The Fires of Vengeance- Chapter 3: Fragility of Life
JK: Welcome to chapter three of "The Fires of Vengeance"! For our author's note today, joining us will be the RK gang and my fellow author Evil Authoress.
Evil Authoress: Yeah, whatever.
JK: Anyway, instead of my usual author's note when I do my best to lighten the mood---
Sanosuke: Hold on. Exactly whose mood are you lightening?
JK: The readers.
Sanosuke: Oh. `Cause you know, I don't like your author's notes.
Evil Authoress: Who asked you?
Sanosuke (in JK's ear): Especially because of her. (points to Evil Authoress)
Evil Authoress: Anata kuso!
Sanosuke: Hey! Where'd you learn that kind of language, woman?!
Evil Authoress: Shut up, *beep*.
JK: I'll leave the readers guessing as to what *beep* means.
Sanosuke: Damn wench...
Evil Authoress: I'll say it again---ANATA KUSO!
Kenshin: Um...correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't "anata kuso" mean "screw the chicken"?
JK (while laughing hysterically and wiping tears out of her eyes): Who told you that?
Kaoru: Well...then what exactly does it mean?
JK: It means screw you, only more offensive. In other words, not exactly the proper words for a PG story, which is why she said it in Japanese.
Evil Authoress: That's not why I said it...
Yahiko: So, if this is a PG story does PG mean Puke Girl? It should since Kaoru's in it.
(JK rolls her eyes while Evil Authoress snickers.)
Evil Authoress: Guess you're not TOO stupid.
Yahiko: Er...yay?
JK: Anyway, I'm deciding to cut this author's note short and reply to my reviewers.
To starhopper: Thanks for the really long review! I can't recall writing anything that was actually sad. A lot of times I can't help but put in a stupid joke. YAY! I'm not a crappy non-humor writer!
To vegeta26: The fact that Kenshin keeps getting farther away is the whole point. But they will be reunited in later chapters.
To boomerang-chan: I reviewed your story about how the Inuyasha gang got drunk off sake. It was good.
To mime: I'm considering doing something along those lines...but I don't think I'd be able to make Kaoru paired with an OC. I like the Kenshin/Kaoru pairing since I'd rather have him be paired with Kaoru than, say, Megumi. (shudders)
Megumi: I HEARD THAT!
JK: Would you like me to PRETEND that I care?
(Megumi sulks.)
(JK grins happily.)
Disclaimer: Well, what do you know? I'm up to the part of the story that gives me my inspiration. If you ever want to write angst, just do a disclaimer! Those are nice and depressing. So anyway, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I do, however, own this feeble plot.
* * *
"Well, that's it," Megumi told Yahiko, taking off her surgical mask. "I appreciate all your help, but you should go to bed now. Or if you want, you could go wait for Sanosuke and Kenshin." Yahiko looked at her for a moment. 'Does she think I'm stupid?' he wondered, thoroughly annoyed. And you really had to be stupid not to notice that Megumi's tone betrayed her true belief: that Sanosuke would be returning alone.
"Megumi, I'm not dumb," he pointed out. "Kenshin's not coming back, is he?" At these words, complete silence stretched between them, broken only by the sounds of chirping birds outside. But to Yahiko, a reply was unnecessary. He knew the truth, but he wanted Megumi to admit it.
Sighing, she said, " I don't think so." Once more they both fell silent, listening to the birds.
"May's never been a good month, huh?" Yahiko observed.
"Oh, that's right! It's May. I forgot about that," Megumi said. The birds became audible again, and Megumi wondered why speech was proving to be so difficult.
"Will Kaoru live?" Yahiko ventured. Megumi glanced at Kaoru's sleeping body, as if suddenly remembering she was there.
"Yes."
"What about her baby?" Yahiko asked.
"Since you just told me you're not stupid, you be the judge," Megumi said angrily. "KAORU is lucky to be alive. When she stabbed herself, she missed all her organs and didn't penetrate too deeply, but she did bleed a lot out of her stomach. It would be a miracle if that child survived."
"So you're saying it's dead," Yahiko said hollowly.
"Yes," Megumi replied curtly. "Now let's go before our talk disturbs her rest." She ushered Yahiko out of the room, following close behind him.
Little did she know that Kaoru had been lying awake, listening to their conversation the whole time. As soon as she was sure Megumi and Yahiko were no where near, she crawled away from her futon and retched again, but this time she knew it wasn't from pregnancy but from guilt. Black, choking, heart-wrenching guilt.
But when her nausea subsided and Kaoru found herself thinking rationally, she discovered she would much rather be throwing up. That, at least, kept her mind off what she had done. 'I'm an idiot!' she thought fiercely, lying back down. 'How could I have even dreamed of doing that?! So what if Kenshin's gone? I'm not so weak and fragile that I couldn't even be able to raise a child by myself! And if I am, I might as well go find that knife and stick it into my heart this time.' Kaoru glanced at her stomach. It was bandaged, and he area where she'd stabbed herself was already starting to become tinged with blood. Her vision blurred and Kaoru blinked away her tears of fury.
"How could I have been so selfish?" she asked. "How could I kill myself? How could I kill my child?" For what seemed like the hundredth time since her kidnapping, Kaoru allowed herself to give way to her tears.
"Awake, are you?"
Kaoru opened her eyes to find Megumi watching her cynically.
"Well, rather than putting off the inevitable, I suppose I should just tell you. Your baby's dead," Megumi said simply. Her voice was devoid of any pity. In fact, there was a definite touch of disgust in her speech.
"I know. I heard you talking to Yahiko," Kaoru replied, disgusted as well although it wasn't as pronounced as Megumi's.
Megumi looked up at Kaoru, surprised. 'She doesn't even care!' Megumi thought. She felt a strong urge to slap Kaoru, and it took all her will to restrain herself.
"Megumi," Kaoru began quietly, "if you knew that my baby couldn't be saved, you should've just let me die. I don't want to live with a burden like this on my shoulders." She was staring anywhere else but at Megumi up until this point, but her curiosity at what Megumi's reaction would be drove Kaoru to look up at her. Megumi was staring at her, more unpitying and disgusted than she was before.
"You're disgusting!" she shouted. "After all that you've done, you go and tell me that I should've let you die?! Like it was my fault or something! You are the most ungrateful wench I've ever known!" Megumi's self-control wavered and she slapped Kaoru. Kaoru didn't even wince when Megumi's hand made contact, nor did she shrink back. 'Physical pain like this is nothing compared to my torn up emotions,' Kaoru thought grimly.
"I guess I deserved that," Kaoru remarked, obviously shocking Megumi.
