Meri-san: So! Here's Chapter Three, as promised. And to all my reviewers out there, thanks for pointing out the big goof-off in chapter two…argh! I still can't believe I made that mistake… sobs
Kenshin: Everyone makes mistakes, that they do…
Chapter Three: Questions and Answers
"So Gohei, Yahiko and…her son are staying at the Dojo,"mused Kenshin. Megumi nodded. "But, why-?"
"What makes you think that you've the right to know what got really screwed up when you went partying all over Japan?" Sanosuke burst out, unable to hold his kept-up anger.
You baka! Fumed Megumi silently. You're only going to make him worse! But… Sanosuke's sort of stating the facts here, even though sometimes the truth is never good on the ears.
Kenshin lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "That I am." For a while silence dominated the room, then Yahiko spoke, "Well now that Kenshin's back, we'll have to work out where he's gonna stay…"
Once again, everyone fell silent, until Megumi cleared her throat. "Um, Sanosuke," she began, "Don't you have an extra futon somewhere in here for Ken-san or something…?" Sanosuke pretended not to hear. Fox ears popped on her head as she reached over and yanked his ear. "AHEM. In case you didn't hear me , I asked if…"
"All right, fine," sighed Sanosuke gruffly, "But you'll have to put up with my loud snoring at night…"
But that's nothing compared to what Jou-chan had to endure for the past five years, the former Zanza added silently. You may be the greatest swordsman in the history of Japan, but when it comes to everyday matters like love you're really just an egghead.
…
"How interesting. So Himura Battousai is finally back in business."
He had watched them talking together for the first time in years: Himura Kenshin, the gentle rurouni, who still allowed his ridiculous non-killing vow to get in the way of his almost remarkable swordsfighting skills; Takani Megumi, the former opium dealer-turned-doctor who despised most men from the bottom of her heart with the exception of a minority, recklessly loving the younger man named Sagara Sanosuke, now older but still the same careless fighter who lost his cool one too many times. And, of course, Myojin Yahiko, now longer the rude ten-year old kid but an almost matured teenager still eager to help those in need.
Yes, they were all different in their own ways, but they all shared a common interest: Kamiya Kaoru. He would love to see Himura's reaction when he found out exactly what made his beloved raccoon girl change into such a pathetic lifeless shell. Perhaps he would even revert to his old Battousai ways…
But for now, he had to be back at the headquarters; his agents would have acquired information about a certain sneak by the name of Hiruma. And then, he would come back- he was not about to let Battousai slip by him another time.
…
Himura and Hiruma. Both were skilled swordsman. Both had shared their pasts with Kamiya Kaoru. Yet…
They were the exact opposites of each other, just like the colours white and black. Kenshin could be described as white- the purity of his ways of helping the needy; he was cleaner than the snow in winter. Although he often denied it because of his dark and bloody past. But Kaoru did not care about that- she had told him so when they first met how could she judge him when so many of his virtues far exceeded his sins?
On the other hand, Gohei was the complete opposite: black. For that was the colour of his heart- if he did have one anyway. He had even tried to blackmail her for a mistake that he had made.
But then, Kenshin had entered her life and changed it forever…for better or for worse, Kaoru couldn't decide.
She could say for sure, though, that he had always helped her, from the fake Battousai incident to Udo Jin-e…no matter how hard the task was, she could always count on Himura Kenshin.
No! Kaoru slapped herself. How could she be so stupid as to fall for him all over again? Hadn't he left her to her own devices five years ago, causing her such pain and agony?
I'm through with men- I should've known they would all end up the same way. They're just thoughtless bastards who make use of us girls and then dispose of us once we're of no more use to them!
Is that so? A voice quipped in her head. Kaoru's train of thought came to a sudden halt. If he really is an uncaring bastard, would he have come back for you? Or does he have… hidden motives?
Shut up! Kaoru screamed in her head, trying to get rid of all the manipulative and confusing thoughts that swarmed in her mind. Dame…
…
"Misao and Aoshi are residing in Tokyo?" asked Kenshin, lavender eyes widening in surprise. "But weren't they in Kyoto-?"
Sanosuske sighed and leaned back; he had forgotten how long his friend had been absent from their lives, during which many changes had taken place. "Aoshi quit a year after you left," he replied, "And Misao, well, she loved Aoshi too much to stay behind with the group."
Kenshin pondered on what he had just heard. It was hard to believe that years ago Aoshi had told Misao never to look for him again…
"They're staying together, but they're not married though," he added, "Misao baby-sits the Gensai twins and Aoshi…I'm not really sure; he's still as quiet as before."
"And Kaoru…? Sanosuke kept silent, refusing to answer. After all, he had to keep his promise to Jou-chan, or else the lady doctor would have his head.
