Summery; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.
I have to admit, I'm a little sad that I haven't gotten any reviews for the new chapters yet, but I know you guys all have lives, so don't worry about it. Oh, the agony of keeping them in-character...it's hard! But it's also challenging in a fun way, so I'm not complaining. After all, when you write fanfiction, that's a responsiblity you take on yourself.
Please review if you read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.
"Geez, Sano, she's as big as a house!" Yahiko gaped, as the three travelers finally made it to back to Japan and the Kamiya-Kasshin dojo after a long journey, complicated by a rough voyage over the sea. Aiko was now about seven months pregnant, and in a very touchy stage of her mood swings.
"Yahiko!" Kaoru scolded him, smacking him upside the head in annoyance. "That's not very nice at all!"
"Hey, kid. C'mere," Sano gestured, and Yahiko followed the tall man inside the dojo. After a few moments, a loud bang and a yell reached their ears, and Aiko sighed.
"Sorry,"
"It's nice to see you again, Miss Aiko," Kenshin greeted her calmly, and she shook her head with an amused sort-of smile.
"Sano and I were married before we left Russia by a traveling monk," she informed them, and Kaoru gasped.
"That's wonderful! We'll have to have a celebration as soon as we can, and –"
"Nothin' doing, missy," Sano interrupted, striding back towards them. "Aiko and I agreed we didn't want any fuss, considering certain circumstances."
"Oh…oh," Kaoru paused for a moment as the implications hit her, and nodded, closing her mouth without further protest.
"I'm sure you're all hungry," Kenshin said cheerfully, eyeing Souzou briefly with a practiced eye before turning around. "I just finished preparing dinner – perfect timing as usual, Sano."
"Thanks," Sano nodded, and went over to Aiko. The others watched, trying to be inconspicuous, as Sano helped Aiko up to the dojo, having never seen the tall man fuss over anyone like that. Souzou appeared both amused and used to it by now.
"This is Souzou Sagara, by the way," Aiko introduced him calmly, trying to shoo Sano away, and their jaws dropped. "It's rather complicated – he can explain over dinner. I'm starving," she looked around eagerly, and Kaoru led her away from her protective husband over to the kitchen.
"Thank you," Aiko sighed, sitting down heavily on the cushion. "I love him, but he's gotten worse as time's passed. I can't blame him, exactly, but it's nice to get a breather every now and then. Once we got off the ship, Souzou distracted him for a bit for me, but that was the last time he's let me out of his sight."
"I have to admit, I'm surprised how Sano's acting," Kaoru admitted. "I mean, I've known him for such a long time, and he's like a different person."
"Hey! Give that back, you little bastard!"
"Well, almost," Kaoru amended, and Aiko giggled. Leaning forward suddenly, she grinned at the pregnant woman. "So, I bet it's been a while since you've been able to talk to another girl, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has," Aiko nodded, and smiled back. "I'd like it if we could be friends, Kaoru. I hope it's not an imposition, but I was wondering if Sano and I could stay here until the baby is born – or at least he finally gets a job and pays you back for everything."
"Oh, Sano's done so much, the only debt he owes is to the Akabeko," Kaoru waved her hand calmly. "And of course you can stay here! It'll be nice to have another woman around to talk to – Yahiko and Kenshin get boring after a while."
"I know Sano is glad to be home," Aiko mentioned, looking around. "This dojo…it may lack students, but it seems a wonderful place. Miss Kaoru…"
"Kaoru, please."
"Kaoru, then," Aiko agreed. "Kaoru, I would be honored if you would teach the Kamiya-Kasshin technique. It would be beneficial as exercise, and I need to keep in practice. But don't let Sano know – he seems to think if I walk I'll somehow go into labor any moment."
"I would honored to teach you, Aiko!" Kaoru's face lit up, clearly pleased at having another student. "I know some great exercises that would be nice and easy for you to handle."
"Thank you very much," Aiko bowed her head slightly, but Kaoru laughed nervously and waved her hands in protest.
"No, please – let's just be friends," she protested, and Aiko nodded with a smile. Kaoru noticed that the woman, who she had only seen twice from a distance, seemed to glow with an inner light and also appeared completely contented and at peace with herself.