Looking horrified at what she had done, Megumi hastily said, "Listen, I'm sorry. But you shouldn't have done that. Even without Kenshin, your life isn't meaningless and you're not alone. You should've known that we would help you raise your child. Me, Yahiko, and Sanosuke would've been more than happy too. I just wish you hadn't behaved so impulsively. At least then your child would still be alive and you wouldn't have a hole in your stomach. It's going to take a while to heal, but you should be up in about two weeks, three weeks tops." Megumi rose. "I'll leave you alone now since I'm sure you need time to think. But you will eventually have to clean up that mess." She indicated the vomit a few feet away from Kaoru's futon and started to exit the room, but Kaoru's voice stopped her.
"I can try living with hating myself, but do you hate me?"
Megumi stopped, not turning around to face her. "No," she said before continuing on her way. Before she was out of Kaoru's room, she stopped again. "Life is a very fragile thing, Kaoru. You broke your child's." With that, she exited.
* * *
"You're kidding!" Sanosuke said in disbelief, wolfing down a bowl of rice. "That's not a funny joke, Yahiko."
"That's because it isn't," Yahiko replied.
"No way! Kaoru's not that stupid!" Sanosuke assured Yahiko. He then glanced around the room. "Got anymore? I'm STARVING."
"That's all that's left form dinner last night. And she WAS that stupid, and she DID try to kill herself," said Yahiko.
"Oh yeah?" Sanosuke asked skeptically. "How?"
"She stabbed herself. With this," he said darkly, pointing to the knife in Sanosuke's hand as he rummaged around for food.
"THIS?" Sanosuke inquired, indicating the knife. When Yahiko nodded, Sanosuke dropped the knife to the floor and screamed, "I cut my food with that!"
Under normal circumstances, Yahiko would've laughed, but the mood was too somber. "Well, not that particular knife but she did use a kitchen knife."
"You're not kidding, are you?" Sanosuke asked, sitting back down since his search for food was in vain.
"No," Yahiko replied.
Sanosuke bombarded Yahiko with questions. "Is she okay? Will she live? Should I kill Kenshin? How about Saitou? Or should I kill Shinta? Maybe I can go make him suffer some more?" He looked hopeful, almost as I he wanted Yahiko to say "yes" to each question.
"She'll live, but I don't know if she'll be completely okay. As for Kenshin, in the unlikely event that you ever find him, it would be best for you to bring him back here. Who gives a crap about Shinta, anyway? The police can deal with him." Yahiko paused for a moment. "What's Saitou got to do with anything?"
"Oh, never mind. But what about..." Sanosuke began.
"Kaoru's baby? Dead," Yahiko replied, guessing correctly what Sanosuke meant to ask.
"Damn..." Sanosuke murmured. "You know whose fault this is, don't you?"
"You're going to say Kenshin, right?" Yahiko guessed.
"No! It's all Saitou's fault!" Sanosuke said. Yahiko rolled his eyes. "I'm serious!" Sanosuke insisted. "If that jackass police officer actually did his freaking job right, this wouldn't have happened!"
"Maybe you should criticize him once you actually get a job," Yahiko suggested. In the mood for a change of topic, he added, "By the way, I asked Megumi where babies come from."
Sanosuke snickered. "And...?"
"She said it's like a quill and an ink pot." The two bonding males laughed, scorning Megumi's comparison.
"Women are SO clueless," Sanosuke said when they stopped.
"Yeah. I liked your explanation about sheathing a sword much better," said Yahiko. (A/N: Just so I don't get killed, the first time I've ever seen this comparison was in a story called "Lessons" by Sekihara Tae. But it's sort of the only comparison you could make in a story revolving around swordsmanship, so I'm sure many people have come up with it since then and even before that. Evil Authoress: I could've come up with something like that. JK: Yeah, whatever. So don't sue me!)
"But remember, NEVER get confused between who's the sword and who's the sheath," Sanosuke warned. He then received a very sharp blow to the head.
Yahiko and Sanosuke turned to see Megumi standing behind them, livid with rage.
"I'm guessing you heard that," Sanosuke said weakly.
"No shit," Yahiko commented. He shut up when he saw Megumi glaring at him.
"Glad you're enjoying yourselves," she said angrily. "While Kaoru's lying injured, you're talking about the birds and the bees!" She rummaged around, looking for something. "Where's the rice?"
"Er...what rice?" Sanosuke asked, gulping fearfully.
Megumi rounded on him and shouted, "The rice left over from yesterday's dinner you son of a---"
Sanosuke blinked. "You're not in a good mood, are you?"
"No, so don't try my patience!"
"Okay, I won't. I ate the rice," he said. Megumi glared at him for a moment and Sanosuke was worried she was going to kill him. Instead, she swore and sat down.
"Carry on," she said. "Pretend I'm not here."
"Okay," said Sanosuke. 'Oh, she's asking for it,' he thought. "Any other questions, Yahiko?"
"Nah, I'm just curious as to who explained it to you."
"No one. I just---" Megumi shot him a warning look. "---picked it up."
"Oh, I get it," said Yahiko knowingly. "How about you, Megumi?"
"I'm not here," she said.
"Who's going to explain it to your children?" Yahiko asked.
"Megumi's husband should probably explain it to their children. Or maybe I should do the honors. He'll probably be clueless, too," Sanosuke said, yawning. Megumi hit him again.
"No, I meant the children you two will have TOGETHER," Yahiko explained.
"No one, because such children won't exist!" Megumi snapped.
"What she said," Sanosuke agreed. "It's a good thing I stopped by or I wouldn't have caught her this pissed," he added.
"Shut up!" Megumi hit him again.
"Are you trying to give me brain damage, woman?!" he snapped.
"It wouldn't hurt!"
"You, you mean!"
"I'll be going now," said Yahiko timidly.
"YOU KEEP OUT OF THIS!" the both barked and went back to bickering. Yahiko left the room, wondering what havoc he was wreaking by doing so.
* * *
It took over a month for Kaoru to get out of bed and go back to her normal way of life, meaning that she only got out of bed towards the end of June. Partially it was because she couldn't stand seeing so many cheerful, smiling faces when all she felt was a cold emptiness, an emptiness that threatened to choke her like some violent tidal wave. The main reason, however, was because of the fact that she had a physical illness as well. She was still throwing up every morning. At first she thought it was from guilt or because she was sick with herself, but she soon began to wonder exactly how long that type of nausea could last and whether or not it really was from guilt.
"You're looking chubby," Yahiko observed when he saw her on the day she finally came outside. "You really shouldn't have stayed in bed for a month."
Kaoru sighed, knowing that was his way of greeting her. "Thanks, Yahiko. That helps."
