Disclaimer: I do not own….
Sano runs in from offscreen. "She's crazy! Crazy I tell you!"
SSD: "I am not! Now I'm trying to write my disclaimer so I can on with the story!"
Sano: "You are too! You tried to kill me!"
SSD: "Did not! It was the mysterious woman! Now if you won't get out of here you can say the disclaimer!"
Sano: "Fine! She doesn't own us. Thankfully. If she did, we'd all be screwed. Royally. The only one crazier then her is her sister!"
SSD: "I did not! And she is not! We're equally crazy! Stop being so overdramatic!"
Sano: "Hey…anyone who threatens you with something called 'plot bunnies'…"
SSD: "Sano! Would you just shut up? Now interruptions aside, back to the story…."
No Easy Way Out
The lights from the ambulance added to the unsettled feel in the damp parking lot, and when Megumi learned whom her newest patient was she grew even more unsettled. Why should she care, she argued with herself as she rushed to get Sano onto the waiting ambulance. He was a nosy, impulsive, rude officer with incredibly bad hair…but she'd never wanted him to get hurt. She regretted telling him she wanted to file a report on him, if something happened before she could apologize…
"Don't you dare die on me! If you do…. I'll never forgive myself…or you!" she whispered as she leaned down over him.
One eye almost half cracked open and Sano barely made out her face hovering over his. "So you do care…" he wheezed out painfully.
Megumi's eyes widened, she'd thought he was unconscious. "I do not! I mean…you're awake? I mean, just…shut up! Don't talk! You need to rest!" She said sterner then she'd intended to, but somewhat relieved, that sense of humor was still there. But she had to work fast, with the loss of blood and his being soaked from lying in the snow on the wet pavement; he wouldn't be all right for long.
Outside Kenshin stood still, his breath coming uneven and his hands clenching into fists at his sides.
Saitou walked over to him. "Don't fall apart on me Himura. I had enough trouble getting Seijuro to listen to your idea…if you lose it now, it's all over." He muttered to the shorter man.
Kenshin blinked and looked up at him. "I'm fine."
Kenshin didn't remember most of the rest of the shift, only images of him and Sano playing over in his head. And the last things they'd said to each other.
"…have earned the right to wear this uniform!"
"…I respected you and I thought maybe you had a bit for me too. Guess this is something else I didn't notice…"
"It was all so stupid!" he muttered to himself as the car pulled back into the patrol car lot early the next morning.
In the locker room Kenshin looked tiredly at his remaining two team members. "I'm going to the hospital to see how Sanosuke is. Either of you want to come with?"
Yahiko looked about as miserable as Kenshin felt. "Yeah…it's my fault after all." He said hollowly.
"I'll come too." Saitou said flatly, his characteristic biting tone absent.
The three men made their way outside, managing to all fit into the cab of Kenshin's little truck for the unsettlingly quiet ride to the hospital. Still no one spoke as they made their way into the lobby, Saitou finishing his third cigarette since the start of the drive.
Kenshin looked around, making his way to the receptionist, a young blonde whose nametag said Michelle and who was too cheerful for this early in the morning. "Yes sir? Can I help you with something?"
Kenshin eyed her tiredly. "We're…" he indicated the two with him. "Here to see a friend. He was brought into the E.R. about 2am last night?"
"Lets see…what was their name?" Michelle asked.
"Sanosuke Sagara."
Michelle murmured to herself for a moment as she flicked through files on her computer until she brought up the right one. "Ah yes…Mr. Sagara was in surgery, it seems they've moved him to another room…I'll get a doctor out to talk to you, alright?"
Kenshin nodded mutely as he moved to stand with the others. At least he wasn't dead. Not yet anyway, Kenshin thought morbidly as he slumped down into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs that lined the waiting area. Yahiko sat down next to him with a heavy sigh. Saitou was staring blankly at a poster detailing the health risks of smoking, a corner of his mouth twisting down unpleasantly.
"It's all my fault." Yahiko's voice broke the silence between the trio.
