Disclaimer - I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

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Toy Store

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Her Kitchen II

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"Those are horrible bags under your eyes," Misao said cheerfully, plopping down at the table with her bowl of cereal.

"It's because I've been puking from morning sickness for the past three hours," Elaine replied sarcastically.

"That's a shame. I just woke up a half hour ago," Misao said, starting on her cereal. Kaoru knew she'd been up for at least forty-five minutes. Kaoru also knew that Misao had sat down in front of Elaine on purpose, because watching other people eat in the morning made get Elaine sick to her stomach and have to leave the table. They'd been horrible to each other for the past three weeks, but Kaoru hadn't expected anything less, having introduced Misao to Elaine twenty-two years ago. That was when it all started. At least Misao had forgiven her for letting Elaine stay with them without consulting her first. No one wanted Tom to wake up from his coma more than Misao.

"Your manners are atrocious. Do you have to slurp your cereal?" Elaine asked crossly.

"I'm not slurping, but I can if you want me to," Misao said, and began slurping her cereal.

"Would either of you like a cup of coffee?" Kaoru asked from where she stood next to the coffee machine. It was a pathetic attempt to distract one of them.

"Yeah, that would be great," Misao answered. "Why thank you, Kaoru."

"No problem. How about you, Elaine?"

"I don't think my stomach could take it right now, dear, but I appreciate the offer," Elaine said, glaring at Misao the whole time. Kaoru couldn't really blame her. The slurping was annoying. But not annoying enough for her to get involved in a conversational battle between the two of them. Then she'd have to take sides. Kaoru suppressed a shiver.

"Alright," she answered easily.

"So Misao, how are you and Aoshi doing?" Elaine asked. "Not having relationship problems are you, because I could always pop over and visit him for lunch if you two ever have a fight." She giggled wickedly.

"Oh we're fine, but are you sure that baby's Tom's?"

Just when Kaoru thought she was going to have to break up a cat fight since Misao wasn't above slapping a pregnant woman, Kamatari soared into the room and saved the day, trilling a bright, "Hello, beautiful women."

"There are only two beautiful women in this room," Elaine said.

Kamatari laughed. "Don't be silly, darling. Were you sick again? I'll make you some tea with honey to sooth your throat. I know how rough it gets."

"Thank you, Kamatari," Elaine said sweetly.

"And Misao, how about I give you another massage after you get back from work? You've been pretty stressed lately."

"That would be wonderful," Misao said, not bothering to slurp any longer.

"Is there coffee for me in that pot?" Kamatari asked Kaoru with a wink.

"Of course," she answered with a smile, grateful to him for breaking up yet another potential cat-fight. She should be paying him to live in her house, not the other way around.

"And what are your plans today, Kaoru?" he asked as he heated some water for Elaine's tea. "Work and lunch with everyone's favorite Kenny?"

Misao and Elaine glanced at each other and giggled simultaneously.

"Yeah," Kaoru confirmed with a blush. "Kenshin said our restaurant's a surprise today. I think he was kind of upset when you crashed our lunch date last week."

Kamatari's laugh was musical. "Kenny's such a trip. Here's that tea, Elaine. Don't add too much honey. You know you can't take the sweets." He handed Elaine the tea and sat down at the head of the table, next to her.

"Thanks," Elaine said, leaning back in her chair and suddenly looking too tired to fight with Misao anymore. Sometimes Kaoru forgot how much of Elaine's energy the morning sickness took away. "Listen, Misao," Elaine said, "thanks again for letting me use your car to get to the hospital. I promise I won't crash it."

"No problem," Misao answered with a warm smile. Kaoru knew they must care for each other on some level, even if it had taken twenty-two years. Misao's car was fresh out of the shop, and Kaoru knew she was eager to drive it again, but here she was letting Elaine have it until Tom woke up. It really was surprising that they didn't get along, or rather, at this point, not surprising.

The doorbell rang.

"He's early and I left my briefcase upstairs!" Misao exclaimed, jumping up from the table and fleeing up the back steps.

"Come in, Aoshi!" Kaoru yelled. She didn't know why he felt the need to ring the bell when he came over to pick Misao up every morning. She checked her watch as she poured out four cups of coffee. Aoshi loved her coffee. It was one of the few things she could actually make, and she always made enough for him. It felt nice to be appreciated.

"Hey," Aoshi said, gliding into the room with Aoshi-esque grace and sitting down next to Elaine at the table. Good-mornings chimed around the room.

"Misao's upstairs getting her briefcase," Kaoru told him as she set down two cups of coffee, one each in front of Aoshi and Kamatari.

"Oh. I'm early today," he said, beating Kamatari to the sugar and adding it to his coffee as Kaoru went back and brought two more cups of coffee to the table. Mornings, she was glad she and Misao had bought a table for six, even though there'd been only two of them in the house at the time. Now there were four people living in the house, plus Aoshi came over for coffee every morning, and sometimes Kenshin came too, although half the time he stopped over at Sano and Megumi's house. Kaoru sat down across from Elaine so Misao could sit across from Aoshi when she came downstairs.

"So why are you early, Aoshi?" Elaine asked.

"I have-" he started just as Misao came down and he paused because he did that when Misao came into a room. It wasn't much of a pause, but Kamatari had pointed it out to her once, and now Kaoru always noticed. It was enough of a pause to get Misao talking though, sappy nonsense to Aoshi of course and then they had to kiss while everyone else looked away. Elaine rolled her eyes, but Kaoru smiled. Normally Kamatari would've started tearing up thinking of how he used to kiss Tomoe every morning, but the couple seemed to have mostly worked out their issues over the phone, so he wasn't nearly as depressed as he'd been before. You could actually bring him places and not have to worry about a breakdown.

"Oh my God! This is great!" Misao squealed just loud enough to jerk Kaoru out of a coffee-induced bliss. Apparently Aoshi had just said something.

"Say that again, Aoshi," Kamatari requested, making Kaoru perk up because she usually didn't listen to Misao and Aoshi talking together, mostly because it was too disgusting.

"Today I'm giving my two weeks notice at work so I can open up my restaurant Zen meditation studio downtown," Aoshi said simply.

"Aoshi's quitting his job!" Misao sang. "And I get his job!"

"Misao, that's a horrible thing to say!" Elaine exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

Aoshi shrugged. "She'll be happy with my job. I'll be happier teaching Zen classes."

Kaoru felt her mouth drop open in shock. Zen classes?

"Yeah, Aoshi's wanted to do this for a long time, and now he's put his brothers through college, so he can! And he'll probably make more money," Misao said, gazing at Aoshi with shining eyes.

"Kaoru, close your mouth, dear," Kamatari reminded her.

"This is coming from no where," Kaoru muttered.

"Just drink your coffee," Kamatari advised her.