Disclaimer: If I owned Rurouni Kenshin, then no one would know who the hell Watsuki Nobuhiro was and there wouldn't be a need for me to be writing a fanfic with an alternative past of Kenshin's life. IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!

Chapter 4:

Megumi's Doubts

All eyes lay on the young girl that Kenshin had returned with, not knowing whether what was said was actually true. Even in the dim light, her features were striking, grabbing everyone's attention. Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tied off with a strip of a dark blue cloth. Her naturally formed dreadlocks flowed beautifully from the dark blue cloth, nestling neatly at the back of her head as the tips of her abundant hair slightly curled. Her crystal blue eyes pierced through from deep below her bangs and her ivory skin almost looked ghostly wrapped in the dark blue kimono she was wearing.

Megumi strolled up to the young girl. The girl took a step back into Kenshin. She seemed to be afraid. Then again, who wouldn't be afraid of having a group of strangers staring at you like you where some sort of circus animal? Megumi looked at Kenshin, gathering her thoughts.

"Daughter?" was the only thing she managed to say after a while of thinking. Kenshin nodded with a warm smile. Megumi knelt down in front of the young girl, reaching up she took the girl's chin in her hand. Gently she moved the girl's head from side to side, examining her, taking in every detail she could. The girl's crystal blue eyes locked on to the tall dark haired woman, never looking away from the strange woman until Megumi in return looked her in the eye. The girl grew nervous and pulled away, half turning she looked up at Kenshin.

"It's alright Sakura-chan," he smiled down at her, "these are all my friends." Sakura looked at Megumi again. "This is Miss Takani Megumi, she's an excellent doctor," he nodded to Megumi as she got up. "Myôjin Yahiko, a student here at the dojo," he looked at Yahiko, Sakura's eyes followed his glance to the young man. "Miss Kamiya Kaoru is the one you've been told about," Sakura looked up at Kaoru. "Sagara Sanosuke, and Dr. Gensi."

"You forgot us Brother Ken!" Suzume protested getting up from her cushion.

"My apologies, how could you have slipped my mind?" he smiled. Sakura looked over at the two girls. "The younger one is Suzume-chan, and the other fine young lady is Ayame-chan. They are Dr. Gensi's granddaughters."

Suzume grinned with joy. Walking towards Kenshin and Sakura she reached up. "Hello."

Sakura stretched her hand out to greet her. "Hello" she answered sheepishly.

"Are you going to stay with us for a while?" Ayame asked from her place.

Sakura looked up at Kenshin, as if she was waiting for him to give her a sign of approval. Kenshin in turn glanced over at Kaoru, who was trying to take everything in. Her mind raced with questions, while her face showed disbelief. Kaoru was caught completely off guard. When she had wondered who it was that Kenshin was bringing back from his travels, she imagined an old friend or someone he had thought would be a good student to bring to the dojo. Never once did it cross her mind that Kenshin would bring back a girl, even less calling her his daughter. But now that she thought of it, he was eleven years older then her. Why had it never occurred to her that he had once been married? After all, for ten years this man had been wandering all over Japan before finally arriving at her family's dojo only two years ago. Now that she thought about it, he had never spoken about his personal life prior to arriving at the dojo.

"Is it alright with you Miss Kaoru," Kenshin's voice brought her back from her daze, "is it alright if Sakura-chan stays here?"

Kaoru looked up at Kenshin, stupefied and confused, her mind still racing. She looked down at the girl and then at Kenshin again. She felt a tug on the back of her kimono, turning her head slightly she looked down to see Ayame smiling up at her. "Umm... yes... of course she can," she tried hard to smile, "of course your daughter can stay here..." she trailed off. She could feel her heart sink deep down in her. A daughter, she continued to think, Kenshin has a daughter...

---

As the weeks progressed, Kenshin and Sakura began to look more and more like father and daughter. She followed him everywhere and helped him in just about everything he did. Like wise, Kenshin had grown more attached to this young girl then he had ever been with Ayame or Suzume. He even went out of his way for her, borrowing money and buying the girl two new kimono.

Takani Megumi hurried herself along the busy streets of Tokyo's merchant distract. As a doctor, she hardly had time to leave the clinic to do anything, even if Dr. Gensi was taking care of the patients. Even when she did leave, she had to hurry herself back and this was one of those times. As she slowed her pace she reached into her sleeve to pull out a list of items needed to be purchased for the clinic and personal items for herself and Dr. Gensi.

As she left the small shop she had entered only moments earlier, she looked over at a group that had gathered. Being a tall woman helped in a way. She was able to look over most of the heads in the crowd and into the center of its interest. There, three men stood holding up their swords, although she was unable to see their opponent.

"Another street fight," she sighed to herself as she brushed back her long black hair. She folded the list, carefully placing it into the sleeve of her dark purple kimono as she began to walk away. In a split second, the crowd behind her was in an uproar. She turned in time to see something make its way from one end of the crowd to where the three men stood. Squinting, she tried to get a good look at what was happening, but was unable to do so. Shortly the crowd parted, making way for a red-haired man and two girls.