"No it's not." Kenshin said flatly.
"Yeah it is…if I hadn't gone off chasing after her…but I saw her, and it was like I just reacted…" He trailed off.
"Yahiko…it's not your fault." Kenshin repeated. "It could have happened to anyone, anytime."
"No, but they all told me I was too reckless…that I couldn't just race off like that…but did I ever listen? No…and I finally got someone hurt…" He rested his forehead in his hands, while Kenshin brushed back his own hair, remembering a similar time 10 years ago, but somewhat different circumstances.
"Yes…I know it's all my fault. I accept full responsibility for what happened."
"You're getting responsibility whether you want it or not Himura! And you screwed up big time! You were told to keep him there at all costs!" The Captain, Seijuro's predecessor, glared down at a younger Kenshin.
"I know that Sir and I…" Kenshin tried to explain.
"And you not only failed to do that, you endangered innocent people! All because you ran off…"
"Excuse me…were you the ones here to see Mr. Sagara?"
Kenshin blinked and looked up at the middle-aged man in a lab coat holding a clipboard who was standing over him. "Yes…that's us. I'm Mr. Himura." Yahiko stood up with him, and Saitou walked back over as well.
"I'm Dr. Leonard." He said, shaking each of the man's hands in turn. "I am pleased to tell you your friend is out of critical condition. We had him in surgery for several hours, and it was touch and go there for a while, but he's out of danger now. He will need to stay here for a few days though, until we make sure the wound doesn't become infected."
Kenshin nodded "I understand."
"Can we see him?" Yahiko asked quickly.
Dr. Leonard seemed to consider this for a moment. "He's still groggy, but I can let you see him for a few minutes."
He led them down a long hallway, and into an elevator. "I will have to warn you though, he needs his rest, nothing can get him overly excited, or he might reopen the wound." Leonard told the three.
He led them into a room with another bed curtained off, and past that was a second bed where Sano was, surrounded by all manner of blinking and beeping medical equipment. He half opened glassy eyes to look at the newcomers.
"Well look who dragged in…" he mumbled almost incoherently.
No one seemed to know just what to say at first. "Am I the most lively one here?" Sano finally asked before focusing in on Kenshin. "Told ya Megumi liked me…"
Kenshin forced a smile. Yahiko looked at him worried. "Look I'm sor…" he started, but Sano shook his head slightly, "Kid…I woulda done the same thing…"
Dr. Leonard appeared back from around the curtain. "Alright…Mr. Sagara needs his rest, so I'm gonna have to ask you to leave now. You can come back again tomorrow after he's had more rest."
Sano cracked another pained smile. "You guys stay out of trouble…I don't wanna miss anything good…"
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Back in the lobby, Kenshin leaned against the wall by a payphone. Suddenly he reached over, picking it up and flipping through the phone book until he found the number he was looking for. Several moments passed before a sleepy voice answered on the other side.
"Hello?"
"Kaoru?"
There was a pause. "Kenshin…is that you?"
"Yeah…"
"Kenshin…what happened?"
Kenshin paused for a long moment. "Kaoru…there was another bombing last night…and Sano got shot…"
On the other line Kaoru gasped. "My god! Is he alright?"
"Yeah, he's out of critical condition now but…"
Kaoru heard the exhaustion and tension in his voice. "Where are you? I'll come get you…"
"No, I'm alright…I'm at the hospital with Yahiko and Saitou right now…I need to take them back to the station. Then…maybe want to get some coffee or something? I…I'm just not ready to go home yet…" He finally admitted. He didn't want to say it, but he was badly shaken up, and he didn't want to be alone.
"Of course. You know the place on Marshall and Wright?"
"Yeah…I'll be there as soon as I drop off the guys…"
"Alright…drive careful." Kaoru said, sounding worried.
