Disclaimer: innocent look… nope, I didn't steal Rurouni Kenshin. That guy did…points to a random person

Author's Note: Never liked how it ended with Sanosuke and Megumi in Rurouni Kenshin, both in the manga (separating in their different ways) and anime (sayo, sayo, whiny old b-tchy Sayo). So here's my look at how it should have ended… years later (but not Seisouhen-style). Inspired by 3 Doors Down song. Long live them.

Here Without You

Chapter: The Biggest Regret

Takani Megumi glared at the tall man standing in front of her. Glared hard, willing her anger to shoot out at him and stab him hard.

Sagara Sanosuke. The very object of her hate.

All she wanted right now was to beat him senseless until every bone in him was broken. Because right now she hated him with every fibre of her.

"I'm leaving." Sanosuke repeated himself. Damn her, why wasn't she listening? "My ship sets sail tomorrow morning, and by next season I'll probably arrive on the coast of wherever I'm heading to."

Megumi said nothing. Just kept glaring at him, hatred pouring out of her like water out of a vessel.

He, too, was filled with negative emotion, but more with anger at her lack of understanding.

" There's no gurantee that I'm coming back, Kit-" Sanosuke reached out to touch her but the lady doctor gave him a sharp slap.

"So go! I don't care!" she retorted. "Why would I be bothered with a useless, idle bum like you!"

As soon as she said that, Megumi turned away from him, hiding her beautiful face from his gaze so he could not see the tears flowing down her cheeks like shiny rivers.

Sanosuke swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth, then nodded curtly.

"Fine," he said simply, "I won't regret leaving all this shit behind anyway."

The door slammed shut as he walked out.

…

Megumi awoke, shivering a little in the coldness of the night breeze. Funny, her dream seemed so real, as if she had been transported back in time to that fateful night in Tokyo, about three years ago.

Three years already?

The lady doctor had long forgotten what their argument was really about. Their previous squabbles weren't that bad, only over minor disagreements… but this one had proved to be a really bad fight.

Initially, she felt torn by his departure. There wasn't one morning when she hadn't woken to find herself sobbing uncontrollably, unable to stop the tears from flowing out. Why, why did she hurl those words of hurt at him?

The hurt in his eyes… the disappointment when she finally told him what she thought of him: a useless, idle bum.

Now, if she had any wish, Megumi would ask for all those words to be taken back, every single sentence. Anything to erase the last trace of her biggest mistake.

Her greatest regret.

…

Meanwhile, across many miles in China, the man who had caused so much hurt and pain to Megumi tossed and turned on his futon before opening his eyes.

Dammit, he cursed inwardly, running a calloused hand through his hair which had grown longer over the past years. It's still morning, way before dawn. Why can't I catch some sleep without having it interrupted?

Sanosuke turned over and tried to get back to sleep, but the image of Megumi as he last saw her kept repeating itself in his mind. Finally, he gave up and with a well-chosen swear word, got out of bed.

He walked out of the hack he called 'home' and stood there facing the sea as he pondered on his dream. It was years since that argument had taken place, the insults they hurled at each other which drove the wedge deeper between them were long forgotten now, but-

"To hell with it," Sanosuke muttered. So if he had left Japan with a vow never to look back on his past, why suddenly had this memory come back to him like never before?

The former Zanza punched the wall angrily, taking care not to smash it open. Damn that Takani woman, he thought, Of all the trouble women bring- she killed people with her deadly opium, flirted constantly with Kenshin just to make Jou-chan jealous and worse of all, walked on everyone when her little adventure was over.

That day when she announced that she was returning back to Aizu to work there and look for her family, his world came crashing apart…

Heck, he didn't need her! He never needed anybody, not when he was a young kid, running about on his own after Souzou and the rest were killed. Megumi was out of his life now, left behind with all the deeds he shouldn't have committed; his greatest regret.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Author's Note: very, very short chapter one. Very crappy. Needs work. Please tell me where it needs re-constructing.

This fic is also kind of an answer to mistress-cadaver's review to my other fic, Kitsune's Confessions. Hope I didn't overdo the angst theme for this one. It's going to be very VERY angsty and it involves Sanosuke putting his Futae no Kiwami to good use and Megumi screaming and throwing stuff at the wall or something…

Angsty version of Timless Love, hoho.

Until the next update! See ya! Jane! –grin5- mC