The rurouni heaved a weary sigh. Getting any information about Kaoru and Gohei was as good as trying to get water from a tree. Then an idea hit him. Without another word, he got up and started to leave. If Sanosuke wouldn't tell him anything, then maybe Aoshi would.
"Oei, Kenshin , getting antsy again?" remarked Sanosuke. Kenshin shook his head in reply. "I'm just going out to get tofu," he lied. "We've run out of it." Before he could reply, the apartment was already empty, save for the baka rooster head who had no clue that he had just been tricked.
But why would Kenshin even think of food when the only thing he's been talking about is Jou-chan? He wondered. Or, more importantly, why do even need tofu when there's no kitchen to cook it?
Suddenly, as if someone had lit a torch in his head, he realized he had fallen for Kenshin's trick. "Damn that Kenshin, he's tricked me again!" he cursed, getting up. "This time he's really gonna get it from me!"
…
"I've got the information that you requested on Hiruma Gohei," said the agent, handing his supervisor a slim born envelope containing a file full of important information. The man seated behind the desk opened the envelope and took out the file.
How interesting. Hiruma Gohei is exploiting Battousai's woman in more ways than I thought. His atrocity is going to get his sorry butt in jail…which means that she will soon be free from his clutches… Battousai is going to have one hell of a shock for sure…
What's your move, Battousai?
…
Shinomori Aoshi sat back in his chair and yawned, even though it was still early afternoon. It was due to the recent late nights and minimum sleeping hours. But he couldn't help it, even if Misao frequently protested to the way it was taking a toll on his health; his new job- though he often considered it like his previous duties- required him to travel to all sorts of places to carry out his investigations.
Places that held dark secrets within them.
Aoshi checked his watch: it was now two o'clock. Outside, he heard Misao's laughter as she played with Ayame and Suzume. Her name was enough to almost bring a smile to his usually expressionless face…he wouldn't leave her even for a single second now that he had realized how precious she was to him…
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted hi thoughts. "Come in," he said. Makimachi Misao, now an adult but still acted like a child-not that he minded, anyway- entered the room.
"Aoshi," she greeted. "Someone wants to see you…"
"Who is it, Misao?"
"I…I think you'd better see for yourself." She said and left.
Aoshi's eyes flicked to the man standing at the doorway.
Flaming red hair, the colour of the blood that spilled endlessly during the Bakumatsu, lavender eyes…and the cross- scar that made him so easy to remember.
"Himura Battousai." The two words he had not uttered in a long time. "Aoshi," greeted Kenshin "Five years…it brings about many changes, that it does."
Aoshi nodded. "Iassume you come here for information about Kaoru," he said, "Don't' ask how I know; it's part of my past with the Oniwabanshu…" Kenshin nodded. "I would've asked Sanosuke, but he wouldn't breathe a word," he explained.
The former leader of the Oniwabanshu looked at his former nemesis-turned-ally. So that street fighter didn't tell him aftr all, he mused, Maybe he did the right thing… it would be too much for Himura to handle the whole truth…
"Aoshi, please," Kenshin begged him. Aoshi looked into Kenshin's eyes and was shocked to see a mixture of sadness, loneliness- even a hint of desperation. Obviously, Himura Battousai didn't care how horrible the truth was; he just wanted to know.
He hestitated a moment before saying" Himura, take a seat; it's going to be a long story."
…
Hiruma Goehi: the man who posed as Battousai in order to ruin the reputation of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and thus bringing down the Kamiya Dojo, had returned and was back to his old tricks once more, just a month after Kenshin had returned to the days of wandering.
It was suspected that he immediately got involved in the black market and illegal deals, but there wasn't enough information to throw him into jail.
From the information that had been gathered about him, Gohei rose to the rank of a wealthy businessman and rich landowner, owing to his skills as a negotiator. Although he had everything a man could ask for- property, money, servants, even the occasional bar girl lingering around him waiting to get a portion of his fortune in exchange for her services, that was not enough. The desire for revenge and all that Kamiya Kaoru owned was still fresh in his veins.
And, to his surprise and utmost delight, his "revenge" came knocking on his door. In no time, Gohei claimed ownership of the Kamiya Dojo- that was no illegal deal; Kaoru had even signed it over. Then, while he was residing in the Dojo, Kaoru gave birth to a baby boy but he never claimed to be his father.
That was the only thing about Hiruma Gohei and Kamiya Kaoru that the public knew about. However, there was more than meets the eye. Gohei made use of the Dojo grounds as a base for his illegal operations- it was only recently that the police had been able to obtain clear information about him. (Aoshi hated to admit it, but he found that Gohei's connections were almost as good as the Oniwabanshu at being shady.)