"Ken-kun," she said in amazement. She watched as Kenshin made his way quickly away from the crowd, placing his sword back into its sheath as Suzume and Sakura followed at his heels. The two girls trotted behind him to keep up. Suzume said something as she held out a wooden bucket towards the red haired man. He stopped. Taking the bucket from the small girl he hurried them in front of him as they caught up.

Megumi followed the three and in no time managed to catch up to them. "Ken-kun!" she yelled as she spotted the wanderer. Kenshin stopped, turning to look for who had called him. Spotting out Megumi, he smiled at her as she approached.

"Ken-kun," she began looking down on him, "what happened?"

Kenshin continued to smile looking up at the tall woman. "Some people just wanted to make trouble." He reached for his sword with his free left hand, holding it up he said, "it seems that this is just an invitation for trouble."

Suzume tugged at Megumi's kimono. "They wanted to take Sakura-san," she wiped her eyes. Her tiny hands left a smug of dirt across her face.

Megumi reached into her right sleeve retrieving a handkerchief. Dampening it with her tongue she wiped the dirt away from the small girl's face as the she tried hard to tug away. "Hold still Suzume-chan!" she grabbed the little girl by the arm. When she finished, she folded the handkerchief and returned it to her right sleeve as she looked down at Sakura. The young girl downcast her eyes, not wanting to meet the older woman's glance. "Really?" she finally asked with a brow crocked up. "Why would anyone want to take Sakura-chan?"

Kenshin looked down at the red haired girl at his side and shrugged. "There are many strange people in this world," he answered.

A moment of awkward silence followed before Kenshin finally spoke again. "This one must return to the dojo now," he looked down at the wooden bucket he was holding in his right hand, "the tofu needs to be readied for dinner."

Megumi nodded and the two departed. Megumi took Suzume with her back to the clinic as Kenshin hurried back to the edge of the city of Tokyo, to the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryû Dojo.

---

"I still don't believe it," Megumi continued to protest.

"What's there not to believe?" Sanosuke asked, "if Kenshin said it's his daughter, then..."

"No," Megumi interrupted, "she looks nothing like him!"

Sanosuke scratched his head with his left hand. There was no way he wanted to start an argument with her, but now it was almost inevitable. "Well, she does have that same red hair..." he muttered. Megumi looked up at him crossly.

The two remained silent as Megumi finished examining his right hand. The battle in Kyoto nearly two years ago had left his right hand a complete wreck. She herself was unsure at what kind of force he could have used to practically destroy his wrist and hand as much as he did. Sanosuke had sprained three metacarpals in his wrist, broken another five. Along with his wrist, he had also broken nearly all of the first and second phalanges in his fingers, making a few nerves running from his fingers midway up his forearm to "pop" out of place. However, no matter how many times she explained it to him, he was still unsure of what it all meant. All he knew was that it was painful. She was checking his hand again because he had complained of pain whenever he held his chopsticks. His wrist had sprained open again, forcing a few nerves out of place for the fifth time in two years.

Megumi looked up at him. "Do not use any force or do anything that can stress that hand, and I mean ANY!" she began to lecture him again, "the reason it keeps spraining open is because you force it too much." She got up with a look of rage in her face. After a while of cleaning her working area she began speaking again. "I, for one, want to know the whole truth, and I will beat it out of Ken-kun myself if I must!" She walked to the next room, disappearing from sight.

Sanosuke got up. Seeing his opportunity to leave the clinic without saying a word he tiptoed his way to the door before hearing Megumi yell at him.

"And where do you think you are going?" she inquired crossly.

Sanosuke slid the door open. "I need some fresh air," he began. She glared at him even more furiously then before. He slumped his shoulders down in defeat. "I don't have anything to pay you with," he began to explain as he sighed, "and I was..."

"I know what you were doing!" she snapped at him.

"Then why are you bugging me?"

Megumi turned to the other room again. In a much sweeter tone she called, "Dr. Gensi, I will return late. Don't wait up for me!"

"Of course Miss Megumi," Dr. Gensi's voice came from one of the patients' room.

She rushed pass Sanosuke to the main door. "What are you waiting for?" she yelled at him.

Sanosuke gave a sign of confusion. His slender face scrunched up as he eyed Megumi over. He had never seen her so upset before. "Wait," a thought suddenly ran through his mind, "you're not planning to go over to the dojo now are you?"

"I am!"

Sanosuke sighed. There was no stopping her now, she was on a roll. Her thoughts were fixed on getting the whole truth out of Kenshin tonight. He closed the door to the clinic behind him in defeat. It was already late and there was no way he was going to let the 'Vixen' wander around Tokyo at this hour. And so, the two set out in the direction of the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryû Dojo in the late night hours.

---

Kenshin sat outside his room looking up at the night sky. It had rained a day earlier and now the sky was perfectly clear. The moon shone brightly in the sky, even if it only was a crescent. Megumi walked straight up to him.

