Disclaimer: Don't own don't sue!
A/N: Thank you all who reviewed, and here is the next chapter to Lost.
I forgot to say this on the last chapter: Flames will be used to roast marshmallows!
Now on with the story!
Kaoru walked into the Dojo the day after Seiju's stunt and removed his nametag from the walls and went to cross out his name in the records. 'He had so much potential...' Kaoru sighed as she discarded his nametag.
She wandered the halls of her home until she got to the kitchen where she found her red-headed baby sitting on the counter playing with a carrot while her red-headed husband chopped another one. She quirked a smile, she couldn't help but feel so lucky, in that moment she found simple joy and contentment just watching them. But all good things come to an end.
"Hey Busu what are you staring at?" Yahiko said bounding through the door.
"When are you ever going to learn proper respect for your Sensei?" Kaoru yelled cuffing the poor boy in the head.
"When she stops hitting me over the head!"
Kaoru felt a spasm of anger fill her but she suppressed it and patted the boy on the head and spoke in an overly sweet tone, "You know your right I should stop being so mean."
It was then that the whole world stopped, Kenshin who was enjoying their little argument dropped his knife and turned to face Kaoru, "Koishii are you feeling well?"
"What's that supposed to mean Kenshin!?" Her rage turned on him and it was then that he realized that he had made a mistake.
Kenshin was at a loss so he just squeaked a feeble "Oro"
"Now as I was saying" Kaoru rounded on Yahiko still speaking and acting too sweet to be convincing, "I should stop being mean to you Yahiko, I should start respecting you for the young man you are."
"Yes?" Yahiko was confused.
"Yes, so as a young man I think that you should stop being a freeloader and find your own food!" Kaoru's tone took a vicious turn.
'That sound's more like my Kaoru,' Kenshin thought. 'For a minuet there I thought she was pregnant again,' Kenshin shuddered, he didn't think he could live through another pregnancy like Kenji's. The bakamatsu had prepared him for many things that he would face in life but not that, the last three months before the birth where full of hormonal imbalances and cravings (and a lot of other things that will go unmentioned). He still had scars from the time that she took a violent turn, he had never been that afraid in a very long time.
- - -
That night Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko and Kenji (who was asleep in Yahiko's lap) where all relaxing after a well prepared dinner by Kenshin when without warning Sanosuke came barreling into the dojo and hid in a closet.
"SANOSUKE!" Kaoru shrieked taken aback by his sudden appearance.
"Be quiet Jou-chan, I don't want the police to find me!" Sanosuke's voice whispered from the closet.
"There still after you?" Yahiko asked trying to stifle a laugh.
Yahiko's question was answered when Police Chief Uramura walked into the dojo, "I'm sorry to disturb you Mr. Himura we have followed the fugitive Sagara Sanosuke into this Dojo..." the chief looked around the room and then at the closet and saw a red head band sticking out. He smiled and winked at the three people sitting before him, "I see that he is not here, I guess we shall resume our search else where, once again my apologies." He then turned and left.
"Well at least someone is on his side." Yahiko said under his breath.
"You can come out of hiding Sano," Kaoru sighed.
Sanosuke fell out of the closet, "Well that was easy," he smiled smugly "Hey Jou-chan do you have any sake?"
She hit him with the closest thing to her (which happened to be a vase) "No I do not! I do not keep alcohol in this house where my child might reach it!" Kaoru was mad, but she was still glad to see her friend again.
"Child?" Sanosuke blinked and then looked around and saw Kenji sleeping on Yahiko's lap one glance and Sanosuke smiled, "Good job Kenshin!"
"Oro?" Kenshin's face turned a slight shade of red but it was not as red as Kaoru's, but then again her face was red out of rage rather than embarrassment.
"So where have you been all this time?" Yahiko asked looking at the ex-gangster.
"Here and there, I actually just came back from America man the women there are..."
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru covered his mouth before he could say another word. "I have a baby, and Yahiko does not need to hear any of that talk!"
"Oh Jou-chan, Yahiko is hardly a child anymore, and it isn't like the baby is going to be phased..." he begged
"No!"
"So Kenshin I'll tell you later."
Kenshin gave his friend his clueless rurouni smile. This wasn't a topic he wanted to discuss with his friend, ever.