…
For awhile, Aoshi's office was silent. Kenshin's eyes were squinted in concentration, while Aoshi's blank eyes observed him carefully. Then-
BOOM! The door blew apart and swayed from its hinges. Sanosuke stood there, fuming. "Darn you, Kenshin!" he cursed aloud. "You left without a word AGAIN!"
(Kenshin: I did tell him I was going to get tofu, that I did.
meri-san: for one thing, you LIED. Plus, Sanosuke's too much of a baka rooster head to notice the difference.)
Aoshi eyed the damaged door with distaste. "Sometimes I fell that if you talked less and focused more, you wouldn't lose Himura so easily," he stated bluntly. Sanosuke clenched his fist threateningly, then though better of it.
Just then, he noticed that Kenshin looked different- the kind of look when he had just found out something. Oh my god, he told him, he thought to himself.
As if he could read his mind, Aoshi spoke, "Forget about stopping me; Himura already knows."
"Why you-!" snarled the former streetfighter, clenching his fist again. "Use your head," replied Aoshi emotionleesly. "Even if I didn't tell him, Himura would've found out by himself. He is, after all, the Battousai."
I could just hit him, Sanosuke swore inwardly to himself, sometimes the way he talks reminds me of some merciless bastard I know…
"One thing I need to know," spoke Kenshin, who had been silent all this while,"How did you acquire so much information without the help of the Oniwabanshu?"
For the second time that day, Aoshi hesistated. Should I tell him? He wondered. He had heard of rumours that under certain circumstances the normally peaceful rurouni could revert back to the deadly Hitokiri Battousai. However, it wasn't his top priority to confirm those rumours. Instead he just shrugged.
…
Life seemed to return to its almost usual routine. No one mentioned Himura Kenshin at all. Nothing was there to remind her that he even existed in her life…except for one thing. She wanted to erase and destroy everything that Himura Kenshin had left behind…yet the one thing he left behind was the very thing she protected with all her life.
Gohei despised everything about Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru; in fact he despised almost everything except revenge and money, something that he never seemed to have enough of.
And when things weren't going well for him, he took it out on Kaoru.
He came for them again. Apparently one of his men had been caught and arrested while making another one of his legal trades. Hiruma Gohei hated failures, especially wthose that resulted in less profit for him. Not that she had a problem with that, but- she did have a problem with the bastard hitting him.
The door slammed loudly and Kaoru dropped her things, startled. A split second later, Gohei stormed into the room until his face almost touched hers. "You told him, didn't you!" he accused her. "You let out the information to that scum of a Battousai!"
"Tell him what," Kaoru stammered, not daring to meet his eye. Besides, she had no idea what was going on now, much less what shady business he was getting involved in.
Gohei gripped her long raven ponytail and yanked it until it was a taut line away from her head. "Don't try to hide it from me, bitch! You think you're so smart, don't you!" he snarled, louder this time to drown Kaoru's yelp of pain. "I'll give you one more chance, before-"
Kaoru's eyes widened in fear. "No, not him," she shuddered. "Don't you do anything to him-" Gohei laughed darkly, "I couldn't be bothered with scum," he scoffed. "Except…"he moved in closer until she could feel his breath on her neck.
Just then, a child's voice interrupted. "Mommy, where are you?" Gohei loosened his grip in surprise, allowing Kaoru to break free of his grasp and run to her son. "Yes honey what happened?" she asked in concern.
"Mommy, I fell down and cut myself!" cried the young boy holding up his arm for his mother to see. A concerned Kaoru took her son's arm gently and inspected it carefully.
Gohei, annoyed by the interruption, came up behind her. "Bitch!" he bellowed, startling both mother and son. "I was talking to you! Don't think you can ignore me just like that!"
Kaoru turned to glare at her tormentor. "What are you, in-human?" she retorted. "Can't you see that he's hurt and needs care?" An air of deadly silence hung over them as Gohei became speechless, his face frozen in anger and shock at her sudden defiance. Then, seized with fury, he brought his hard fist down on Kaoru's head.
His victim cowered in front of him, gripping her throbbing head in pain. "You've finally spoken up, haven't you!" he glowered. "Maybe you should learn how to shut up for your own good!" Kaoru screamed again as he hit her once more while their unfortunate witness ran away to hide.
Gohei beat her again and again until his anger finally depleted. By then Kaoru's still healing bruises were now hidden by new ones. He spat on the floor and stalked off.
…
"See you tomorrow Sanosuke," said Megumi standing on her tiptoes to kiss her lover. The tall man returned the favour by bending down to taste her cupid red lips. Then he grineed at her. "What are you grinning asked the clueless lady doctor.
"Nah, I'm just thinking how lucky I am to be able to kiss a fox good night," he casually replied. "Baka rooster head!" said Megumi whacking him. Sanosuke quickly dodged her hands and ran out of sight in order to avoid a serious injury.