"What are you so happy about?" Sanosuke asked grudgingly, dragging out a bucket of laundry.
"Nothing," Kaoru said quickly. 'I'm not sure, so I shouldn't bring it up until I've checked with Megumi,' she thought.
"Since you're so happy, here," said Sanosuke, handing her the bucket. "Do some chores for a change." Kaoru stared at the bucket wistfully. 'Maybe if I leave the laundry undone it'll lure him back here,' she thought, smiling sadly. 'Yeah, and maybe Yahiko won't be arrogant. THAT'S a day I'll wait for.'
"No, Kaoru, you're definitely happy about something. Come on, spit it out," Sanosuke ordered.
"Never mind," Kaoru said airily, lifting another bucket. "I'll be back in a few minutes; I just have to go get some water for the laundry. If you see Megumi, tell her I need to speak to her." And with that, she walked off.
"Yep, there is DEFINITELY something she's not telling us," Sanosuke noted. "Anything else to do or can I go live my life?"
"Someone has to cook dinner," Yahiko replied, pausing in his sweeping. "Then someone has to do the dishes."
"Megumi cooks, you do the dishes," said Sanosuke. "And I need to go win myself some money."
"Sure, I'll do the dishes but if you end up eating from a moldy bowl that won't be my fault," Yahiko answered innocently, and resumed his sweeping. He had learned not to complain about the chores he had to do for he knew that Kaoru was struggling with a lot more than he was. Besides, Megumi was sure to smack anyone who didn't do his share of the work.
"You're not going anywhere, Sano!" someone shrieked.
"Megumi's back," Yahiko commented.
"Don't worry, Yahiko. When someone has a voice that can cause earthquakes, I'm bound to notice them," said Sanosuke.
Megumi didn't hear him (fortunately for Sano) because she was busy looking around. "Where's the bucket for the water? You DO know that it's your turn to do the laundry, don't you?" she asked Sanosuke.
"Yeah, but a certain someone stopped moping around the house for the first time in over a month so I figured I should give her something to do," said Sanosuke.
Megumi raised her eyebrows. "What brought about the sudden change in her?"
"Beats me. But she has to talk to you," Sanosuke informed her.
"Hey, since Kaoru's better, can we get a beef pot at the Akabeko to celebrate?" Yahiko asked hopefully.
"I can't. I have a very busy day today. Examinations, operations, births, the usual." She sighed. "What did Kaoru want to talk to me about?"
"We don't know, but she was really happy about something," said Yahiko. "Can I stop sweeping yet?" He held out his broom to Megumi, but she waved it away absentmindedly.
"Did she mention why she was so happy?" Megumi asked.
"Nope," the replied in unison.
"Well, when she gets back tell her to go to Dr. Gensai's house. I'll be there. Sanosuke, I'm afraid you're going to have to cook today. I'm way too busy."
"Hey, what about Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked angrily. "She should cook!"
Megumi raised her eyebrows again. "You want to get poisoned?"
"Good point."
* * *
"Er...Megumi?" Kaoru asked timidly, entering the examination room.
"Now all you have to do is hold it like that. No, just put pressure on it...that's it," Megumi said. She was tending to someone with blood gushing out of his nose. "Now, Daisuke, how exactly did this happen?" She motioned for Kaoru to sit down while she interrogated him.
"Fight," her patient replied simply.
"I see."
"If this isn't a good time, I could always talk to you later," Kaoru said, getting up.
"Wait Kaoru. If you're happy enough to get out of bed for the first time in over a month, I'm interested in what brought about the change," said Megumi. Kaoru sighed. 'She's still mad at me for what happened. I don't need this from her when I'm having trouble forgiving myself. Maybe this will make her forgive me,' thought Kaoru. She sat back down.
"Well, you know how I kept throwing up when I was pregnant?" Kaoru asked timidly.
"One second." Megumi glared fiercely at the boy she was treating since Daisuke had perked up and was listening intently. "Out," she ordered. "You were fine to begin with."
"You sure? Maybe the jerk broke my nose," Daisuke said, sounding almost hopeful.
"No, your nose is intact but if you want to keep it that way I suggest you leave," Megumi said coldly.
"Oh, fine." He stood up and retreated out of the room.
"Stupid kid," Kaoru heard Megumi mutter. "So, what were you saying?"
"I've still been feeling sick every morning. And I throw up occasionally. At first I thought it was from guilt, but..." Kaoru's voice trailed off. "Just how long can guilt like that last?"
"Well, after what you did you may never get over your guilt," said Megumi.
Kaoru was absolutely silent.
"So you were sick and you didn't tell me?" Megumi asked.
"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Kaoru answered. "Besides, as I just told you, I thought it was from guilt."
"And you're still throwing up? To this day?" Megumi inquired.
"Well, no, but it only stopped a short while ago," said Kaoru. When Megumi was silent, she pressed, "Well? What can it mean?"
"Well, it may very well mean that you're still pregnant and your baby somehow survived that," she said. "But we'll just have to wait and find out."
"So if I still am...my baby's due in..."
"February," Megumi finished for her.
~March 1880~
Yahiko paced up and down the hallway outside Kaoru's room, looking very nervous. He would occasionally stop to glance at the room for a while before continuing. Sanosuke, who was outside her room along with him, was the complete opposite. He was the picture of calm. He just sat in front of the door, repeatedly throwing a die up into the air and catching it in his right hand.
"You know," Sanosuke commented, "the way you're acting, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the father." Yahiko immediately stopped pacing.
"Not funny, Sano! I was just worried about Kaoru. I mean, having a baby can't be easy," said Yahiko. "Is it?"
"I'll tell you if I ever get pregnant," Sanosuke answered cynically. "But I haven't been pregnant yet, so don't ask."
"Well, how was I supposed to know that?"
"Yahiko!" Yahiko snickered. But he also knew that his victory was short-lived, for there was no way Sanosuke would let Yahiko get the better of him for long.
"I see. Yahiko, all this time you've been acting like a little tough guy. But the truth is, we've got a big softy on our hands," he said.
"Shut up!" Yahiko shouted. "Of course I'm worried! I haven't finished my training yet! If Kaoru died, who would teach me swordsmanship?"
"Megumi," Sanosuke suggested. "Or she'll teach you something more violent."
After he was finished laughing, Yahiko asked, "How can you stay so calm, Sano? Aren't you at least worried about Kaoru?"
"Sanosuke suddenly looked very serious. A thin line replaced his smiled and he stopped tossing the die. "I'm more than worried, Yahiko. Even I know that there are bound to be complications after all Kaoru's been through. As for the baby, it wouldn't shock me if it was still-born."
