Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate them all since I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing, which I know isn't the greatest. Lol. I also apologize if any characters are OOC. I've tried but having never seen an episode it's harder to judge so I hope its okay. It's not a realistic as I had hoped but hopefully it's still an enjoyable read.
Last chapter was hard to write so I apologize for any mistakes… and Megumi's thinking… a little messed I know. Lol. But I can see her tricking herself into believing that she was doing the right thing, so that's why I did it. Humans are horrible for that sort of thing you know; trying to make ourselves believe something when we really don't.
Anyways, alls well that ends well. Here's the last chapter. It's a long one. Hope you like it. … oh and I did not spell colour wrong. Canadians spell it with a u. lol. Just in case someone was wondering because I had someone tell me that before.
Chapter 6
Kenshin sat with Sano by a nearby lake as they watched the sun set in the distance. The colours in the sky were a pretty sight but Kenshin knew that's not why they were there. Sano was depressed about something. Kenshin had never seen him like this before. His friend was usually better at hiding his emotions then this. Then again, Kenshin was more observant then most, so maybe no one else had noticed Sano's mood.
"What's wrong?" Kenshin asked him breaking the silence.
Sano looked up from the circle he was drawing in the dirt. "Nothing, why do you ask?" He lied.
Kenshin eyed him with an all knowing look.
"Nothing gets by you does it?" Sano sighed knowing he was beat.
Kenshin smiled a little. "It's Megumi isn't it?"
"Wow, another point. You're on a roll. I think you're in the wrong occupation. Perhaps you should have been a physic, Kenshin" Sano joked.
"Am I that transparent?" Sano added, leaning back on his elbows to watch the sky.
"No. You usually hide your feelings quite well actually. I don't even think Kaoru knows you two had a fight" Kenshin replied.
"We didn't have a fight" Sano responded a little too quickly.
Kenshin laughed and threw a stick at him. "You two fight like a married couple every time you're in the same room"
Sano couldn't help but laugh back despite how crummy he was feeling. Kenshin was his best friend and easy to talk to. Minus the fact that Kenshin already knew what had happened before Sano told him. Maybe that's what made him easy to talk to.
"We've been friends for too long Sano. What'd she yell at your for this time" Kenshin asked.
Sano sighed. He hadn't really planned to tell anyone. He meant to have supper at the dojo and get some sleep before tomorrow but Kenshin had brought him out here as if he knew something was up.
Sano quickly rehashed what had happened over the past couple days, leaving out the more intimate details and Kenshin listened quietly.
"You really fell for her, didn't you" Kenshin replied softly after Sano finished.
"Tell me about it" Sano agreed flopping out on the grass. Kenshin flopped beside him, enjoying warm night breeze that caressed their skin.
Kenshin sensed that Sano didn't want to talk anymore about the situation so they changed the conversation and spoke of many other things until it got quite late. Finally they decided to head home.
"Big day tomorrow" Sano said trying to force a smile.
Kenshin nodded and waved good night.
Sano walked home slowly taking in the sights and scents of Tokyo so he wouldn't forget them. But I know I never will anyways, Sano thought to himself. He found it funny that Kenshin knew just how he was feeling but then that was what made Kenshin such a good fighter and friend. His instinct, intuition and loyalty were amazing. Sano admired the man deeply.
Sometimes he even envied him a little. Envied the happiness he had with Jou-chan. They were perfect for each other and Sano wished that Megumi would give herself the chance to be happy. They had both endured enough hardships in their lives. Sano had heard from Kaoru that Megumi sometimes had viscous nightmares about her past and about Kanryu treated her.
So why, when they were given the chance to be happy, did she back away from it? Sano shook his head. But she was proud and stubborn and perhaps scared. Sano reasoned that maybe she wasn't afraid of getting hurt, she was afraid of letting herself be happy. She had never really let herself know what true happiness was. He knew that Megumi felt the same for him, no matter how much she tried to deny it to herself. He had seen the way she looked at him and touched him. Her touch sent shivers to his very soul and he knew she felt the same.
Sano would never knowingly hurt Megumi. In fact ever since he had stopped her from trying to kill herself with a knife so many years ago, he had secretly sworn to protect her. Now it seemed like her biggest enemy was herself. And there was nothing he could do. He already tried running after her down a rainy street. He had already proclaimed his feelings for her – twice already. There was nothing else for him here. Everything reminded him of her. He just hoped by 9:00am tomorrow she would change her mind but he knew there was little chance. All he had now was the memory of a lost love.
That night, Pepper sat with Megumi at home and it turned out he was good company, but Megumi couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Sano.