"I will." Kenshin said, then hung up,
He walked back over to the others. "Lets go." He said quietly.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
About an hour later Kenshin found himself in front of the little coffee shop. Just inside he found Kaoru waiting, her hands folded in her lap and one leg swinging back and forth nervously. Kenshin cleared his throat, walking over to her.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting Miss Kaoru…"
She looked up, startled for a moment, but then smiled. "Not at all…I only just got here myself…"
Kenshin forced a smile as she led him to a small corner table. "Good."
After they ordered they sat in silence for several awkward minutes. "So…what happened?" Kaoru finally asked.
Kenshin sighed. "I guess Saitou talked Seijuro into seeing some merit in what I'd said…he sent Yahiko and Sano out on a lead…and they found a suspect…but not before they got the draw on Sano…" He ran a hand through his hair, looking totally lost, frustrated, and confused.
"That's terrible…" Kaoru sounded worried, but also felt bad, not just for Sano, but because she kept finding herself thinking, what if it had been Kenshin?
"And now…now I don't know what's going to happen…I'm just afraid of what will…" Kenshin admitted. "This…this isn't close to over…"
"Kenshin…" Kaoru started. "Kenshin." She repeated when he didn't look up. As he did the second time she continued. "Maybe…Kenshin, please don't hate me for saying this…but maybe…Seijuro and Sano were right? Maybe you're trying too hard…reading too much into this…you're only one man…and you're not a special tactics officer. It's not your job to…to be able to solve all these kinds of things…." She trailed off at the look in Kenshin's eyes. They were angry, hurt, and she thought she saw a faint swirl of amber cross into them.
"Not you too Miss Kaoru! No one on the force believes me as it is…. they're playing with fire and they don't see it! Don't you start thinking I'm crazy now too!"
Kaoru looked down. "I'm sorry…I'll just stay out of it."
"No…I didn't mean it like that…" Kenshin sighed, feeling guilty for having snapped.
Kaoru stood up. "Look…I have an appointment to be to…I gotta run…"
Kenshin spun in his chair to look at her. "Kaoru…I'm sorry...don't leave yet."
She looked at him for a long moment, then as though on impulse, reached down and gave him a tight hug around his shoulders. "I know I can't tell you to leave this alone…but be careful. I don't want to come in and hear you're the next one to have gotten shot…"
Kenshin opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, she was gone. He looked back into his cup of just delivered coffee, and in the back of his mind, he started to wonder if maybe she was right.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Seijuro looked at the man across the counter from him with eyes narrowed in annoyance. Chou, the annoying pawnshop owner from the night before had been there for several hours now, complaining and demanding some sort of settlement for what had happened. Finally, Seijuro had been called out to talk to him.
"Mah shop was blown up! Not only is someone tryin' ta kill me, but they destroyed all mah goods! Thousands of dollars worth'a stuff, not to mention mah sword collection! Ah can't just exactly go down to Wal-Mart an' get replacements for those!" He fumed, squinting at the police captain.
"Look, your shop is now the middle of a crime scene investigation. I can't just sign you a check for money right now, it doesn't work that simply. Once our investigation is done, then we can go from there." Seijuro explained for what felt like the hundredth time.
"An' someone's tryin' to kill me! Whatcha gonna do about that one?" Chou demanded next.
"We are working on it right now." Seijuro explained through gritted teeth. "All I can offer you right now, is to be put under our protective custody."
"Ya mean ah gotta be watched by one of your clowns like ya sent me last night? Hell no!"
Seijuro found himself counting to ten before he spoke again. "Right now, that's what I can offer you."
"So no money back…Ah'm just out everything? And all you can offer me is more coppers messin' around in mah stuff? Hell with this…Ah'm getting out of this town…Ah'm goin' to Vegas…Ah can do some REAL business there!" Turning he stomped his way back out of the station, what everyone else had been trying to get him to go for the past four hours.
Seijuro rubbed his eyes, muttering under his breath something about stupid hicks when Aoshi appeared at his side. "Well?" Seijuro asked without looking up.
"She won't talk to me. All I can say is keep her here for now…at least you have the charge of assault on an officer." Aoshi said emotionlessly.
