Part 3: Surprise, Surprise

"Why am I not surprised to find you in this section?"

Megumi's head snapped up at the sound of a familiar male voice. Only to see Sanosuke Sagara leaning against one of the bookshelves at the Navy exchange, standing several feet away from her. Instinctively, she clutched the medical magazine to her chest.

"Stalking is illegal."

His brows lifted slightly. "Don't flatter yourself, Doc. You're not my type. I prefer my women to be a little more…flexible."

She grimaced. "That's disgusting."

"I was referring to their attitudes," Sanosuke pointed out.

"I'm sure you were." Megumi rolled her eyes. Then she frowned. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Buying a birthday gift for a girl," Sanosuke answered.

"In the reading section?" Megumi's lips parted in shock. She wouldn't believe it. "Since when do men like you buy gifts for women with a triple digit IQ?"

"Men like me?" he echoed.

"Aren't you usually found with women whose bust size is the same as their IQ level?" She had spoken to Kaoru a few days ago and her initial thought had been correct – Sanosuke Sagara preferred beautiful women only to leave them shortly after his interest faded. Kaoru had flat out discouraged her from pursuing him. Not that she was interested. She was more curious to know how someone as naïve as Kaoru and as considerate as Kenshin could be friends with someone so…raw.

He smirked slightly. "You've got a helluva mouth on you, anyone ever tell you that?"

She shifted slightly. So she was opinionated. Megumi crossed her arms over her chest. "I tend to speak my mind."

"I wasn't referring to what you say," Sanosuke responded easily.

For the second time in less than two minutes, she was caught speechless. For about a second. Then she tucked a strand behind her ear.

"Well, it'd be the first time a man referred to my mouth. They usually prefer other parts," Megumi responded coolly.

His eyes flicked over her frame for a moment before meeting her gaze. "I don't doubt that."

The nerve…Two could play this game. "Careful," she said sweetly. "For someone who claims I'm not his type, you are contradicting your own words…"

He pushed himself off with his shoulder and made his way towards one of the aisles. Megumi frowned as he paused at the children's section.

What was he doing there? Her question was answered when he decisively picked up an illustrated book. Wait…a children's book?

"Megumi?"

Startled out of her thoughts, she turned to see an old classmate staring at her in surprise. His California surfer boy looks and bright blue eyes had caught the attention of every single girl in their classes…herself included.

Just the sight of him made her remember why she had been so focused on school. Men. They either used you when they wished to get ahead or weighed you down when you tried to climb the success ladder.

"Evan, hi…" she pasted a smile on her face as he leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"It's been a long time…"

Her fingers tightened ever so slightly on her magazine. "Absolutely. You look…happy."

He grinned. "And you look beautiful, as always."

"Thanks," Megumi responded, feeling as if her smile was permanently stuck to her face.

"Darling, there you are!" a woman cooed, coming up to Evan and giving him a quick hug.

"Megumi, this is Tammy, my fiancée," Evan spoke up, wrapping one arm around the tall redhead. "Tammy, Megumi, an old classmate."

"Hi," Tammy greeted, offering her hand in a shake. "It's nice to meet you…"

"Likewise."

"Megumi was the class brain," Evan announced. "All the girls asked her for help and all the guys wanted to ask her out on a date."

"Yourself included?" Tammy teased.

"Yes, but she'd never give any guy the time of day." he answered, laughing. "We all thought she was a cold fish."

Why that little...How she managed to avoid hissing, Megumi didn't know.

What made it worse was Tammy's sympathetic expression. "Oh, you poor thing. Plastic surgeons don't interest you, huh?"

Megumi's eyes widened as an embarrassed Evan shifted his weight.

"Is that what you do, Evan?" Megumi batted her eyelashes innocently. "I thought for sure you were studying proctology…All those sketches of the organs and orifices dealing with that study you put in your notebook…would make any art student admire your attention to detail of the human anatomy."

Evan coughed as Tammy glared at him. "Well…I…am…considering a career change…"

"You told me you were a plastic surgeon!" Tammy shrilled.

With a brief smile, Megumi watched as Evan stomped away, Tammy at his heels demanding to know his true career and why he lied.

"Nice one, fox-lady," Sanosuke spoke up from behind her. "You should get something for putting that guy in his place."

She turned slightly, frowning. "Fox-lady?"

"Intelligent, sneaky, can easily adapt," he explained.

She thought about that for several moments. It wasn't totally an insult. So she said slowly, "I think that was a compliment."

He smiled slightly. "It was."

"Thank you. I think."

"No problem..."

"Come on in," Lieutenant Commander Tokio Takagi spoke up as she let Megumi enter her office several days later.

"Thank you for taking the time to see me," Megumi responded. "I had some questions about this morning's lecture. If you have time."

"Of course."

Megumi breathed a sigh of relief. Commander Takagi was a very dedicated and kind physician. The woman had been practicing medicine for nearly ten years. Since leaving the emergency room rotation a week ago, Megumi was placed in pediatrics rotation. It was a little more uplifting than emergency, but she felt that she had so much to learn. Her second year residency only started three months ago, and she had already taken so much responsibility. She'd had so many mentors and advisers, and she was grateful to all of them.

"Please excuse the mess…" Tokio gestured to the papers on her desk. "I'm brainstorming for a fundraiser…"

"Oh?"

"Yes. The public affairs office and I try to work with various aspects of the community…and I'm trying to think of something that would benefit both parties…" Tokio admitted.

"What is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well…" Tokio settled in her chair. "The Navy is willing to loan out one of their ballrooms to one of Honolulu's children foundations. But only if the foundation can come up with something that would attract a crowd. Half of the proceeds would go to the foundation, the rest would go to autism research."

"And it's your responsibility to come up with an idea?"