Kaoru was fuming. Poor Sanosuke didn't even see it coming, one minuet he was joking around, the next thing he remembered he was face first on the floor with Kaoru hitting him repetitively over the head with her bokken. She only stopped when her son started crying.
"Man Jou-chan I forgot how hard you could hit!" Sanosuke rubbed his head before he whispered to Kenshin, "And you married her? You have guts."
"What is that supposed to mean Sano?" Sanosuke had forgotten about Kaoru's hearing as well. It was lucky for him that she was holding Kenji this time, and couldn't smack him around.
"So brat my long house still available?"
"No" Yahiko replied simply before he stood up.
"No what do you mean 'no'?"
"I mean No, I live there now, you said I could have it and there is no way I am letting you stay there." Yahiko left before Sanosuke could beg him.
"So Kenshin buddy, do you have an extra room?"
"Ahem, it is my house and who said I would let you stay here?" Kaoru arched an eyebrow and looked at the rooster-head.
"Please Jou-chan please?" Sanosuke looked at her with fake sad eye's.
"You're pathetic Sano." She looked at the helpless looking man in front of her. "I'm going to bed."
"So Kenshin about those American women..."
"Kenshin are you coming or not!" Kaoru yelled from down the hall.
"Never mind... Good night Kenshin." Sanosuke left and went to Yahiko's old room to sleep. He would try and convince the little brat to give him his old room back tomorrow if it was the last thing he did.
- - -
It took nearly a week but Sano finally convinced Yahiko to at least share the long house (it was more like Kaoru paid Yahiko to take him in) and it seemed that everything was going back to normal at the Dojo.
Kenshin had left to go to Kyoto to pay a requested visit too their friends at the Aoiya, and to visit Tomoe's grave. Kaoru unwillingly chose to stay at the dojo, she couldn't leave Kenji alone and he was too young to travel to Kyoto.
"Geeze Jou-chan, I thought becoming a mother would teach you to cook better!" Sanosuke said he was sitting in the kitchen holding Kenji who was trying to swat at his fish bone that was hanging at the corner of his mouth.
"I would be quiet if I where you, I am letting you eat here for free."
Sano muttered something under his breath about rather wanting to starve.
Yahiko gritted his teeth as he ate but he didn't say anything, he knew that he would get fed at the Akabeko. Then a thought crossed his mind, "You know Sano you have a large tab at the Akabeko...Tae's been adding interest ever since you left, you know I bet if you work for her you could pay off your debt."
Kaoru broke out into fits of laughter. "Sano doing honest work, when hell freezes over!" she snorted before laughing again.
"That's not a bad idea brat." Sano stated truthfully as Kenji grabbed his fish bone.
When Kaoru heard this she gasped and accidentally dropped her knife into the miso soup.
"What? Why are you looking so shocked Jou-chan?" Sano said pulling his fish bone out of Kenji's grasp and putting the end back into his mouth.
"I-I...It's just that..." words failed Kaoru and she sat down and ate her meal in silence.
After breakfast Yahiko and Sano left to the Akabeko to work, (try to get work in Sanosuke's case) leaving Kaoru and Kenji alone in the dojo.
"So Kenji what do you want to do?" Kaoru asked her baby, who put his pudgy little hands on her cheek and cooed. Kaoru smiled at his response. "Yes I do think you need a nap while I clean the dojo." Kaoru walked over to her room and picked up a blanket and placed the blanket on the dojo floor, and as soon as she lay Kenji down, he seemed to fall instantly asleep. She smiled 'now if he only slept like during the night.'
Kaoru went to work cleaning the floor when she felt a shiver go down her spine. She looked around she had the eerie feeling that she was being watched, but she shook it off. She started to clean the walls when she felt the feeling again, and she looked around no one was there. She shrugged it off once again 'I'm getting paranoid.'
Kaoru accidentally dropped her rag and went to pick it up; the next thing that she would remember was a searing pain and a consuming darkness.
To be continued...
A/N: I know I'm evil but I can't help it If I went on this chapter would be way to long and the next one would be way to short. If you review I will update fast promise.
I know that I made Sanosuke appear way too early (if you read the manga you know what I'm talking about) but ya know it just works better with him around.
Yahiko: Yeah but why do I have to share the long house with him?
BC: Would you rather move back to the dojo? Sano and the long house just fit together so don't you argue with me Yahiko-chan!
Yahiko: Don't call me chan!
BC: Well until next time (waves)
