The sweetness of the moment was broken when Ryu finally came to and began to wail at the top of his lungs. Karou managed a shaky smile and two last tears fell from her face, as bright as crystal droplets. She tried to stand up but fell back down, landing on the numerous cherry blossoms that flew up around them. Silently Kenshin stood and offered his hand to her. After a moment's hesitation, she gratefully grasped it and found herself being gently hauled up. They walked back to the hut together, holding hands and Kenshin had put his other hand on the small of her back to steady her.

They came upon a fitfully screaming Ryu and Karou lovingly picked him up and made comforting noises until he calmed down some. Without a word, Kenshin stepped out into the bright sunlight and waited for them to finish. Karou followed cradling a contented Ryu in her arms when she found herself being gently picked up bridal-style while Kenshin ran off again. This time though, he was going to where Karou said they lived together for quite awhile; Her dojo.

--Back at the dojo--

A worried Sanosuke shuffled about, dejectedly slumped over. "Where is the raccoon girl? Hope nothin' happened to her." sputtered Sanosuke ruefully. He flung the empty tofu bucket inside the kitchen, making a clattering sound within the deserted dojo. 'Better wait for her; Megitsune knows I'm here' thought Sano as he slowly made his way towards the bathhouse. With a sigh he sat upon the step and leaned against the doorframe, readying to sleep off his drunkenness. He had made a bet earlier that day that he could drink six sake bottles straight, and he had won the bet, but at a price. He had gotten a helluva major hangover, and the empty dojo was a perfect place to sleep it off. Within minutes, he was sleeping soundly on the doorframe, oblivious to the world around him.

Kenshin lightly landed under the gateway to the dojo, carrying Karou and Ryu in his arms. He carefully set them down, and then drew his sword. He advanced around the edge of the dojo, silently padding and darting cautious glances every which way. Karou gave him a questioning look, but set Ryu down near some of his toys to content himself with while she questioned the rurouni as to what was going on. She hesitantly followed Kenshin, wondering what all the secrecy was about. She quietly called out his name but he ignored her. He then carefully peered around the edge, and then spotted what he was looking for; someone leaning against the bathhouse door. He motioned for Karou to get back and stay there, and then crept up to where the lanky man lay sleeping. He sharply inquired, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

When the man didn't answer, he reached out and tapped the man's head with his sword edge, but he did not respond. Kenshin took this as a sign of either death or pure drunkenness, or even a combination of both. He jumped and kicked outwards, catching the man right in the stomach figuring if that didn't wake him up, he must be dead. That's all it took for Sano to awake, and he blinked owlishly at Kenshin, still heavily drunk. "Huh? Wazz happenin'?" slurred Sanosuke. When his eyes finally came into focus though, he gaped and said "Kenshin?" The two stared at each other, neither moving nor saying a word. Karou peeped around the building, then let out a sound of surprise when she recognized whom Kenshin was talking to.

She ran forward, past Kenshin and reached up and hugged Sano, happy to finally see him again. She hadn't seen him since Kenshin had left, and she missed him and Megumi dearly. Sanosuke looked down, and saw Karou hugging him tightly. "Hey Karou - how'ya been doing?" and hugged her back roughly. Though in his drunken state, he hugged her back too tightly, crushing her against him. She yelped in pain as she struggled for breath, and managed to sputter out "L-let go S-sano!" and tried to push away. But that made him squeeze all the tighter, and soon Karou knew that she must either get air into her lungs or die. Kenshin saw what was happening, and demanded, "Let go of her!" Sanosuke didn't stop, and Kenshin could sense the urgency of the situation.

With one fluid motion he drew his sword, for once glad that he had gotten rid of that wimpy sabeto and gotten a real sword. One more graceful motion was all it took. He jabbed at Sanosuke, stabbing him full force at point blank range into the heart. The mortal thing that Sano ever saw was his best friend, stabbing his blade into his heart. He stepped back a step, then his eyes rolled up and he collapsed, staining the ground crimson. Karou stared horrified that something like this had happened. "Sano? SANO!" screeched Karou, and she fell to the ground sobbing hysterically at the sight of Sanosuke. She cradled his head in her arms, tears splashing down her face. "Please get up -c'mon this is just a joke right? Sanosuke please stop pretending, this isn't very funny," begged Karou, everything else forgotten. Kenshin stood still, his sword lying limply in his hand and blood dripping off the blade like a vengeful rain. Memories long ago locked in his heart released, and images flooded his mind of this man watching over Karou when he was away, and being as close as brothers to one another.