"And to organize it." Tokio smiled. "Would you be willing to help? Now that you're in pediatrics, it's a little less hectic…"

"Of course." Her father, her aunt Kyoko, and her mother had been strong advocates for fundraisers. It was the least she could do.

"In fact, I'm supposed to be meeting with someone shortly about this, but what did you want to discuss?"

Megumi had launched a ten-minute discussion about her future studies in alcohol drug abuse in families before they were interrupted by a quick rap on the door.

"Come in," Tokio called out.

"Sorry I'm running a little late, ma'am."

Megumi froze from her position, her back facing the door. It couldn't be. Why oh why did she have to run into him again and again…when they never had before?

"It's fine. Come on in, Sanosuke. Have a seat."

Megumi turned slightly and he paused briefly before settling in the chair beside her. He nodded in her direction.

"Hey."

She cleared her throat. "Hi…"

Tokio glanced at them. "You know each other?"

"Casual acquaintances," Megumi said hurriedly.

The older woman smiled. "Good. Then this won't seem too awkward. Sanosuke, Megumi has offered to assist me during this event." Megumi didn't miss the surprised look in Sanosuke's eyes, but ignored it as Tokio continued, "As I've said before, the Navy cooperates with various members of the community to conduct fundraisers. Sanosuke is here representing the Sagara Foundation in Honolulu. Sanosuke, I've already spoken with public affairs and they said that the Makani Room is yours to use."

"How many people can it seat?"

"Probably three hundred," Tokio answered. "I've been brainstorming on a presentation for the past two days. You wouldn't happen to have something, would you?"

He grinned. "Well…Tsunan is really into that creative expression stuff. And a lot of the kids are really into music. Do you think the Navy would have a problem with music and dance?"

Tokio's eyes widened. "No…not at all. What kind of dance?"

"Most of them are interested in modern dance."

Tokio's phone rang, and after excusing herself, picked it up to answer it. Megumi kept her gaze on Tokio's desk, as she noticed Sanosuke lean in her direction.

"So what are you doing here?" he said softly.

"I was discussing a lecture I heard this morning," Megumi admitted.

"Being the model student?" he queried.

Megumi glanced his way. "Something like that."

He smiled slightly. "Ever wonder what it's like not to be a good girl?"

She glanced away and said with a sly smile, "I'm not as good as you think."

"I'd like you to prove me wrong."

"In your dreams," she shot back.

"How did you know?"

She felt her cheeks heat slightly as the air between them suddenly grew hot and thick. What was going on here? And she was going to be working with him on this fundraiser? Megumi prided herself in steeling her expression once Tokio got off the phone.

"So where were we…?" the older woman asked.

Megumi wasn't sure how she had managed to pay attention to Tokio's discussion. Sanosuke had made it clear that he wasn't interested. So why was he saying those things? She narrowed her eyes. Probably just to annoy her.

Well. She wasn't going to be that easy to rattle. Not anymore.

"You two are doing what?" Kaoru stared in disbelief as Megumi admired a dress in the mall.

"We're working together on a fundraiser," Megumi announced.

"You and Sanosuke?" Kaoru demanded. "I thought the orphanage just had a fundraiser."

"There's no law saying it can't have another one," Megumi pointed out. She frowned. "Speaking of which…I never got around to asking him why he and the orphanage have the same last name…"

Kaoru flapped her hand in response to that comment. "Oh…Sanosuke was raised there. He and the founder were really close, almost like real father and son."

"That explains it." As Megumi moved down the aisle, she paused to study a necklace hanging on a rack.

"Megumi…you aren't interested in Sanosuke, are you?"

Megumi nearly tripped on her own feet. The girl had to be kidding. Had to be. But instead of having a violent denial, Megumi flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"I think he's good-looking," she responded. "He would be fun to spend time with."

"But we've been through this! He's a womanizing playboy," Kaoru declared, punching her fist in the air for emphasis. "One night stands, week long affairs and all. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, he's like a brother to me, but I really don't think-"

"Kaoru, I just said he'd be fun to spend time with. And with his experience…" Megumi let out a wistful sigh, "he would definitely give me the time of my life…"

Kaoru's skin paled at least two shades. Megumi tried to keep her smile to herself. She wondered sometimes how naïve Kaoru could be. It was a well-kept secret that Megumi was still a virgin. Technically. She'd crossed a couple lines with boys in high school and college, but that was it. Yet Kaoru had more experience and was occasionally clueless.

If Megumi really thought about it, the man was certainly appealing. When he wasn't sniping at her. But there were other sides to him as well. Like that incident at the exchange when he was shopping for a children's book. Men didn't look for those items unless they were really buying them. And the fundraiser. Obviously, the children at the Sagara Foundation meant something to him.

"I'm going to be sick. You're actually serious," Kaoru's voice broke through Megumi's thoughts.

Megumi grinned. "If you don't know by now, Kaoru, we're going to have to work on that."

"But…but…I'm being serious now!" Kaoru tugged on her sleeve. "I'm only doing this for you…he is not the type of guy you want to go after!"

"Why not?"

"A million reasons!" Kaoru exclaimed.

The woman looked so distraught that Megumi decided to give in. "Relax, Kaoru. I'm only working with him for the fundraiser and that's it."

"Oh. Good. I mean…you and Sanosuke? How strange would that be?"

Strange indeed.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. And I suppose one could say Megumi's slowly coming out on her own. Believe me when I say I've noticed the differences between this Megumi and Megumi from other stories. I apologize if the story's slowly moving along, I am trying to get both characters along the same wavelength and I haven't officially decided how I'm going to handle the steps the two take to a real relationship, so bear with me. Although I am having fun along the way. Thanks for your patience, readers and reviewers!