She had always called Sano the baka rooster but she couldn't help but feel like a baka fox now. Why couldn't she let herself be loved? She knew she loved him and she was letting him go. But in order to protect her heart she had to break his. She had tried to reason with her heart that it would hurt less if they she broke it off now, then if something were to happen down the road. But Megumi was beginning to realize that it was foolish thinking.
Sano of course had been right all along, but Megumi knew it was too late now to second guess herself. The damage had been done. She tried desperately to sleep and shut off her brain but instead she laid there in the dark silence thinking and thinking. Missing his smell and his warmth so much she ached. Finally about 4:00am, she passed out on the futon, her eyes feeling crusty from dried up tears. But it wasn't long before she woke again.
"Kenshin, where are you going? I know its 7:00am but its Sunday. " Kaoru complained as Kenshin rolled out off the futon beside her and started dressing quietly.
"I know sweetheart. But Sano leaves at 9:00 and there's someone I should see before he goes." He replied kissing her cheek.
"So you're going to try and reason with her?" Kaoru asked flipping her hair out of her eyes.
Kenshin nodded.
"Well… She won't listen to Sano so maybe it'd be better if she heard it from someone else. Those two are good for each other. Despite how they bicker, they make each other happy. Megumi just needs some reassurance and a push in the right direction I think." Kenshin explained.
Kaoru smiled softly. "Those two are good for each other; I just hope Megumi realizes it before it's too late."
"I think she already does. She didn't want to believe it at first, but I bet she does now. She just needs to tell him that or he might sail out of her life forever" Kenshin responded.
"Be back, soon" Kenshin added, giving her a quick peck on the lips.
Kenshin usually tried to stay out of people's business, because it usually caused more bad then good but Kenshin knew that someone had to do something. Megumi wasn't thinking straight if she was trying to convince herself that she wasn't in love with Sano. Kenshin could see all that from her eyes the other night when Sanosuke had told everyone he was leaving. She could say all she wanted but Kenshin had learned in his line of work that your eyes will give you away every time.
Kaoru watched him leave and before she lay back down again. She hoped Megumi would do the right thing. If all went well, maybe she wouldn't have to say goodbye to anyone this morning.
Megumi was drifting in and out of consciousness when she heard a soft knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" Megumi wondered aloud as she quickly pulled a robe over her thin yukata and headed to the door. She hoped it might be Sano. She wanted to do the right thing but she didn't know how.
"Kenshin?" Megumi spoke in shock she pulled the front door back.
"Good morning. I hope I didn't wake you. I know it's early but I wanted to talk and it just couldn't wait" Kenshin replied.
"Um… it's okay. I couldn't sleep anyways. Come in" Megumi told him closing the door behind him.
"You sounded a little disappointed. Were you expecting someone else?" Kenshin asked innocently.
"No, no. of course not, I'm sorry. Let's sit down. You said you wanted to talk?" Megumi inquired avoiding his eyes. She had been slightly let down to see that it wasn't Sano but she wasn't going to offend Kenshin. She knew the possibility of Sano even talking to her again were slim, let alone him coming to see her after all that she had said to him.
"Yes… I was curious about something actually. Can I ask you a personal question? " Kenshin asked.
Megumi nodded warily and Kenshin continued.
"How do you feel about Sano leaving?"
Megumi didn't reply for a moment trying to form the right words.
Finally she replied "In all honesty Kenshin, I don't know how I feel right now."
"Really? Oh." Kenshin paused for a moment.
It didn't look like Megumi was going to make this easy on him.
"Well the reason I stopped by is because I wanted to say how happy Kaoru and I have been… And that we want the same for you Megumi. I'm going to be brutally honest with you here. You can say all you want about how you and Sano fight too much and that you don't want to hold him back. But Megumi, can't you see that by rejecting his love, you are in fact holding him back? He wants to take care of you but your carefully guarded heart won't let anyone in. I know you've been through a lot. I know you've been hurt…" Kenshin stopped momentarily as he leaned forwards and took Megumi's hands.
"But let yourself be happy for once. The pain I see in your eyes now, after you just let him walk away will probably last a life time. And I know you know this already. You're beautiful and intelligent Megumi. Don't let him sail away with your heart. Sometimes in life we get hurt. This is true. But being strong doesn't include pushing away what means the most to us. Being strong is fighting for what you believe in, no matter what. In life we don't fight the battles that we know we can win. We fight the battles… that are worth fighting for... no matter what that costs us. You've always told us you were a strong woman Megumi and I know that true. What do you believe in Megumi? What are you willing to fight for? " Kenshin slowly dropped Megumi's hands and headed towards the door.
Before closing it though he spoke one more time "I think you already know the answer to my questions Megumi. I'll see you at 9:00" and with that Kenshin was gone.
