Mama Himura

Chapter 2

I decided to change the title and summary because it kind of sounded dumb once I thought about it for awhile. Any ways, hope you like this next chapter, enjoy!

Kaoru's mouth flew open in shock and she just stared at him for a long moment until she snapped out of it, stuttering, "She's… she's your… your mother!"

"Yes."

"But… but I thought that your parents were dead, Kenshin!"

"So did I but… that woman is my mother, that she is."

"How can you be sure? It may just be someone that looks like her."

"No, it's her, my mother had a scar on the nape of her neck and that woman has the same one, that she does."

Before Kaoru could argue further they heard Sanosuke shout from down the hall, "Hey! That woman's waking up!"

Kenshin and Kaoru hurried to his room and Kaoru sat beside of Megumi as the woman groaned and opened her eyes, "Oh… my head… where am I?"

Everyone arched an eyebrow, she had a very unusual and thick accent and it was difficult to understand her, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Megumi asked

"Where am I?"

"You're at the Kamiya dojo, those thugs are gone so don't worry about them, you're safe here." Kaoru told her cheerfully

The woman smiled and sat up, her violet eyes sparkling, "Thank you, I'm sorry ta be such a burden, that I am."

"That I am?" everyone thought to themselves

Everyone stared at her for a moment then the woman smiled and asked, "So what are your names?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm Kamiya Kaoru."

"Megumi Takani."

"I'm Sanosuke Sagara."

"And I'm Yahiko Myojin."

"It's nice ta meet all of you, that it is, my name's Tokisha. Now, who do I thank for rescuin' me?"

"That would be Sanosuke and Kenshin." Kaoru told her

Tokisha nodded to Sanosuke, "Thank ya very much, young man, I owe ya much, that I do."

"Don't worry about it."

"Where's the other young man you mentioned?"

"Oh… Kenshin? I'm not sure, he was here just a minute ago but he's always going off somewhere without telling us so he should be back soon. Would you like some tea while you wait, Miss Tokisha?"

"I'd like that very much, that I would."

Sanosuke helped her up and they all headed outside to sit on the porch while Kaoru made the tea. She returned a few moments later with a tray and gave a cup of tea to everyone who wanted one, "Thank ya, Kaoru."

"You're welcome, Miss Tokisha."

"Oh by the way, dear, do ya know of any inns around here? I need ta find a place ta stay for awhile, that I do."

"You can stay here with us."

"Are ya sure? I don't want to be a bother, that I don't."

"You're no bother, Miss Tokisha, you're more than welcome to stay here as long as you like."

"You're very kind, that ya are, Kaoru."

"Yeah right, she's rude and ugly on top of it."

Kaoru shot a death glare at Yahiko before hitting him upside the head with her fist, getting a laugh out of everyone else, including Tokisha, "Now, now, you two shouldn't be fightin,' that ya shouldn't."

"Hey lady can I ask you something?" Sanosuke asked the red-haired woman.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why do you sound so weird?"

"SANOSUKE!" Megumi and Kaoru yelled at him.

Tokisha simply smiled and shook her head, "Now don't scold him, he's not the first by any means ta ask me that, that he isn't. But the reason I sound so strange ta ya is because I'm not Japanese, that I'm not."

"You're not?" Yahiko asked, slightly surprised

"No, I'm Irish, that I am, I moved here ta Japan when I met my husband, that I did."

"So where's your husband now?" Megumi asked

"My husband passed away about twenty years ago, that he did."

"I'm sorry… so… where do you come from?"

"Omasu."

"That's so far away, what brings you all the way to Tokyo, Miss Tokisha?" Kaoru asked

"I've been traveling around Japan for many years now, that I have, I just go from place to place."

"Oh, so you're a wanderer?" Megumi asked

"No, I'm not exactly a wanderer, that I'm not, I'm traveling around because I'm lookin' for my son."

"Your son, huh? What happened to him?" Sanosuke asked

"I'm not sure, that I'm not. Twenty years ago my husband and I became very ill and he died from the disease but it just put me into a deep sleep, that it did. When I woke up my son was gone, a friend of mine told me that he had been sold to some slave traders and I've been wanderin' around lookin' for him ever since, that I have."

"How old would he be now?" Yahiko asked

"He would be… about… twenty-eight, I believe."

"What does he look like?"

"He has red hair, like mine, and violet, sometimes blue eyes."