"I don't want to hear anymore lies. Why do you call her your daughter?"

Kenshin looked up at her. His expression was somewhat sadden as he leaned back on a beam. The chirping of the crickets grew louder as he remained speechless. Slowly, he turned his gaze into his room. The tall woman's brown eyes followed his glance through the wide open shôji doors. The glow of the moon outlined a silhouette on the floor of the room. Sakura was asleep in his futon.

"You've even gone as far as to let her sleep in your room!" Megumi yelled.

"Please Miss Megumi," Kenshin's voice was soft, "Sakura-chan is sleeping."

"I don't care about that girl!"

Kenshin sighed.

"Well?"

Kenshin beckoned Megumi to sit next to him. As she sat down, he turned to look down the dark hallway from where she had confidently walked down. He smiled to himself as he made out two familiar silhouettes in the dark hallway. "If you wish, you can all come and sit with Miss Megumi and myself."

The tall, slender figure of Sanosuke emerged from the shadows of the hallway. With the bright moonlight, his white attire glowed an almost ghostly color as he walked towards his friend. Close behind him, the much shorter and more feminine figure of Kaoru followed, her arms wrapped around herself in the cold evening breeze. The two sat down quietly. All eyes laid on Kenshin with great interest. The red haired man sat with one leg hung over the side of the veranda. With his toe, he poked at the cold gray stepping stone. Megumi's patience had been thin the entire day and she soon began to grow even more impatient. Anticipating her thoughts and words, Kenshin spoke softly. "This one really doesn't know where to start..."

Kaoru glanced over at him. Before she could utter a word, Megumi spoke up. "Who is she?" she pointed at Sakura through the open shôji doors.

Kenshin hung his head down without saying anything. After a while he finally answered in a low tone, "Himura Sakura."

"It's a lie," Megumi snapped back, "Who is she Ken-kun?"

Again Kenshin remained silent with his head hung down. He brought his left hand up to his face, rubbing the side of his nose as a slight smile crossed his lips. "You're very sharp Miss Megumi..." his voice came with a hint of mirth, "there's no fooling you is there?"

"What are you implying?" Sanosuke asked confused.

Kaoru looked at Kenshin as confused as Sanosuke. "Are you saying that Sakura isn't your daughter?"

"No..." Kenshin answered, "Sakura is my daughter..." he looked up pass the group, into his room. The young girl slept quietly on the futon. He watched the covers on her rise and fall slightly as she took each breath. Slowly he got up from his place, making his way past everyone carefully and into his room. The three continued to watch him as he searched through the few belongings he possessed.

"What can he be looking for?" Sanosuke looked over at Kaoru. She shrugged. After a while, Kenshin finally made his way back outside. As he sat down, Kaoru noticed a small brown package tied with yarn in his hands.

"What's that Kenshin?" she asked curiously.

Kenshin didn't answer. He played with the package for a while, turning it over and over again in his hands. "Well?" Sanosuke asked, "aren't you gonna open it?" Kenshin stopped, he grasped the package with both his hands. "Kenshin, what is that?" Sanosuke asked again.

Kenshin sat staring at the package, neither Kaoru, Sanosuke, or Megumi were able to see his face. He began to play with the small package again, this time flipping it slower then before. After turning it in his hands a few more times, he finally opened the brown paper package carefully, taking his time. Inside lay a small lavender kimono folded neatly. Pink cherry petals in groups of four were embroidered in irregular patterns across it.

"It's so tiny," Kaoru gasped.

"It was Sakura-chan's when she was just an infant," Kenshin replied slowly, "Akiko-san made it for her with great joy."

"Akiko?" Sanosuke questioned.

"Yes... Sakura's mother."

The three stared at Kenshin in shock. Never once had he mentioned to any of them that he was married. Kaoru began to feel a great shallow feeling consume her. Her heart felt like it had been broken yet again. "You're married..." she whispered in the cool night air.

"No," Kenshin responded almost immediately, "We were never wed... although we should have."

"I don't quit understand..." Sanosuke looked down.

Kenshin lifted his head with his usual heart warming smile. "It's understandable that you wouldn't." He paused, taking in a deep breath. "It's been over ten years..." he sighed nostalgically. "Well," he began looking at his audience, "shortly after turning fourteen, this one left his master's side to travel to Kyoto, to the center of the revolution... It didn't take long for the leaders of the Ishin Shishi to recognized my talent. Soon, this one was assign difficult assassination missions. In one of those first missions as a hitokiri, this one was sent out to protect someone important and..."

To be Continued...

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A/N: Work sucks... I have no time to have a social life. I'm so damn drained at the end of the day that I just fall asleep 'till the next morning & just go to work. I guess that means I have no life anymore Anywho, ya, it took me a longer time then I thought to get around to posting this chapter up. I was just so wrapped up with things happening, especially wrapped up with my parent's wedding anniversary (25 years together).