"That was delicious," Sano sighed, leaning back after the meal was done. "I mean it. Missy, your cooking has really improved since I've been gone."
"Kenshin's been teaching me," Kaoru allowed, still touchy about her cooking talent but determined not to lose her temper. Souzou had explained his past to them as they eat, and Kenshin seemed to take the story in his usual calm manner.
"Sorry for the house comment I said earlier," Yahiko apologized suddenly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Aiko placed her palm on her swollen abdomen and smiled at him warmly.
"Don't worry about," she told him. "Heaven knows Sano here makes enough comments to last me three pregnancies."
"Hey!" he protested amid the laughter, and was ignored.
"By the way…how many children are you doing to have, Sano?" Kenshin asked, the glint in his eye betraying his teasing. Sano, however, didn't catch it and promptly choked as Aiko pretended to seriously consider the question.
"Hmm…how does four sound to you, Sanosuke?" she peered at her husband, who was quickly caught by Souzou as he fell over backwards in shock. "Relax, Sano!" she laughed, and patted him on the cheek as he pushed himself upright once more. "We're only teasing."
"That's not fair," he grumbled, and Kenshin laughed nervously.
"Sorry, Sanosuke, but I couldn't resist," he admitted, earning a good-natured glare from his friend.
"Watch it, buddy," he said warningly, but was interrupted by a yawn from Aiko.
"Oh, sorry," she shook her head as her eyes watered from the yawn. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was."
"I'll show you to your room," Kaoru volunteered, and Aiko stopped Sano from rising.
"You sit and catch up with your friends, Sano," she ordered, beginning to follow Kaoru out of the room. "I just want to sleep, after all – you make me nervous, watching me all the time."
"Good night," Souzou called, and she waved back before closing the door.
"Souzou, are you staying here as well?" Kenshin asked, and the ninja nodded briefly.
"If it's all right with Miss Kaoru," he said, and Yahiko shrugged.
"I don't see why she'd care," he thought, before turning to the fighter with an evil grin. "So, Sanosuke, how's fatherhood working for you?"
"You little punk…"
"I was just wondering the same thing," Kenshin interrupted them calmly. "You seem well-suited to it, in my opinion. I'm happy for you, Sanosuke."
"Thanks, Kenshin," Sano said awkwardly, and took another drink of sake. "It really wears on my nerves, though."
"Maybe if you didn't haunt her every step, you'd be more relaxed," Souzou pointed out with a laugh, and Sano groaned in dismay.
"Captain…!"
"He has a point," Kenshin agreed with a chuckle, and Yahiko ignored them in favor of more food.
"I appreciate all this, Kaoru," Aiko said sleepily, as Kaoru helped her into a nightgown. "It means a lot, having another woman around to talk to…"
"It's my pleasure," Kaoru said quietly, waiting as the other woman lowered herself onto the futon before heading to the door. "You're Sano's wife, after all. It's the least I can do. Sleep well, Aiko."
"Good night, Kaoru…" Aiko trailed off as sleep overtook her, and Kaoru quietly slipped out of the room.
"You take a step forward, and swing!" Kaoru instructed Aiko a few days later, the two women out in the training yard with Yahiko. Kenshin and Souzou had taken Sano out for a walk – to give Aiko a break, actually, and take the young man's mind off his worrying for once – leaving the other three in relative peace.
"I see – it's different than my technique," Aiko nodded thoughtfully, and copied Kaoru's movements with precision.
"To be honest, I don't understand why you want to learn the Kamiya-Kasshin style when you've mastered your own," Kaoru admitted, watching her latest pupil critically. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."
"Well, the Kamiya-Kasshin style is easier on me right now," the other woman admitted, splitting her concentration between practicing with Yahiko and talking. "And it never hurts to learn something new in swordsmanship, after all. It may come in handy one day – and combining techniques to form my own mastery is what I excel in."
"I see," Kaoru nodded, and paused their conversation briefly to correct Aiko's stance. "You're not bad as a beginner – a little aggressive, but I suppose that's because of your previous experience with a sword," she continued, and Aiko made a noise of agreement in her throat.