"I hope it's not," said Yahiko, pretending that he actually knew what it meant to be still-born. Sanosuke raised his eyebrows.
"You really are a big softy."
"I also hope it's a boy," he added.
"What a surprise."
"I mean it! I could teach him the ropes and stuff. Plus, I could tell him the sword-and-sheath story."
Sighing, Sanosuke asked, "You really like that story, don't you?"
"Hey, I just thought of something. Wasn't Kaoru's baby due in February?" Yahiko asked, choosing to disregard Sanosuke's question. Sanosuke, however, was unable to answer because at that precise moment, a scream pierced the nighttime silence followed closely by a high-pitched cry.
"If you ask me, that baby sounds very much alive," Sanosuke muttered.
"Too true," Yahiko agreed.
A few minutes later (during which Sanosuke and Yahiko both sat staring at the screen and practically chewing on their nails), Megumi brought out something small wrapped in a blanket.
"It's a girl," she told Yahiko and Sanosuke. Sanosuke looked at Yahiko, half-expecting him to look annoyed, but instead Yahiko was eyeing the bundle with interest.
"Megumi...would it be okay if I held her?" he asked.
"By all means," she said, giving him the bundle.
"How's Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked while Yahiko stared at the child in his arms.
"Surprisingly enough, the whole birth went quite well. It took a while, but both Kaoru and the baby are perfectly fine," said Megumi.
"It took a while? Thirty hours is what you call a while? I call that a hell of a long time!" Sanosuke exclaimed.
"Anyway, Kaoru's pretending to sleep, but I heard her sniffling so I think she's crying and wants to be left alone. Yahiko, don't do that!" Megumi added once she saw that Yahiko was poking the girl.
"Sorry," he said quickly.
"Anyway...what's today's date?" Sanosuke asked.
"March 12. And she was born at 3:50," Megumi answered.
"I don't get why Kaoru screamed, though," said Sanosuke thoughtfully. "I mean, just how bad can it hurt?"
"Well, if you have that kind of attitude then my advice to you would be to never get pregnant. You'd probably die from the pain," Megumi told him airily.
"Why's everyone picking on me today?" Sanosuke asked. "I CAN'T get pregnant, so stop saying that I can!"
"I was joking," said Megumi.
"I know. But still! It's not a funny joke! I'm all man!"
"Okay, okay," Megumi and Yahiko said in unison just to get him to shut up.
"I wonder what Kaoru's going to call her..." said Yahiko thoughtfully. "Can someone take her from me? I think she's going to cough something up."
"She can't cough up yet, Yahiko. It's not like she's eaten anything," said Sanosuke, but took her from him anyway.
"Maybe we should come up with a few ideas for a name," Megumi suggested.
"Sayo," Sanosuke said immediately.
"That was quick," said Megumi. "A little too quick."
"Well...I...---"
"Hey, Sano, maybe we should name her after one of MEGUMI'S lovers, not yours," Yahiko interrupted.
"Megumi's lovers? What lovers?" asked Sanosuke.
"Shut up!" Megumi screeched. "Why would we name her Sayo? I mean, she looks nothing like her, right?"
"She looks a lot like Kenshin, you know," Sanosuke noted. "Especially the eyes." He looked down at her and she stared back at him with unblinking, lavender eyes exactly like those of her father. "She's actually pretty cute."
"That's great! If she looked like Kaoru, she'd be one hell of an ugly child," joked Yahiko. When he realized no one was reprimanding him, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"The fact that she looks like Kenshin is NOT a good thing. Every time Kaoru will look at her, she'll be reminded of him. She will always be a painful reminder of an even more painful memory," said Megumi quietly. "In any case, it's a miracle that she's even alive."
"Megumi's right," Sanosuke admitted.
"Well, she sort of looks like Kaoru too. Maybe she'll grow out of looking like Kenshin," said Yahiko.
"I doubt that," said Megumi. "A part of her will always be like him."
"That's okay, Megumi. I'll learn to deal with it."
Kaoru had gone out of her room without any of them noticing and was now holding out her arms to accept her child.
"Kaoru!" Megumi chided. "You should be resting!"
"I'm not insane, Megumi. I know how to take care of myself, so you don't need to tell me what to do. I'll be fine," said Kaoru airily. "Can I have my daughter back, Sano?" Sanosuke nodded and gave her to Kaoru. 'She does look like Kenshin,' Kaoru observed. 'But that's okay. I'm sure she won't leave me and probably never come back like he has.' She kissed her forehead. "I know you won't," she whispered.
"Kaoru, after thirty hours of that you need some rest," Megumi said. "And that's not a suggestion, it's an order."
"Fine," Kaoru gave in and led the way inside her room.
"So, Kaoru, what are you going to name her?" Yahiko asked.
"How about Sayo? Sayo's a great name," Sanosuke suggested. Megumi sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Well...I've been thinking about it for a while...and I decided that if the baby was a girl I would name her Reiko," said Kaoru.
"Why Reiko?" Sanosuke asked, sounding the tiniest bit crestfallen.
"That was the name of a very good friend of mine who died when we were ten," Kaoru said quickly, hoping that they wouldn't question her anymore about her friend. Kaoru had seen her friend die. In fact, she held her hand. She didn't think she'd ever forget the feeling of her best friend's hand growing colder and weaker in her grasp while its owner's soul slowly slipped into oblivion. She shook the image of her sitting by her best friend's bedside and crying hysterically from her mind.
"You never told us about her," said Sanosuke.
"I don't like to think about it." She was about to add that she didn't like talking about it either, but Yahiko interrupted.
"What did she die from?"
"Cholera," Kaoru replied, her voice completely numb.
"Let's switch to a more cheerful topic, shall we?" Megumi suggested lightly. Kaoru looked at her gratefully. She was really beginning to appreciate everything Megumi had done for her. "Her name will be Reiko what?"
"Kamiya, of course," said Kaoru instantly.
"Reiko Kamiya," Sanosuke said as if testing how the name sounded. "Pretty good."
"Yup, that it is," said Yahiko cheerfully. Megumi, Kaoru, and even Sanosuke glanced at him so sharply that he was immediately sorry he had ever opened his mouth. "Sorry!" he said meaningfully.
"Well, I'm tired and it's late, so why don't we all get to bed?" Kaoru proposed.
"Sure," they all replied.
Once they were gone, Kaoru laid down and looked out the window, holding Reiko close to her. "I don't need you, Battousai," she said quietly, purposefully using the name Kenshin's enemies always called him. "And apparently, you don't need me either."
* * *
Well, that's it for chapter 3. I'm trying as hard as I can to get the chapters up quickly! Please review!