"That sounds a lot like Sir Ken, what did you say your son's name was?" Megumi asked

"His name is Shinta, that it is."

"Well it's not Kenshin then, and any ways Megumi, Kenshin told us that both of his parents were dead." Sanosuke told the doctor with a serious look on his face.

"I'd like ta meet your Kenshin, that I would, I've heard many stories about a man named Kenshin, that I have, but… they're probably just rumors, though."

Before anyone could answer they heard a faint, "I'm back, that I am."

"We're over here, Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted

He started to come around the corner but ducked back behind it when he saw Tokisha, "Oh… hello ma'am, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, ya must be Kenshin, right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I wanted to thank ya for helpin' me earlier."

"You're welcome."

Tokisha tried to get a look at him but she couldn't see around the corner, "What are ya hidin,' for, Kenshin?"

"I… um… I look messy right now, that I do."

"Oh that makes no difference ta me, that it doesn't. I want ta thank my rescuer face to face, that I do, now come on out here."

"I can't…"

"Why ever not, young man?"

There was a slight pause between them before he answered softly, "You'll hate me if you see me, that you will."

"Come now, Kenshin, how can I hate ya if I don't even know ya?"

"You do know me, that you do."

"Oh really? How so?"

There was another pause before Kenshin finally stepped out from behind the corner, raising his head up to look directly into Tokisha's eyes. When she saw him she let out a startled gasp and stood up, slowly walking up to him as she raised a shaky hand to touch the bandage on his left cheek, her eyes never leaving his as she stared at the red-haired man in front of her, "S… Shinta…"

Kenshin smiled, "It's good to see you again, that it is… Mama…"

Tokisha's eyes filled with tears of joy as she suddenly lunged forward and hugged him tightly, "Oh Shinta… my little Shinta… you're alive!"

Kenshin just stood stark still as her arms tightened around him, a soft smile coming to his lips as he rubbed his cheek against her hair, "I'm sorry."

"What for, Shinta?"

"For letting you get hurt earlier."

"Oh now don't ya worry about that, I'm fine, that I am."

"Hey… Kenshin?"

They parted and looked to the others to see the confused expressions playing across their faces, "How do you know this woman?" Sanosuke asked

Kenshin smiled, "This is my mother, Sano."

"Your mother! But… I thought that your parents were dead!"

"So did I, but luckily I was wrong."

Tokisha smiled up at her son, "Ay, I'm alive and well, that I am. Come now, Shinta, turn around and let me get a look at ya."

Kenshin turned around once and Tokisha became ecstatic, "My you've grown so very much, that ya have! Oh and you're just so handsome, ya look so much like your father, that ya do! And look at your hair, it's beautiful, that it is!"

Kenshin flushed at his mother's excited praises by smiled all the same, "Thank you."

Tokisha took the end of his hair in her hand and played with it thoughtfully, "My… my… your father would have a fit over your hair, if he were still alive, that he would."

Kenshin chuckled, "I know, he'd have a fit over a lot of things about me now, that he most certainly would."

"Why would your father have a fit over your hair, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked

"He believed that men should have short hair, but… mine's far from it, that it is."

Tokisha smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "Even if he were alive he wouldn't give ya too much grief, that he wouldn't, 'cause if he did I would smack him right across the head, that I would. Men tend ta listen ta ya when you smack them enough, that they do."

Everyone had to chuckle at the thought, they could actually picture this short, hyper woman slapping around a man like Kenshin and the thought was quite amusing. Tokisha looked up at Kenshin and did a double-take, just noticing the bandage on his left cheek as she reached up to place her hand over it, "Oh Shinta… what happened ta your face?"

"I… I was… working on the roof a couple of days ago and I… fell off and cut my cheek."

"Let me take a look at it."

She tried to pull the bandage off but Kenshin gently grasped her wrist and pulled it away, "Don't worry, Mother, it's alright, that it is."

"But Shinta…"

"There's no need to make a fuss over a cut, that there isn't, I've had far worse than this in the past, that I have. I hate to be rude but it's getting late and I need to start dinner, that I do, excuse me."

Kenshin moved past her and headed off down the hall towards the kitchen, not noticing the shocked expression on his mother's face as she watched him leave.

Sorry if Tokisha's way of speaking isn't correct by today's standards, but my grandmother (on both sides) is Irish and that's how she talks so I'm using her as a speech model. There's a lot more fun to come, including some embarrassing childhood stories about our Kenshin , so read on folks!