Disclaimer: I do not own PMK.

Yeah, Hijikata misses Souji.

Someone messed but it's not Tetsu, yet...

Chapter 7: Someone Messed

"Hijikata-san, take it easy…" Hijikata flinched as Ayu-nee put her hands on his shoulders and begun massaging. "You got to let go a bit… You do know why Chief Kondo insisted you come along…" The feel of her hands was so soothing. Hijikata felt a pang at the familiarity of it.

Souji. The young man used to give him massages like that. Whenever they worked late, Souji would somehow come behind him and give him a shoulder massage as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The imp had once offered to give him a full-body version on the conference room table. Hijikata had firmly refused. Now he chuckled at the memory.

"There, feel better?" Ayu-nee stopped her kneading. "Arigato, Yamazaki-san…"

"Ayu-nee, help!" Harada entered the inn's sitting room. Ayu-nee burst into a laughing fit at the sight of the man's face. Yoko pursued her larger quarry with her toy sword. Then she turned her attention to the other man. Hijikata glared at the child. Yoko took to her heels and fled. The Demon of the Shinsengumi lived up to his name.

"Ask Shinpachi nicely. He'll know what to do," Ayu-nee advised. Shinpachi should not give his daughter too many sweets. The girl's already hyperactive.

"Hijikata-san, kindly refrain from stubbing your cigarettes on the tabletop," Ayu-nee scolded as the vice-chief inflicted yet another burn mark on the long-suffering sitting room table.

Yamazaki Susumu was feeling down after his transfer into dispatch two months ago. He loved his work as a spy. After that moronic kid blew his cover, he's been in cold storage. Of course, they simply told him that. Why don't you take time off in dispatch with your sis? The same cold smile, which translated spelt, you're through in spy work.

He wandered back to the waterfall.

It was cold. Early winter gusts bit through his jacket. He watched Yamanami trying to land his non-existent trout. He smiled. The waterfall pool was shallow and housed only the smallest minnows. He has little chance of catching anything larger than his pinky finger.

Yamazaki watched as the few remaining leaves fell from the trees as another gust shook the branches. Soon it will snow. The young man decided to return to the inn.

"Susumu?" Yamanami sensed the presence of the watcher and looked up. Yamazaki strolled down to where the vice-chief was fishing. "Are you upset about your transfer?" The man asked gently. Susumu nodded. "San-nan, I miss the challenges of the job. Living on the edge of things, you know?"

"Young man, sometimes, there's an enjoyment in simply waiting and watching the world go by," the bespectacled man chuckled. Susumu made a face.

"You sound like Saitou-san."

"Maybe…" Yamanami reeled in his line. He caught a slipper. Maybe catching a trout was going to take longer than he thought.

Back at the onsen, Akesato watched the clouds carefully from the yard. "Aunt Makoto, it looks like it'll snow tonight. Keisuke shouldn't be out there… Father's being difficult…" She fidgeted with her apron. Makoto smiled as she sketched the scenery.

"He has your interests at heart. Besides, I think San-nan will prove himself worthy…" Still, she took out the heavy winter coats from the clothes chest. If it should snow, she could offer one to Akesato for San-nan.

"Akesato, I think the rice's burning…" Akesato gave a squeal of alarm and ran into the kitchen. With all the warmth and love Akesato's put into preparing his meal, San-nan need not worry about a bit of snow. Akesato's face was sooty from stoking the fire in their old-fashioned kitchen, but she shone with an inner light and beauty.

"Girl, watch the fire, add the vegetables first, or you'll overdo the clams…" her father was giving her pointers from the side.

"Makoto-san, why do we have a duck as a mascot?" Suzu asked as he fed Feathers.

"He's no ordinary duck, he's an earthquake-predicting duck," Yo-jisan called out and tossed Feathers a kitchen scrap. Suzu wondered if the cook was kidding him. Feathers quacked happily and gulped down his tidbit. "He also finds guests who have wandered off in the forest…" Now I've heard everything.

Kyoto Shinsengumi station. Kondo was furious. He slammed the file and the fax from the prison onto the conference table. "This man's notthat prisoner! Takeda! I thought you were responsible for escorting him!" Inspector Itou will have their heads for this colossal mess-up.

Takeda cowered under the glares his fellow captains threw at him. He did think then the man looked slightly different from the photo in the file. He has messed up big time. How did the switch happen? Not even a blanket party will suffice his redemption…

Kichisaburo was on the loose. The man's suspected of being responsible for the Edo subway bomb incident. He was highly dangerous and he's part of the Divine Truth cult's inner circle.

Out of breath, Ichimura Tatsunosuke burst into the conference room. "Sir, suspect spotted on Highway 12, heading for the mountains…"

Highway 12? Kondo wondered. Was he trying to flee into the mountains?

Kichi was in a foul mood as he sped on the highway. He had gone to the master's place to learn from his attendant that he had gone to a certain onsen with that undercover cop! He had taken some time off to bump off the waiter from Aoi's. Wait till he got his hands on that imposter…

And that bastard Maro has yet to pay him for the last job in Edo. It's not as if they don't con enough followers into parting with their money…

Author's notes:

Yeah, Kichi's busted out. Takeda messed big time. If this weren't a modern setting, he'd be commiting seppuku. Well, I suppose his colleagues will bash him up in the traditional 3-step blanket party.
Step 1: Pounce on offender andcover him with blanket.
Step 2: Whack him HARD.
Step 3: Get outta there before he recovers his senses, hauling him onto the parade ground for public display is optional.

Happy 2005. Wish for World Peace, less natural & man-made disasters...