JK: Welcome to chapter three of "The Fires of Vengeance"! For our author's note today, joining us will be the RK gang and my fellow author Evil Authoress.
Evil Authoress: Yeah, whatever.
JK: Anyway, instead of my usual author's note when I do my best to lighten the mood---
Sanosuke: Hold on. Exactly whose mood are you lightening?
JK: The readers.
Sanosuke: Oh. `Cause you know, I don't like your author's notes.
Evil Authoress: Who asked you?
Sanosuke (in JK's ear): Especially because of her. (points to Evil Authoress)
Evil Authoress: Anata kuso!
Sanosuke: Hey! Where'd you learn that kind of language, woman?!
Evil Authoress: Shut up, *beep*.
JK: I'll leave the readers guessing as to what *beep* means.
Sanosuke: Damn wench...
Evil Authoress: I'll say it again---ANATA KUSO!
Kenshin: Um...correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't "anata kuso" mean "screw the chicken"?
JK (while laughing hysterically and wiping tears out of her eyes): Who told you that?
Kaoru: Well...then what exactly does it mean?
JK: It means screw you, only more offensive. In other words, not exactly the proper words for a PG story, which is why she said it in Japanese.
Evil Authoress: That's not why I said it...
Yahiko: So, if this is a PG story does PG mean Puke Girl? It should since Kaoru's in it.
(JK rolls her eyes while Evil Authoress snickers.)
Evil Authoress: Guess you're not TOO stupid.
Yahiko: Er...yay?
JK: Anyway, I'm deciding to cut this author's note short and reply to my reviewers.
To starhopper: Thanks for the really long review! I can't recall writing anything that was actually sad. A lot of times I can't help but put in a stupid joke. YAY! I'm not a crappy non-humor writer!
To vegeta26: The fact that Kenshin keeps getting farther away is the whole point. But they will be reunited in later chapters.
To boomerang-chan: I reviewed your story about how the Inuyasha gang got drunk off sake. It was good.
To mime: I'm considering doing something along those lines...but I don't think I'd be able to make Kaoru paired with an OC. I like the Kenshin/Kaoru pairing since I'd rather have him be paired with Kaoru than, say, Megumi. (shudders)
Megumi: I HEARD THAT!
JK: Would you like me to PRETEND that I care?
(Megumi sulks.)
(JK grins happily.)
Disclaimer: Well, what do you know? I'm up to the part of the story that gives me my inspiration. If you ever want to write angst, just do a disclaimer! Those are nice and depressing. So anyway, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I do, however, own this feeble plot.
* * *
"Well, that's it," Megumi told Yahiko, taking off her surgical mask. "I appreciate all your help, but you should go to bed now. Or if you want, you could go wait for Sanosuke and Kenshin." Yahiko looked at her for a moment. 'Does she think I'm stupid?' he wondered, thoroughly annoyed. And you really had to be stupid not to notice that Megumi's tone betrayed her true belief: that Sanosuke would be returning alone.
"Megumi, I'm not dumb," he pointed out. "Kenshin's not coming back, is he?" At these words, complete silence stretched between them, broken only by the sounds of chirping birds outside. But to Yahiko, a reply was unnecessary. He knew the truth, but he wanted Megumi to admit it.
Sighing, she said, " I don't think so." Once more they both fell silent, listening to the birds.
"May's never been a good month, huh?" Yahiko observed.
"Oh, that's right! It's May. I forgot about that," Megumi said. The birds became audible again, and Megumi wondered why speech was proving to be so difficult.
"Will Kaoru live?" Yahiko ventured. Megumi glanced at Kaoru's sleeping body, as if suddenly remembering she was there.
"Yes."
"What about her baby?" Yahiko asked.
"Since you just told me you're not stupid, you be the judge," Megumi said angrily. "KAORU is lucky to be alive. When she stabbed herself, she missed all her organs and didn't penetrate too deeply, but she did bleed a lot out of her stomach. It would be a miracle if that child survived."
"So you're saying it's dead," Yahiko said hollowly.
"Yes," Megumi replied curtly. "Now let's go before our talk disturbs her rest." She ushered Yahiko out of the room, following close behind him.
Little did she know that Kaoru had been lying awake, listening to their conversation the whole time. As soon as she was sure Megumi and Yahiko were no where near, she crawled away from her futon and retched again, but this time she knew it wasn't from pregnancy but from guilt. Black, choking, heart-wrenching guilt.
But when her nausea subsided and Kaoru found herself thinking rationally, she discovered she would much rather be throwing up. That, at least, kept her mind off what she had done. 'I'm an idiot!' she thought fiercely, lying back down. 'How could I have even dreamed of doing that?! So what if Kenshin's gone? I'm not so weak and fragile that I couldn't even be able to raise a child by myself! And if I am, I might as well go find that knife and stick it into my heart this time.' Kaoru glanced at her stomach. It was bandaged, and he area where she'd stabbed herself was already starting to become tinged with blood. Her vision blurred and Kaoru blinked away her tears of fury.
"How could I have been so selfish?" she asked. "How could I kill myself? How could I kill my child?" For what seemed like the hundredth time since her kidnapping, Kaoru allowed herself to give way to her tears.
"Awake, are you?"
Kaoru opened her eyes to find Megumi watching her cynically.
"Well, rather than putting off the inevitable, I suppose I should just tell you. Your baby's dead," Megumi said simply. Her voice was devoid of any pity. In fact, there was a definite touch of disgust in her speech.
"I know. I heard you talking to Yahiko," Kaoru replied, disgusted as well although it wasn't as pronounced as Megumi's.
Megumi looked up at Kaoru, surprised. 'She doesn't even care!' Megumi thought. She felt a strong urge to slap Kaoru, and it took all her will to restrain herself.
"Megumi," Kaoru began quietly, "if you knew that my baby couldn't be saved, you should've just let me die. I don't want to live with a burden like this on my shoulders." She was staring anywhere else but at Megumi up until this point, but her curiosity at what Megumi's reaction would be drove Kaoru to look up at her. Megumi was staring at her, more unpitying and disgusted than she was before.
"You're disgusting!" she shouted. "After all that you've done, you go and tell me that I should've let you die?! Like it was my fault or something! You are the most ungrateful wench I've ever known!" Megumi's self-control wavered and she slapped Kaoru. Kaoru didn't even wince when Megumi's hand made contact, nor did she shrink back. 'Physical pain like this is nothing compared to my torn up emotions,' Kaoru thought grimly.
"I guess I deserved that," Kaoru remarked, obviously shocking Megumi.