Once alone, Megumi began to prepare to close the clinic for the night. She wished that the former street fighter had remained behind; she felt as if she was being watched. Then- "Megumi-san." It was Kaoru. "I need help."
But of course…" replied Megumi, relieved that it wasn't a thug. She led her friend into a room. "All right, what seems to be the problem here?"
"I need that ointment you were telling me about," Kaoru explained. On hearing this, Megumi became suspicious. "What do you need it for?" she asked, but she got no reply.
Fearing the worst, Megumi reached out to check Kaoru's arm, but she was too slow for the kendo master.
"I think too many people, including you, underestimate the power of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu." She muttered. "
"It's him, isn't it," sated Megumi. When the younger adult didn't reply, she gave up. "Here. Use it when you need it."
Kaoru's eyes widened. The ointment looked so familiar…
(flashback to the Kyoto arc)
"Kaoru, please pull yourself together and cheer up!" Yahiko begged his kendo teacher. Kaoru huddled beneath the blanket, trying to shut out everything around her. A moment later, he disappeared, laving her alone. Good. Now she could be left alone with her thoughts. She was numb to Tae and Tsubame's efforts to get a reaction from her.
Then Megumi came. Her student had told the lady doctor, who reprimanded Kaoru for giving in to the slightest circumstances. "I was going to ask you to pass this to Ken-san, but seeing that you're in this state, it won't go beyond this room." She added.
…
It was pitch-black when she snuck back to the Dojo. Everyone was asleep, a fact which she was thankful for since she needed to sneak in and out frequently .
But why do you need to resort to such methods? If you need help that badly, why don't you get it straight from Battousai? You know he'll give it to you without question… you didn't even have to ask him to come and rescue you from Enishi's little gang or even you first met him…
Why don't you go to him? After all, it will just be another excuse for Battousai to emerge from that pathetic facade…
…
As usual, it was another busy day for Takani Megumi. And the fact that she was getting so easily distracted wasn't helping either. What was it that kept her from focusing on her work? Argh…wait a minute, she thought to herself as she opened the door without warning.
"I knew it was you!" she said, smacking Sanosuke. "What are you doing, sneaking around for?"
"Err," hesistated Sanosuke," nothing." He started to leave but was stopped by Megumi.
"You're not going anywhere until you tell me," she stated. Sanosuke braced himself, then admitted it. "Kenshin knows about Jou-chan." The next few minutes rained hell on him.
"What do you mean, Ken-san knows/" ranted the lady doctor while her slaps rained on him. Snoauke explained how Kenshin had managed to sneak out to find Aoshi and how Aoshi had spilled the beans.
A few moments later, a beaten up Sanosuke lay slumped in a corner while Megumi dusted her hands, muttering, "I should've known better than to leave Ken0san in the hands of a rooster…"
…
"I can't believe you actually let him find out," sighed Megumi as she finished bandaging Sanosuke's head which she had "damaged".
"Gomen ne, I really didn't mean to," apologized Sanosuke for the umpteenth time. He hated to his fox lady so flustered, especially over someone other than him.
Megumi looked at Sanosuke. He looked so apologetic that she wanted to hug him…he is SO adorable…wait a minute, she stopped herself. No time for such lovey-dovey thoughts. Instead, she reached out an "patted" him on the head.
"Ow!" cried Sanosuke, rubbing his sore head. "You didn't have to hit so hard you know!"
…
There! White as snow, Kenshin finished washing out the laundry. Just then, the door opened and he saw his friends enter.
"Orooo!" he cried and in surprise as Megumi rushed over and hugged him tightly. "My poor Ken-san!" said Megumi, "I'm so sorry, I was afraid you couldn't take it…"
Aww jeez, women are scary, Sanosuke grumbled inwardly to himself as he watched his somewhat "unfortunate" friend turn blue from lack of air. Then he spoke, "All right, happy reunion's over. What are we gonna to do now?"
For a moment Kenshin had a look of "Oro" on his face. Then he smiled and said, "Since it's lunch time, let's head to the Akabeko!"
And off to the beef pot restaurant they go…wonder if Sanosuke will pay his tab!
Authour's Note: Well, that answer's kenshinlover2002's question, about why Gohei is staying at the Dojo… and if you can't handle Gohei beating Kaoru to a pulp, well… I fully intend to make him really abusive… -grins- you'll see why…
And so we have yet another cliffhanger…
As you can see, this chapter is WAY sketchy. Apologies for not being up to standard, I shall edit it when I can… right now I'm just to busy, although it's break now, I have a homework tab the size of Mt Fuji…actually, it's about the size of Sanosuke's Akabeko tab so meri-san sends her sincerest wishes that you will undertnad her situation…
Meanwhile, go check out my other fic, Kistune's Confession while waiting for the next chapter to come up… the rating will be changed to R really soon so…