Megumi sat there in awe, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Megumi wasn't sure if she had ever heard Kenshin talk so much at one time before. But it seemed like Kenshin had always been the silent voice of reason when one of them needed help. Every lie that Megumi had tried to create to protect her self now seemed worthless. But perhaps she had needed this wake-up call. Sano had tried to talk sense into her but Megumi had been too stubborn. But Kenshin is right… I made a mistake. Megumi knew what she had to do if she ever hoped to be happy in this lifetime. But she worried that Sano wouldn't even see or talk to her. He had been mad and upset. I hope I can fix what I've done, Megumi prayed silently
Pepper looked up at her with curiously and tugged at her robe as if urging her to get dressed and moving.
"So now I guess, you want Sano to stay too now?" Megumi asked him.
Pepper meowed in response and arched his back as he rubbed against her leg softly.
With a sigh of defeat, Megumi hurried to her room to figure out what she was going to say.
Sano could feel the wind ruffle his spiky brown hair as he waited in line at the docks. It wasn't raining yet but the sky was a soft grey colour and it reminded Sano of his kisses with Kitsune the last time it had rained 2 nights before. He scolded himself for thinking of it but he couldn't help himself. He feared he would never stop thinking of her.
He had his ticket in one hand and his only bag in his other. He was a light traveller. He figured anything else he would need he could buy. Plus he enjoyed sleeping under the starry sky so not much was needed. He didn't know how long he would be gone. Perhaps he would just wander until he decided to come back home… if he came home at all. After Megumi's harsh rejection he didn't feel like there was much left for him here. Everything reminded him of her.
The person behind the booth took his ticket and ripped off the bottom of it before handing it back to Sano. Sano nodded at him and began walking towards the boat that would be taking him.
Sano had been surprised at how many people who had shown up to see him off but it was nice. He hugged them all and said countless goodbyes to everyone there. Well… almost everyone. Sano shouldn't have hoped or expected Megumi to show up but he had and he felt disappointed, hurt and sad. He knew she probably wouldn't show up but he had let himself hope anyways.
"She'll show" Kenshin had whispered to him earlier. Sano had looked at him in shock. How did Kenshin know? Well where was she now?
"I hate this say this Kenshin but for once I think you might be wrong" Sano had replied.
As he walked towards the boat now, Sanosuke was tempted to turn his head… to see if she was there… but he resisted. He remembered a time when Captian Sagara had still been alive. "Never look back son. If you look back it's because you have unfinished business with someone. That's why you never look back. You always look forward in life." That's what he had told Sano and Sano had always tried to live by that… until now.
Megumi was running down the street but she didn't remember it being such a long way to the dock. She was slowly running out of stamina but she knew 9:00 must not be far off so she pressed on.
"If only these stupid sandals wouldn't keep falling off" Megumi cried out in frustration. Out of sheer desperation she yanked them off and threw them across the street as flew barefoot the rest of the way.
When she finally reached the dock, the boat hadn't left yet and Megumi sighed with relief. She hadn't meant to be late. She had gone back to her room to think and had fallen asleep from the lack of sleep she had had earlier. She had cried so much that her eyes couldn't stay shut. But although Kenshin's words had hit her deep, that wasn't what had made her chase after Sano. It was her dreams. They had been fleeting moments from her past, which she had nearly forgotten about, until now.
She remembered when he had saved her from killing her self so long ago. He had every reason to let her die because of what she had done to his friend. But he wasn't going to let her kill herself and Megumi knew that he had saved her that night. She remembered him whispering softly in the darkness after he had sent the knife from her hands clattering across the room, that whether she liked it or not he would be there to protect her. She was sure that she wasn't meant to hear it but she had. She hadn't really understood then but she did now.
Sano had been there for her, to protect her when she needed it… and although she had taken care of his wounds when he got hurt, that was the end of her being there for him. She had always thought him to be an annoying rooster but he had become so much more then that. But I want to change, Megumi whispered racing with a new energy as she passed kenshin-gumi standing there by the docks waving their goodbyes. She was so focused on her goal that she didn't even notice their shocked reactions as she sprinted by.
"Sano… Sanosuke…. Sanosuke Sagara!" Megumi yelled as she spotted his tall frame spiky brown hair the crowd. Finally she shouted "Tori - Atama!"
That caught his attention. Sano whipped around as his mouth fell open with shock as he saw her run up the boarding plank towards him.
Sansouke rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing right but he clearly was. There she was… at the very last moment he expected her to show up. It looked like she had been crying a lot and very recently. Dried mascara clumps still clung to her cheeks and her eyes were red and swollen. He raven black hair was messier then he'd ever seen it before billowing behind her. And yet somehow she was still incredibly beautiful to him. He did not know why. He should be upset, angry and hurt. He was all of those things and yet all he wanted was hold her.