Looking horrified at what she had done, Megumi hastily said, "Listen, I'm sorry. But you shouldn't have done that. Even without Kenshin, your life isn't meaningless and you're not alone. You should've known that we would help you raise your child. Me, Yahiko, and Sanosuke would've been more than happy too. I just wish you hadn't behaved so impulsively. At least then your child would still be alive and you wouldn't have a hole in your stomach. It's going to take a while to heal, but you should be up in about two weeks, three weeks tops." Megumi rose. "I'll leave you alone now since I'm sure you need time to think. But you will eventually have to clean up that mess." She indicated the vomit a few feet away from Kaoru's futon and started to exit the room, but Kaoru's voice stopped her.
"I can try living with hating myself, but do you hate me?"
Megumi stopped, not turning around to face her. "No," she said before continuing on her way. Before she was out of Kaoru's room, she stopped again. "Life is a very fragile thing, Kaoru. You broke your child's." With that, she exited.
* * *
"You're kidding!" Sanosuke said in disbelief, wolfing down a bowl of rice. "That's not a funny joke, Yahiko."
"That's because it isn't," Yahiko replied.
"No way! Kaoru's not that stupid!" Sanosuke assured Yahiko. He then glanced around the room. "Got anymore? I'm STARVING."
"That's all that's left form dinner last night. And she WAS that stupid, and she DID try to kill herself," said Yahiko.
"Oh yeah?" Sanosuke asked skeptically. "How?"
"She stabbed herself. With this," he said darkly, pointing to the knife in Sanosuke's hand as he rummaged around for food.
"THIS?" Sanosuke inquired, indicating the knife. When Yahiko nodded, Sanosuke dropped the knife to the floor and screamed, "I cut my food with that!"
Under normal circumstances, Yahiko would've laughed, but the mood was too somber. "Well, not that particular knife but she did use a kitchen knife."
"You're not kidding, are you?" Sanosuke asked, sitting back down since his search for food was in vain.
"No," Yahiko replied.
Sanosuke bombarded Yahiko with questions. "Is she okay? Will she live? Should I kill Kenshin? How about Saitou? Or should I kill Shinta? Maybe I can go make him suffer some more?" He looked hopeful, almost as I he wanted Yahiko to say "yes" to each question.
"She'll live, but I don't know if she'll be completely okay. As for Kenshin, in the unlikely event that you ever find him, it would be best for you to bring him back here. Who gives a crap about Shinta, anyway? The police can deal with him." Yahiko paused for a moment. "What's Saitou got to do with anything?"
"Oh, never mind. But what about..." Sanosuke began.
"Kaoru's baby? Dead," Yahiko replied, guessing correctly what Sanosuke meant to ask.
"Damn..." Sanosuke murmured. "You know whose fault this is, don't you?"
"You're going to say Kenshin, right?" Yahiko guessed.
"No! It's all Saitou's fault!" Sanosuke said. Yahiko rolled his eyes. "I'm serious!" Sanosuke insisted. "If that jackass police officer actually did his freaking job right, this wouldn't have happened!"
"Maybe you should criticize him once you actually get a job," Yahiko suggested. In the mood for a change of topic, he added, "By the way, I asked Megumi where babies come from."
Sanosuke snickered. "And...?"
"She said it's like a quill and an ink pot." The two bonding males laughed, scorning Megumi's comparison.
"Women are SO clueless," Sanosuke said when they stopped.
"Yeah. I liked your explanation about sheathing a sword much better," said Yahiko. (A/N: Just so I don't get killed, the first time I've ever seen this comparison was in a story called "Lessons" by Sekihara Tae. But it's sort of the only comparison you could make in a story revolving around swordsmanship, so I'm sure many people have come up with it since then and even before that. Evil Authoress: I could've come up with something like that. JK: Yeah, whatever. So don't sue me!)
"But remember, NEVER get confused between who's the sword and who's the sheath," Sanosuke warned. He then received a very sharp blow to the head.
Yahiko and Sanosuke turned to see Megumi standing behind them, livid with rage.
"I'm guessing you heard that," Sanosuke said weakly.
"No shit," Yahiko commented. He shut up when he saw Megumi glaring at him.
"Glad you're enjoying yourselves," she said angrily. "While Kaoru's lying injured, you're talking about the birds and the bees!" She rummaged around, looking for something. "Where's the rice?"
"Er...what rice?" Sanosuke asked, gulping fearfully.
Megumi rounded on him and shouted, "The rice left over from yesterday's dinner you son of a---"
Sanosuke blinked. "You're not in a good mood, are you?"
"No, so don't try my patience!"
"Okay, I won't. I ate the rice," he said. Megumi glared at him for a moment and Sanosuke was worried she was going to kill him. Instead, she swore and sat down.
"Carry on," she said. "Pretend I'm not here."
"Okay," said Sanosuke. 'Oh, she's asking for it,' he thought. "Any other questions, Yahiko?"
"Nah, I'm just curious as to who explained it to you."
"No one. I just---" Megumi shot him a warning look. "---picked it up."
"Oh, I get it," said Yahiko knowingly. "How about you, Megumi?"
"I'm not here," she said.
"Who's going to explain it to your children?" Yahiko asked.
"Megumi's husband should probably explain it to their children. Or maybe I should do the honors. He'll probably be clueless, too," Sanosuke said, yawning. Megumi hit him again.
"No, I meant the children you two will have TOGETHER," Yahiko explained.
"No one, because such children won't exist!" Megumi snapped.
"What she said," Sanosuke agreed. "It's a good thing I stopped by or I wouldn't have caught her this pissed," he added.
"Shut up!" Megumi hit him again.
"Are you trying to give me brain damage, woman?!" he snapped.
"It wouldn't hurt!"
"You, you mean!"
"I'll be going now," said Yahiko timidly.
"YOU KEEP OUT OF THIS!" the both barked and went back to bickering. Yahiko left the room, wondering what havoc he was wreaking by doing so.
* * *
It took over a month for Kaoru to get out of bed and go back to her normal way of life, meaning that she only got out of bed towards the end of June. Partially it was because she couldn't stand seeing so many cheerful, smiling faces when all she felt was a cold emptiness, an emptiness that threatened to choke her like some violent tidal wave. The main reason, however, was because of the fact that she had a physical illness as well. She was still throwing up every morning. At first she thought it was from guilt or because she was sick with herself, but she soon began to wonder exactly how long that type of nausea could last and whether or not it really was from guilt.
"You're looking chubby," Yahiko observed when he saw her on the day she finally came outside. "You really shouldn't have stayed in bed for a month."
Kaoru sighed, knowing that was his way of greeting her. "Thanks, Yahiko. That helps."