"Yes."
"Hey, aren't you two girls going to work at all?" Yahiko demanded, and Kaoru immediately bonked him with her practice sword.
"Get to work yourself!" she yelled.
"Make me, ugly!" he taunted, sticking her tongue out at her. Aiko paused in her own work to watch the two begin to fight with surprised amusement, before shrugging and returning to swinging it easily through the air. She suddenly froze in mid-swing, and Kaoru, noticing, rushed over.
"Are you all right, Aiko?" she asked, and the other woman suddenly smiled.
"It kicked!" she told them happily, and Kaoru squealed.
"Really?" she exclaimed, and bent over Aiko's abdomen. "Can I feel?"
"Me too?" Yahiko asked eagerly, caught up in the moment before shrugging awkwardly and turning away. Aiko caught his shoulder and smiled at him with a nod.
"Of course!"
"It kicked?" Sano asked in shock, and she nodded. "That's great!"
"Sano – it's not going to kick just because you want it to!" she exclaimed, a little embarrassed, when he suddenly pressed his head against her abdomen, eagerly waiting for it to move again for him. "Sano, please get off. I want to take a bath," she told him, and he immediately backed up.
"Sorry."
"It's all right – it's your prerogative to be happy," she said, and hugged him tightly before turning to find Kaoru. "Now…where's the bath anyway?"
"Are you feeling all right, Aiko?" Souzou asked quietly, crouching next to her as she sat on the porch. "You haven't moved from this spot in hours."
"I just haven't felt like it," she replied with a shrug, gazing into the distance.
"You haven't been practicing with Miss Kaoru either," he added, and she made no sign of hearing. "Aiko, are you sure you're all right?" he repeated, and she glared at him in annoyance. In the middle of the eighth month, Aiko had suddenly grown languid and testy to everyone – including Sano and Kaoru – and the occupants of the dojo were both on the edges of their nerves and worried about her. The first pregnancy usually wasn't so easy as it had been for Aiko, and Dr. Genzai had expressed concern over the difficulty of the upcoming labor.
"I'm fine, Souzou," she informed him tightly. "Can you go away now?"
"All right," he replied calmly, standing up but only retreating as far as the dojo entrance out of her line of vision to keep an eye on her. Sano had been forced to the Akabeko with Kenshin and Yahiko to calm the anxious young man down and to keep him from getting into another fight, and Kaoru was busy with her own practice. Aoshi had stopped by several times in the past weeks, but business with the Oniwaban and training Misao had kept him busy.
"I just…I just want to go to sleep," Aiko thought in annoyance, glaring at the innocent birdhouse. "But I can't!" she said out-loud, having been unable to sleep comfortably for several nights now, the lack of sleep only adding her to moodiness. Suddenly feeling confined and almost claustrophobic inside the dojo, she rose and wrapped her robe around her to protect from the chill she seemed to feel as she carefully stepped to the ground. The early spring breeze lifted the loose hairs off her neck, the rest of it twisted into a knot on the back of her neck. Her robe was a pale blue over cream silk, and her abdomen had grown even more over the past month, making it hard for her to walk long distances without losing her balance or breath.
Strolling around the yard, she was unaware of anyone else present, her usually-sharp senses dulled by pregnancy, until a man dropped from the trees and pulled her to him.
"Aiko!" Souzou rushed forward, but the man pressed a blade from his knuckle to her throat, and another found its way to her abdomen.
"Take another step forward, and I'll slit her from head to toe," he growled, drawing a small drop of blood from her throat. She cried out in pain and surprise, and Souzou gritted his teeth together in frustration.
"I knew I should have killed you in Russia," he said softly, and Kayo merely chuckled.
"Well, lucky for me you went soft," he replied, and backed up, dragging Aiko with him. "Now, you'll let me leave here with her alive, or she'll die before you can reach us. That's a good man," he praised, as Souzou remained still, watching in a rage as the man left the dojo.
"Souzou?" Kaoru called, rushing outside. "I thought I heard – Aiko!"