But Sano resisted. He had tried reasoning with her. Tried telling her he loved her and she had run away from him. And now here she was ironically… and he was ready for her. He just needed to actually see her swallow her pride. Sad and pathetic as it was, he knew that if she asked him, he wouldn't go. He had a reputation for being proud and stubborn… just as she did. But he was willing to let all that go… as long as she did too.
He watched her run up to him, grabbing onto a nearby railing to catch her breath. "Sano… Sano I…" She started in gasps of breaths but she stopped and realized she how badly she needed to rest from her run for a moment. He almost laughed when he saw 2 of the guards trying to run after her because she didn't have a ticket but Kaoru and Yahiko had conveniently tripped them and now Kenshin seemed to be trying to strike up a conversation with them.
Sano noticed she was barefoot but choose to let her speak first. Although he was very curious as to how she had lost her sandals.
"Sano I know… you probably hate me. And you have every reason too. I was stubborn and stupid and… I know this is too late. I know your leaving. But Sano… I…. You were right. And as much I hate admitting this, you're usually right about most things. I have so much to tell you and no time to do it… but I'm sorry…" Megumi told him as the words came spilling out of her mouth in one big rush.
Sano had to admit he was enjoying hearing her say that he was usually right. He had to give her credit for that one. He could tell it was killing her on the inside to admit it, after all their years of bickering.
"I am really sorry Sanosuke… for all the hurtful things I said" Megumi said in a whisper looking down at her toes.
"But I realized… that I want you to keep protecting me. I need you" She added quietly wondering if she was in fact too late. They were both still for a moment, until Sano spoke quietly
"So… tell me again why you're here?"
He couldn't help himself because he wondered how far she was willing to let her pride go for him.
Megumi looked up at him with surprise at first but then, for the first time in a few days she seemed to know just what to say.
"Because I love you" Megumi replied as hint of smile tugged at her small cherry lips.
Sano moved closer and moved his face square with hers.
"What was that… kitsune? I don't think I heard you right" Sano replied with a small smile. He knew he shouldn't but it was tempting.
"I love you Sano! ... I love your messy chicken scratched notes, I love how you fight with me just to see how I'll react and I even love your stupid lopsided grin. You make me crazy Sano. But somehow I love you" Megumi was nearly shouting by the end but she didn't care that almost everyone in Tokyo was staring. She felt like a song bird soaring high and chasing clouds and it didn't matter what people thought anymore.
Sano smiled at her and softly pulled her to him he lowered his lips to hers. As he kissed her the crowd around them cheered and clapped with enthusiasm. Even the guards, who had finally caught up to Megumi, shed a few tears.
Sano pulled away for a moment and looked her in the eyes.
"Just remember who said it first Kitsune" Sano teased her running his hands through her hair.
Sano thought she might hit him but instead she started laughing and kissed him again. Sano scooped her up into her arms and carried her off the boat meeting Kenshin, Kaoru and everyone else down below. They watched as the boat finally set sail sounding it's loud horn and heading off into the distance.
Sano set Megumi down and everyone hugged them, offering congratulations.
"I'm so glad you're not on that boat" Kaoru smiled giving Sano a tight hug.
"Me too Jou-chan.. Me too" Sano replied.
"And Megumi… where are your sandals?" Yahiko asked curiously.
"I lost them when I was running here" Megumi grinned sheepishly.
Everyone laughed and started talking again.
"Let's head back to the dojo. I think we should celebrate" Kenshin decided as they started walking.
"Great. I could use some sake" Sano jumped in.
Megumi eyed him suspiciously.
"What?" Sano asked innocently.
"Nothing, Nothing. I didn't say a thing, did I?" Megumi replied.
"Oh you were thinking it Kitsune- onna. Oh yeah and what's up with the kitten?" Sano inquired wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"I found him. His name is Pepper" Megumi answered thinking of the cute little kitten who was probably sleeping at home.
"You named him already? Jeeze" Sano sighed.
"I thought you liked him. You fed him" Megumi pointed out.
"Yea… he was hungry and I was being nice. I thought he was temporary" Sano responded quickly.
"I thought so too… but I've grown attached to the little guy" Megumi said defensively.
Kaoru looked over at Kenshin and chuckled. She knew she was thinking the same thing he was.
"Those 2 just professed their love for one another and now look at them. Didn't take very long, did it? " Kaoru said with a smile looking over at the new couple. Megumi was now trying to convince him that the kitten was a good idea and that Sano should suck it up.
"Well… Kaoru… The more things change… the more they stay the same somehow" Kenshin replied wisely, Kaoru nodded her agreement as all of them walked together to the dojo, talking and laughing and telling stories.