"What are you so happy about?" Sanosuke asked grudgingly, dragging out a bucket of laundry.
"Nothing," Kaoru said quickly. 'I'm not sure, so I shouldn't bring it up until I've checked with Megumi,' she thought.
"Since you're so happy, here," said Sanosuke, handing her the bucket. "Do some chores for a change." Kaoru stared at the bucket wistfully. 'Maybe if I leave the laundry undone it'll lure him back here,' she thought, smiling sadly. 'Yeah, and maybe Yahiko won't be arrogant. THAT'S a day I'll wait for.'
"No, Kaoru, you're definitely happy about something. Come on, spit it out," Sanosuke ordered.
"Never mind," Kaoru said airily, lifting another bucket. "I'll be back in a few minutes; I just have to go get some water for the laundry. If you see Megumi, tell her I need to speak to her." And with that, she walked off.
"Yep, there is DEFINITELY something she's not telling us," Sanosuke noted. "Anything else to do or can I go live my life?"
"Someone has to cook dinner," Yahiko replied, pausing in his sweeping. "Then someone has to do the dishes."
"Megumi cooks, you do the dishes," said Sanosuke. "And I need to go win myself some money."
"Sure, I'll do the dishes but if you end up eating from a moldy bowl that won't be my fault," Yahiko answered innocently, and resumed his sweeping. He had learned not to complain about the chores he had to do for he knew that Kaoru was struggling with a lot more than he was. Besides, Megumi was sure to smack anyone who didn't do his share of the work.
"You're not going anywhere, Sano!" someone shrieked.
"Megumi's back," Yahiko commented.
"Don't worry, Yahiko. When someone has a voice that can cause earthquakes, I'm bound to notice them," said Sanosuke.
Megumi didn't hear him (fortunately for Sano) because she was busy looking around. "Where's the bucket for the water? You DO know that it's your turn to do the laundry, don't you?" she asked Sanosuke.
"Yeah, but a certain someone stopped moping around the house for the first time in over a month so I figured I should give her something to do," said Sanosuke.
Megumi raised her eyebrows. "What brought about the sudden change in her?"
"Beats me. But she has to talk to you," Sanosuke informed her.
"Hey, since Kaoru's better, can we get a beef pot at the Akabeko to celebrate?" Yahiko asked hopefully.
"I can't. I have a very busy day today. Examinations, operations, births, the usual." She sighed. "What did Kaoru want to talk to me about?"
"We don't know, but she was really happy about something," said Yahiko. "Can I stop sweeping yet?" He held out his broom to Megumi, but she waved it away absentmindedly.
"Did she mention why she was so happy?" Megumi asked.
"Nope," the replied in unison.
"Well, when she gets back tell her to go to Dr. Gensai's house. I'll be there. Sanosuke, I'm afraid you're going to have to cook today. I'm way too busy."
"Hey, what about Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked angrily. "She should cook!"
Megumi raised her eyebrows again. "You want to get poisoned?"
"Good point."
* * *
"Er...Megumi?" Kaoru asked timidly, entering the examination room.
"Now all you have to do is hold it like that. No, just put pressure on it...that's it," Megumi said. She was tending to someone with blood gushing out of his nose. "Now, Daisuke, how exactly did this happen?" She motioned for Kaoru to sit down while she interrogated him.
"Fight," her patient replied simply.
"I see."
"If this isn't a good time, I could always talk to you later," Kaoru said, getting up.
"Wait Kaoru. If you're happy enough to get out of bed for the first time in over a month, I'm interested in what brought about the change," said Megumi. Kaoru sighed. 'She's still mad at me for what happened. I don't need this from her when I'm having trouble forgiving myself. Maybe this will make her forgive me,' thought Kaoru. She sat back down.
"Well, you know how I kept throwing up when I was pregnant?" Kaoru asked timidly.
"One second." Megumi glared fiercely at the boy she was treating since Daisuke had perked up and was listening intently. "Out," she ordered. "You were fine to begin with."
"You sure? Maybe the jerk broke my nose," Daisuke said, sounding almost hopeful.
"No, your nose is intact but if you want to keep it that way I suggest you leave," Megumi said coldly.
"Oh, fine." He stood up and retreated out of the room.
"Stupid kid," Kaoru heard Megumi mutter. "So, what were you saying?"
"I've still been feeling sick every morning. And I throw up occasionally. At first I thought it was from guilt, but..." Kaoru's voice trailed off. "Just how long can guilt like that last?"
"Well, after what you did you may never get over your guilt," said Megumi.
Kaoru was absolutely silent.
"So you were sick and you didn't tell me?" Megumi asked.
"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it," Kaoru answered. "Besides, as I just told you, I thought it was from guilt."
"And you're still throwing up? To this day?" Megumi inquired.
"Well, no, but it only stopped a short while ago," said Kaoru. When Megumi was silent, she pressed, "Well? What can it mean?"
"Well, it may very well mean that you're still pregnant and your baby somehow survived that," she said. "But we'll just have to wait and find out."
"So if I still am...my baby's due in..."
"February," Megumi finished for her.
~March 1880~
Yahiko paced up and down the hallway outside Kaoru's room, looking very nervous. He would occasionally stop to glance at the room for a while before continuing. Sanosuke, who was outside her room along with him, was the complete opposite. He was the picture of calm. He just sat in front of the door, repeatedly throwing a die up into the air and catching it in his right hand.
"You know," Sanosuke commented, "the way you're acting, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the father." Yahiko immediately stopped pacing.
"Not funny, Sano! I was just worried about Kaoru. I mean, having a baby can't be easy," said Yahiko. "Is it?"
"I'll tell you if I ever get pregnant," Sanosuke answered cynically. "But I haven't been pregnant yet, so don't ask."
"Well, how was I supposed to know that?"
"Yahiko!" Yahiko snickered. But he also knew that his victory was short-lived, for there was no way Sanosuke would let Yahiko get the better of him for long.
"I see. Yahiko, all this time you've been acting like a little tough guy. But the truth is, we've got a big softy on our hands," he said.
"Shut up!" Yahiko shouted. "Of course I'm worried! I haven't finished my training yet! If Kaoru died, who would teach me swordsmanship?"
"Megumi," Sanosuke suggested. "Or she'll teach you something more violent."
After he was finished laughing, Yahiko asked, "How can you stay so calm, Sano? Aren't you at least worried about Kaoru?"
"Sanosuke suddenly looked very serious. A thin line replaced his smiled and he stopped tossing the die. "I'm more than worried, Yahiko. Even I know that there are bound to be complications after all Kaoru's been through. As for the baby, it wouldn't shock me if it was still-born."