"That's not good enough." Seijuro stood up. "I'll come with you."
"Sir, that's not…" Aoshi started.
"Just let me do this Detective. And follow my lead."
Aoshi shrugged, it really didn't matter to him either way. He led the way to the interrogation room he had just come from, where the young woman from the night before was sitting impassively behind the table.
"Oh look who's back." She said flatly as they walked into the room.
"I hear you're not being very co-operative." Seijuro said, his voice more biting then usual.
The woman just shrugged.
"That's not the best attitude to have right now. As it is we've already got you on shooting an officer. Hindering a crime investigation will only make things worse." Seijuro snapped.
Aoshi stopped himself from rolling his eyes, realizing the tactic Seijuro was trying, the 'Good Cop, Bad Cop' approach, where Seijuro played the aggressive party, and Aoshi had to try and talk information out of her through a more friendly approach. An unreliable tactic if anything, and this woman seemed bright enough to see right through it. But he could play along and give Seijuro his moment in the spotlight. If nothing else it might make him shut up for a few minutes, when it blew back in his face.
Still the woman said nothing. Seijuro leaned forward. "You know, I can have you in jail for the rest of your freaking life!"
Aoshi looked back at her. "He can, and he will do that. But it doesn't have to be that way. All you have to do is answer a few questions…it's easier just to work with me on this…trust me. Why don't you start with telling us your name."
The woman looked to him, and Aoshi found himself confused, and unnerved by her gaze. It was as if she knew something she wasn't telling, and even from where she was, she had won the upper hand.
"Yumi Komagata." She said simply.
Seijuro looked surprised, and even Aoshi blinked at how suddenly she'd just given in. They exchanged quick glances, before Aoshi asked another question.
"What were you doing behind the pawn shop last night? Why were you running away?"
"I was trying not to get caught. Duh." Even with the last exclamation, it wasn't said in a mocking tone, just a very matter of fact one.
"Why not? What had you done?" Seijuro demanded gruffly again.
"I thought you saw what happened." She said calmly.
"The bombing?" Aoshi asked. She said nothing. "Were you a part of the bombing?" Aoshi asked after a long moment.
Yumi looked at him again. "Yes. Yes I was!" she said, the first showings of emotion in her voice.
Aoshi blinked again. "Why? Why would you want to kill the owner of a grubby pawn shop?"
"It wasn't just him…it was all of them! They are evil men…for their betrayal they would die." She turned narrowed eyes on the two men, as if they would be her next targets.
"Them?" Aoshi asked. "Who would be 'them'?"
Yumi seemed to mull over if she should tell them or not. "The Juppongatana." She said finally. "They were to suffer for what they did!" her voice rose in rage, and Seijuro felt himself tense.
If Aoshi felt anything, it didn't show on his emotionless as ever face. "What did they do?"
Yumi crossed her arms and looked away, as though indicating she was finished talking. After another moment Seijuro stood up. "I believe we've heard all we need to. She can go back into her cell now."
As he walked out two other officers came in to escort the woman out. She went unresistingly, but Aoshi couldn't help but notice the look that crossed the woman's face, the look of one who knows more then they are telling.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
That night Seijuro called Kenshin into his office. "Well I guess you weren't totally off." He said, speaking as though the words had to be forced out of him. "The Juppongatana members were the intended targets. Our suspect from last night, one Yumi Komagata, admitted to the bombings today."
Kenshin's eyes widened at the name. "Who? What, is she here now?"
"Of course she's here now you idiot! She's under arrest for murder, bombing, assault on an officer…a whole list of charges!" Seijuro shot back.
Kenshin stared at him for a long moment. Yumi Komagata, he remembered her. Where ever she went…
Kenshin opened his mouth to speak, but Seijuro seemed to have figured he'd said all he had to on the matter. "I'm glad to hear Sagara will be alright. I'm told he can be back on light duty next week…?"
"No, wait sir…" Kenshin said, trying to backtrack.
"Longer then that?" Seijuro asked.
