don't mind Kenshin, he's a party pooper."
"I'm proud, Kenshin. I really am," Sano said, pulling Megumi in tighter.
"Kaoru, it's time to go. We still need to go to the market," he said neutrally.
"Oh! I forgot! Goodbye for now! Will the wedding be postponed a bit?" she asked.
"Until the baby is born. I'll look more presentable," Megumi chuckled.
The two left with Kaoru going on about how exciting it was going to be and Kenshin doing his best at pretending to be interested.
A small head looked into the window and saw that what they had been saying was true. 'This might mess up my plans,' he thought, walking back to the dojo through the woods. 'No. It might fall in just perfectly,' he thought, grinning slyly.
A hawk cried in the distance, catching a smaller bird from the skies. A mother bird sat with her one hatched egg, watching the father being taken from her with no mercy. She looked down at the baby, small and weak and dying. It peeped quietly and fell to the prickly bottom of the nest. She was all alone, nobody to love and protect her. Abandoned and downtrodden.