"I hope it's not," said Yahiko, pretending that he actually knew what it meant to be still-born. Sanosuke raised his eyebrows.
"You really are a big softy."
"I also hope it's a boy," he added.
"What a surprise."
"I mean it! I could teach him the ropes and stuff. Plus, I could tell him the sword-and-sheath story."
Sighing, Sanosuke asked, "You really like that story, don't you?"
"Hey, I just thought of something. Wasn't Kaoru's baby due in February?" Yahiko asked, choosing to disregard Sanosuke's question. Sanosuke, however, was unable to answer because at that precise moment, a scream pierced the nighttime silence followed closely by a high-pitched cry.
"If you ask me, that baby sounds very much alive," Sanosuke muttered.
"Too true," Yahiko agreed.
A few minutes later (during which Sanosuke and Yahiko both sat staring at the screen and practically chewing on their nails), Megumi brought out something small wrapped in a blanket.
"It's a girl," she told Yahiko and Sanosuke. Sanosuke looked at Yahiko, half-expecting him to look annoyed, but instead Yahiko was eyeing the bundle with interest.
"Megumi...would it be okay if I held her?" he asked.
"By all means," she said, giving him the bundle.
"How's Kaoru?" Sanosuke asked while Yahiko stared at the child in his arms.
"Surprisingly enough, the whole birth went quite well. It took a while, but both Kaoru and the baby are perfectly fine," said Megumi.
"It took a while? Thirty hours is what you call a while? I call that a hell of a long time!" Sanosuke exclaimed.
"Anyway, Kaoru's pretending to sleep, but I heard her sniffling so I think she's crying and wants to be left alone. Yahiko, don't do that!" Megumi added once she saw that Yahiko was poking the girl.
"Sorry," he said quickly.
"Anyway...what's today's date?" Sanosuke asked.
"March 12. And she was born at 3:50," Megumi answered.
"I don't get why Kaoru screamed, though," said Sanosuke thoughtfully. "I mean, just how bad can it hurt?"
"Well, if you have that kind of attitude then my advice to you would be to never get pregnant. You'd probably die from the pain," Megumi told him airily.
"Why's everyone picking on me today?" Sanosuke asked. "I CAN'T get pregnant, so stop saying that I can!"
"I was joking," said Megumi.
"I know. But still! It's not a funny joke! I'm all man!"
"Okay, okay," Megumi and Yahiko said in unison just to get him to shut up.
"I wonder what Kaoru's going to call her..." said Yahiko thoughtfully. "Can someone take her from me? I think she's going to cough something up."
"She can't cough up yet, Yahiko. It's not like she's eaten anything," said Sanosuke, but took her from him anyway.
"Maybe we should come up with a few ideas for a name," Megumi suggested.
"Sayo," Sanosuke said immediately.
"That was quick," said Megumi. "A little too quick."
"Well...I...---"
"Hey, Sano, maybe we should name her after one of MEGUMI'S lovers, not yours," Yahiko interrupted.
"Megumi's lovers? What lovers?" asked Sanosuke.
"Shut up!" Megumi screeched. "Why would we name her Sayo? I mean, she looks nothing like her, right?"
"She looks a lot like Kenshin, you know," Sanosuke noted. "Especially the eyes." He looked down at her and she stared back at him with unblinking, lavender eyes exactly like those of her father. "She's actually pretty cute."
"That's great! If she looked like Kaoru, she'd be one hell of an ugly child," joked Yahiko. When he realized no one was reprimanding him, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"The fact that she looks like Kenshin is NOT a good thing. Every time Kaoru will look at her, she'll be reminded of him. She will always be a painful reminder of an even more painful memory," said Megumi quietly. "In any case, it's a miracle that she's even alive."
"Megumi's right," Sanosuke admitted.
"Well, she sort of looks like Kaoru too. Maybe she'll grow out of looking like Kenshin," said Yahiko.
"I doubt that," said Megumi. "A part of her will always be like him."
"That's okay, Megumi. I'll learn to deal with it."
Kaoru had gone out of her room without any of them noticing and was now holding out her arms to accept her child.
"Kaoru!" Megumi chided. "You should be resting!"
"I'm not insane, Megumi. I know how to take care of myself, so you don't need to tell me what to do. I'll be fine," said Kaoru airily. "Can I have my daughter back, Sano?" Sanosuke nodded and gave her to Kaoru. 'She does look like Kenshin,' Kaoru observed. 'But that's okay. I'm sure she won't leave me and probably never come back like he has.' She kissed her forehead. "I know you won't," she whispered.
"Kaoru, after thirty hours of that you need some rest," Megumi said. "And that's not a suggestion, it's an order."
"Fine," Kaoru gave in and led the way inside her room.
"So, Kaoru, what are you going to name her?" Yahiko asked.
"How about Sayo? Sayo's a great name," Sanosuke suggested. Megumi sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Well...I've been thinking about it for a while...and I decided that if the baby was a girl I would name her Reiko," said Kaoru.
"Why Reiko?" Sanosuke asked, sounding the tiniest bit crestfallen.
"That was the name of a very good friend of mine who died when we were ten," Kaoru said quickly, hoping that they wouldn't question her anymore about her friend. Kaoru had seen her friend die. In fact, she held her hand. She didn't think she'd ever forget the feeling of her best friend's hand growing colder and weaker in her grasp while its owner's soul slowly slipped into oblivion. She shook the image of her sitting by her best friend's bedside and crying hysterically from her mind.
"You never told us about her," said Sanosuke.
"I don't like to think about it." She was about to add that she didn't like talking about it either, but Yahiko interrupted.
"What did she die from?"
"Cholera," Kaoru replied, her voice completely numb.
"Let's switch to a more cheerful topic, shall we?" Megumi suggested lightly. Kaoru looked at her gratefully. She was really beginning to appreciate everything Megumi had done for her. "Her name will be Reiko what?"
"Kamiya, of course," said Kaoru instantly.
"Reiko Kamiya," Sanosuke said as if testing how the name sounded. "Pretty good."
"Yup, that it is," said Yahiko cheerfully. Megumi, Kaoru, and even Sanosuke glanced at him so sharply that he was immediately sorry he had ever opened his mouth. "Sorry!" he said meaningfully.
"Well, I'm tired and it's late, so why don't we all get to bed?" Kaoru proposed.
"Sure," they all replied.
Once they were gone, Kaoru laid down and looked out the window, holding Reiko close to her. "I don't need you, Battousai," she said quietly, purposefully using the name Kenshin's enemies always called him. "And apparently, you don't need me either."
* * *
Well, that's it for chapter 3. I'm trying as hard as I can to get the chapters up quickly! Please review!