Kenshin stared in disbelief that he had killed this man. Killing was nothing new to him; it was either kill or be killed out on the battlefield. Thoughts clouded Karou's mind; what would she tell Megumi? Anger engulfed Karou, burning away her tears. 'Why did Kenshin have to kill him? Couldn't he just have pushed him away instead?!' She stood up and turned to Kenshin, her eyes betraying her senseless rage. "WHY?" she screamed at him, and ran over to him, flinging her fists out at him, wild within her fury. One struck him squarely in the face, causing a slight scratch to appear. He shoved her away violently, and then slowly reached up to touch the scratch. His face showed no emotion, and Karou slowly got up from where she fell, her back turned on him. When she looked back, he was gone. "Mama?" Ryu asked, cocking his head to the side. He had gotten bored with playing his toys, and had gone to see what all the commotion was about, and he had slowly toddled to the edge of the dojo. He looked questioningly at Karou, and then stared at the body of Sano.

Karou hurriedly ran and picked him up, not letting him see 'Uncle Sano'. She shoved him inside the dojo, and told him,

"Stay here and don't go outside until I say!" Ryu reluctantly nodded, then sat down to wait for his mama to finish up. Even at an early age he had learned to obey when he heard that tone of voice. She closed the door and locked it then silently walked over to where Sanosuke lay, tears forming in her eyes. She had to bury him somewhere and quickly too, if only for the sake of Ryu. She hesitantly stepped near him, then steeled herself and grabbed his arm. The feel of it almost made her drop it and run, but instead she dragged him a few feet away to a quiet corner of the courtyard. With her hands she dug a long, shallow hole, taking near three hours to complete it. "I'm so, so sorry Sanosuke…." and unceremoniously shoved his body into the hole and covered him up. When she got to his face she froze and instead said a silent prayer and pleading with him to forgive her all the while. She spotted some lily-of-the-valleys near it, and grabbed them and placed them on top of the mound. Tears splattered on the flowers, and Karou ran back into the dojo, hiding her eyes in her sleeve, trying to stop the flow of tears. She knew that she would have to tell Megumi soon but she had to get Ryu ready first. As she swung open the door, Ryu looked up at her and sleepily asked "Mama - why was Uncle Sano on the ground?" Karou tiredly looked down at him, her face showing none of the pain she felt. She was covered in mud, tears and sweat, and there was still more to come.

"Uncle Sano was just talking a little nap, Ryu. Want to go to Auntie Tsubame's?" asked Karou slowly.

Ryu nodded happily, and Karou crouched down and motioned for him to climb on her back. He willingly obliged, tired out from all the events that happened earlier that day. Karou carefully exited the dojo, and then shut the door with an echoing thud. She adjusted Ryu briefly and then headed off toward Tsubame's house at a brisk walk. She was hoping to catch Megumi at sun set, for that was when Megumi would head home for the evening. Yahiko was just stepping outside when she arrived, setting down some boxes when he saw her. "Karou - wh-?" but he stopped, seeing the look on her face and the dirt smears on her hands and arms. Long used to her oddities at times, he took Ryu without a second thought as Karou handed him to Yahiko, still asleep from the long journey. "Will you keep him here tonight? There is something….I must do." Yahiko nodded, then disappeared inside with Ryu. Karou walked off in the direction of Megumi's clinic, her face composed and solemn. She kept her head down and wasn't paying attention to her surroundings when she ran into someone. Startled she looked up, and apologized quickly when she saw who she had run into.

Megumi.

She too, had been crying for twin trails of tears streaked her once beautiful face. Upon seeing Karou, she grabbed her shoulders and quickly questioned "Have you seen Sanosuke?! I haven't seen him since early morning, and I'm worried…" Karou looked at her, and then held out her hand. "Megumi…please, come with me.", and led her off, half walking and half dragging the almost hysterical woman. The journey was shorter on the way home to dojo, being unburdened of a sleeping child but neither of them said a word. Around the dojo they went, and when Megumi saw the pool of blood, her eyes widened and she gasped. But it was the mound that was near it that made her fall on her knees and weep loudly. The small lily-of-the-valleys had withered already, as if sensing what lay beneath them. "SANOSUKE!" screamed Megumi, sobbing hysterically, not hiding her grief in any way. Karou stood there while Megumi sobbed, understanding her need to release her sorrow. She had done that too, when Kenshin had left. 'Kenshin… That's right - I made him leave after….' thought Karou. She suddenly knew what she had to do and leaving Megumi behind, she slowly stumbled into the dojo. She knew where she had kept it, all those years ago. She wound her way around the halls and rooms, stopping before the door that led to hers and carefully opened it. Ryu's toys lay scattered about, and she pushed her way through the mess to a small nightstand that Kenshin had made for her, right after they were married.

Finding the hidden switch, she gently rapped on it twice, and a hidden drawer shot out from the bottom. There, gleaming in the light, lay a single, deadly dagger. She picked it up and fingered the edge, careful not to jab too deeply. 'Perfect - still as sharp as it was a year ago..' Holding the dagger in one hand, she pulled up the sleeve on her other arm, revealing long, vicious scars that ran all the way up her arm. She remembered that day perhaps, all too well. Kenshin had left, and her, not knowing what do to, had tried to end it all with this very same dagger. Now it would end this time; she would make sure of it. With a calm look on her face, she slowly and surely set the edge of the dagger upon her arm and prepared to slash it to the very depths of hell…