"No, I mean about the bombings…"
"They're finished! She admitted to it!" Seijuro narrowed his eyes.
"No, it's not what you think, it wasn't…" Kenshin desperately tried to cram his words in again.
"Look Himura…I said it's finished. Why can't you ever just leave well enough alone? You're already missing your briefing; get back to your patrol unit. That's an order." He added, as Kenshin seemed to hesitate again.
Kenshin sighed, and spinning on his heels left the office, Kaoru's words ringing in his head. Maybe he was just overreacting. Maybe he did just need to learn to lighten up.
o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
And the week that followed only seemed to confirm it. There wasn't another bombing, and things seemed to have quieted down. Yahiko received a formal reprimand for his behavior, but nothing else. Saitou continued as unreachable and gruff as ever, but just as everyone else had he had seemed to put the bombings behind him as well. Sano grew impatient for his release from the hospital, spending his days reading old magazines, watching reruns on TV and talking to his various friends who kept up a pretty steady stream of visitors. Kenshin found the courage to call Kaoru again, and arranged a time to take her to lunch, a fact Sano, who had made amends with his best friend, delightfully rubbed in, along with a visit from Megumi, though she still held to her 'cleaning her carpets' excuse. After that, Sano seemed to spend a good bit of time looking for something in the phone book. All in all, the week passed smoothly, and almost unsettlingly quiet.
Yahiko stood in the waiting room of the hospital, until he heard a familiar voice. "I can walk on my own, thank you!"
Yahiko grinned as he walked over to where Sano was being escorted into the room. "Kid…what are you doing here?"
"Duh…I came to get you!" Yahiko joked, laughing at Sano's confused look. "Hey…your car is still at the PD. And with that arm I figured you weren't gonna wanna drive anyway. It's my day off, figured I'd come give you a lift home. I'll take you to work tonight, then you'll have your car back."
Sano shrugged. "Works for me I guess…"
The rest of the paperwork and red tape taken care of, the two men walked out into the parking lot. Yahiko led the way to his car, but when he got to it Sano stopped. "Kid…you are kidding me, right?"
Yahiko frowned at him. "And what's wrong with my car?"
Sano surveyed the ancient hatchback, a relic most likely of the '70s, bumper stickers almost as old as the car, and faded past the point of readable littered the back end, the car itself was three different colors, and the hatchback, along with what seemed to be the side window seemed to be held on mostly with duct tape.
"Er…other then the fact it looks like something that'd get you killed?" Sano asked, trying to make light of it.
Yahiko glared "Very funny. It passed it's last safety inspection, and not all of us can afford brand new cars…besides, it's got a hell of a sound system!" Yahiko said, grinning again. "Now get in, or you can walk!"
Sano got into the car, muttering something about how he knew he was going to die, and for a moment he almost thought he had when Yahiko turned it on, and some kind of heavy metal started throbbing through the sound system, each beat of the bass vibrating his still sore shoulder. "Owww…Kid, can we turn that down!"
Yahiko raised a brow, then reached over turned it down a little. Throwing the car in reverse he whipped out of the spot, around the parking lot, and onto the street, all the while Sano wondering just how he'd kept a license this long, and vowing never to let Yahiko drive any patrol car he was ever in.
But under the seeming calm that had covered everything…trouble was again brewing on the horizon…
Author's Note: And so comes to the end of another chapter…the next few chapters are the build up to/the climatic ending!
And for those of you who read this, and are saying that Yumi wouldn't just confess like that, I admit, if her motive was honestly to avoid punishment for herself that she wouldn't have. However, all is not as it appears, but all will be revealed in due time. Perhaps I've already said too much…
And Yahiko's car…this idea I got from my youngest sister (Not SpaceRoses) She gave me this crazy idea of him having this really old, ratty car, duct taped (I speak of this one from experience) but with a sound system that costs more then the car itself is worth…I wasn't sure I was going to use the idea…but because she asked me really, really nice…I found a way to write it in for her. This part's for you Holly-Chan!