"Stay put!" Kayo shouted, and another drop of blood trickled down his blade. Kaoru froze, and he disappeared into the trees.
"You call Genzai and prepare whatever he tells you to," Souzou ordered, before rushing off.
"Hey! Wait a sec!" Kaoru yelled after him, and stamped her foot when he left her hanging. "Men! Fine, then!" she grumbled, and stalked out of the dojo down the road to Dr. Genzai's, Souzou long gone.
"What?" Sano demanded, swiftly rising to his feet. "I thought you had killed the bastard in Russia!"
"I didn't," Souzou replied, and quickly rushed on. "I believe he's going to induce labor and murder both her and the baby so he'll have the only claim on the estate and property of the Sakajima name, since your child is the legitimate heir now."
"That son-of-a-bitch!" Sano growled, his eyes promising death for the man who had threatened his family.
"We'll get him!" Yahiko agreed, but Kenshin put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll need you back at the dojo to help Dr. Genzai to prepare for our return," he said calmly. "Someone with a calm head will be needed to consider a worst-case scenario, and that would be you, Yahiko."
The young boy considered Kenshin's words for a moment before nodding with a sigh and disappearing from the Akabeko. The three men exchanged glances before striding off on their own.
"You bastard!" Aiko hissed, her hands tied above her to a tree branch. Her adopted brother was gazing calmly at her, having forced a concoction down her throat several moments before, waiting until she had gagged it down before backing off. "Your plan isn't going to work, you sick, evil, monster!"
"It is so far," he informed her. "You'll go into labor shortly, and I'll kill that whelp and you before anyone can reach us in time, making me the only one with a claim to the Sakajima name."
"I hate you."
"The feeling is mutual," Kayo replied calmly, but the insanity was apparent in his eyes. "And I hate that thing inside you even worse."
"I won't let you hurt my baby!" she cried, her maternal instincts desperately trying to find some way to protect her unborn child, even at the cost of her own life. Her mind racing, a jolt of pain suddenly shooting throughout her body left her gasping for air, the cramps causing acute pain around her abdomen.
"I see it's kicking in," he chuckled, and took a step forward in amusement. "What were you going to call it if it was a boy? I hope not after father." Aiko ignored him, focusing her mind inward in a swordsman technique to focus her emotions inside her. "And if it was a girl? Mother's name was quite nice, to be honest. I always thought so, at least," he continued in a conversational tone, coming even closer.
"Stay the hell away from them!" Sano roared, leaping at the man. Kayo dodged his furious easily, but was caught off-guard by Kenshin and Souzou, both having drawn their swords. Sano freed Aiko from her bonds and lowered her gently to the ground as Kayo faced off against the two legendary men, a smirk growing on his face.
"Hiten Mitsurugi style!" Kenshin shouted, lunging at the man with his sakabato reversed. Kayo managed to avoid death and had his arm sliced open, but Souzou blocked his retreat with his blade crushing his leg.
"He's mine," Sano interrupted, cracking his knuckles and a dangerous light in his eye. "No one – no one – gets away with what you've done," he growled, advancing toward the fallen man. "To hell with honor. Fair play my ass. Trying to kill my wife and child is more than enough reason for me gut you open," Sano continued, and heaved Kayo to his feet. Pushing him away, he regarded the man with a hunter's critical eye.
"You can't…please…" Kayo tried to beg for his life, but a blow from Sano broke his jaw and cut off any further protests.
"Shut the hell up," the enraged young man said calmly. "I'm going to kill you, so you may as well get used to the idea of death and hell." Sano lunged, and it took only several more blows to beat the life of Kayo. Sanosuke stood back in satisfaction for a moment before turning and rushing to Aiko's side. She was breathing heavily, and her eyes were glazed over in pain.
"Apparently, the drug speeds the labor up to a dangerous pace even for an experienced woman," Souzou told them, and Dr. Genzai's warning echoed in Sano's mind.
"Let's go, then," he grunted, picking her up as if she weighed nothing and sprinted toward the dojo.
I guess it wasn't a very dramatic way to kill the guy off, but I lacked inspiration. Please review!