Author's Note: Okay, just to warn you, I'm going to pull a Ritzu: I'M SO SORRY I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY! Okay, now that the FB moment is done.
Now, don't worry, I'm going to explain. Because of a Fanfiction reading spree, and finals on Wednesday and Thursday, I didn't pre-write any chapters. Hence, why none of the last 5 Chapters will be on time, most likely. I will try to catch up the next couple of days and get the last chapter out on Christmas Eve, the scheduled ending for 12 Days of Christmas.
I never have as much time at home to write. This week has been no exception. Between getting home and unpacked and my computer up (which the internet is once again, not working on my own computer), Christmas shopping, baking cookies, wrapping gifts, and then on top of that the 31 hours I'm working, tonight, Tuesday, is the first chance I have had to sit down and write. This I am incredibly sorry about, especially to those who look forward to the next chapter so much.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin, Christmas, or the song 12 Days of Christmas. I do own the idea to this story, 12 Days of Christmas though, and I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've liked writing it. Or any other anime characters you might chance upon in this chapter. Just a hint!
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Eight maids a milking
December 16
"I'll see you after class okay?" Kenshin said to Karou in the lobby of the History building.
"I'm so glad this is our last actual class." Karou said as she kissed him on the cheek and started to walk away.
"When are your Finals done?" Kenshin called after her.
"Wednesday!" She said as she reached the top of the staircase.
:---:
"Okay, class I will see you Tuesday for your final!" Saito said as the ended, the students gathering their notebooks, book bags, and coats to leave. Karou slipped her coat on as she left the classroom, running down the steps to meet Kenshin. Saito had left them out late, and she didn't want to miss him.
"KENSHIN!" Karou yelled as she got outside. He was just down the sidewalk, talking to Aoshi and another guy that looked familiar, Cho.
"Hey there, Karou. Are you ready?" Kenshin asked her.
"Ready for what?"
"We have to travel a little bit for your present."
:---:
"Kenshin, where are we going?" Karou asked after driving about a half hour. They were out of the city, and quite a ways into the country now.
"Going to a friends of mine place." Kenshin said, turning his head and smiling at Karou. His girlfriend had looked more and more confused as they traveled out of the city and into the country.
"Which friends place?"
"A friend from the days before I met you." Kenshin said, looking back out at the road.
"Oh really? Which one would that be?" Karou said, growing more and more intrigued at where they where going.
"Swift. You don't know this one." Kenshin answered.
"How much longer?" Karou asked.
"Hm, probably about ten minutes now." Kenshin answered her. The next few minutes where spent in silence. Kenshin was concentrating on the road as the snow was coming down heavier and heavier as they went. Karou looked out her window, looking at bare trees covered with snow, and the huge fluffy snowflakes that was accumulating along the road.
Several minutes later they were pulling into a dirt road, ahead of them on the right was a two story traditional Japanese home. On the left, ahead of the house, was the stereotypical red American barn. Whoever lived here had a sense of humor. And liked the American farming lifestyle.
"Kenshin, what is this place?"
"The owner's family owns about 20 head of horses and about 10 cows. They also have chickens, pigs, and other barnyard animals." Kenshin said, pulling pass the house, to a circle in the drive just beyond the barn.
"What are we doing here Kenshin?" Karou said as she got out of the car.
"You're getting your gift." Kenshin said, getting something out of the back seat of his car.
"My present?" Karou asked as she watched Kenshin.
"Yes, now, come along or we'll miss it." Kenshin said holding out his hand to Karou. In his other hand he held out a gift bag that was red and green with a cow on either side with a maid milking it.
"Isn't that my gift?" Karou asked, pointing to the bad.
"Only part of it." Kenshin said, doing the "please come here" finger curl at her, to hurry herself up from where she stood in front of the car.
"You are so, so…I DON'T KNOW!" Karou said, stomping to where Kenshin stood.
"So what? Kind? Generous? Loving? Oh, I know, Adorable, Right?" Kenshin said, pulling Karou to him.
"All those and more not so nice ones, such as cunning, despicable, and, hmm, something else, I can't quite put my finger on." Karou said, following Kenshin to the area behind the barn to where the animals where kept and fed during the day.
When they got there, they saw several young women doing the afternoon milking of the ten cows. Kenshin and she stood at the fence and watched them. As they did this, Karou stood there and counted. As she counted the last young woman, a small smile grew into a larger one. She looked over at Kenshin, who was acting very engrossed in milking of the cows. She slowly wrapped her arm around Kenshin's and pulled him closer to her. After a moment, he stepped back, pulling her in front of him, encircling her in the warmth of his arms.
"Eight Maids a Milking." Karou said, smiling up at him.
"Yes. Here, they are done, I'd like to introduce you to them." Kenshin said, going over to the fence door and opening it for Karou.
"Hey there Kenshin! Long time no see!" Uo said as she placed her pails inside the barn.
"It is good to see you too Uo."
"Is this Karou-san? It is wonderful to meet you. I am Kamatari. My friends call me Kama." A young woman said, coming up to Karou.
"I am Tohru. We have heard so much about you lately, we are so glad to meet you!" A third girl said.
"Karou, you remember Cho right? Well this is his family's place. These are his eight sisters, Uo, Kamatari, Tohru, Tae and Sae, and of course you know Tsubame, Akane and Kagura." Kenshin said.
"It's very nice to meet you. How much did Kenshin pay you to do this for him? I'm sorry I'm so rude, but your not the first people he's used, and I'm sure he's paying them off to do the antics that they are doing." Karou said.
"Nothing, he just asked when the eight of us would be milking the cows today. It happened to work out perfectly, so I hear with the time of your class." Akane said.
"Yes, too perfectly."
"No not really, normal time for milking." Tae said laughing.
"Well, we really have to be getting back to work, we have to get the milk to pasteurizing." Tohru said, as they sloshed back into the barn to set the milk into the pasteurize machine, feeding and cleaning the other animals.
:---:
Karou followed Kenshin out to where they had been standing just a few moments before. He leaned up against the fence and held out the package he had been holding the entire time. Karou took it out of his hand and rested it against the rail of the fence. She moved the tissue paper away from the present.
Inside she saw a framed picture, similar to the last two that she had received. As she pulled it out she saw the side of a red barn with the door ajar, the fence that surrounded the barnyard that held eight cows standing in a row, and sitting on stools in front of the cows, with their backs to the painter, were eight maids.