It seems my writers block got progressively worse unfortunately. Lol. So I don't know why I'm posting this but I guess I wanted to finish this so I could move on with my new story which will be entitled When Love and Hate Collide. It's another Sano Megumi fic, t so look for it in a few days. Ok, I guess here's the second part. Major Mush alert.

Part 2

Dread filled his stomach as he jerked back around and watched Megumi stumble and collapse into a large snowdrift. Sano was there in seconds, effortlessly scooping her into his arms. He was surprised when she made no protest as she shivered in his arms; her head buried in shoulder. The blowing snow in front of him was so bad now that he could barely see a foot a couple feet in front of him. As quickly as he could, he pushed forward against the brutal force of the wind and pried open the door of the clinic.

He stopped momentarily unsure of where to put Megumi who was still cradled in his arms.

"We're inside now. Put me down" Megumi ordered.

Sano gave her a lopsided grin. He knew Megumi being in his arms wouldn't last for too long but he had enjoyed it well it lasted. He lowered her to floor and watched her wince when her left foot hit the floor.

"Ouch" She said quietly reaching for her ankle.

"What'd you do?" Sano asked.

"My ankle hurts. I think I might have twisted it when I fell" Megumi explained grabbing onto his arm for support.

"What me to carry you again?" Sano asked raising an eyebrow.

Megumi just gave him a look that said, you're not going to be that lucky twice.

"Just help me walk over to the back room. There's medicine, a futon and a small fireplace back there." Megumi told him pointing to the back of the clinic.

Sano put an arm around Megumi's waist and helped her hobble to the room. The room was small but just like she said it had a small fireplace and a futon in the corner.

"I never knew this was here" Sano mentioned helping her to the futon so she could sit.

"Since Dr. Genzai is getting older he sometimes takes a nap in the afternoon or sometimes we have patients use it if they're really hurt and need care overnight" Megumi explained.

She lifted up her kimono slightly and peered down at her ankle. It was red and swollen like a baseball.

"Great. Just great. It's gonna take a week for this to heal" Megumi complained.

"Can I help?" Sano asked reaching down to touch it.

"Don't touch it. It hurts. Get me some ice and bandages" Megumi ordered pushing him lightly over to the other side of the room.

Sano grumbled and looked around the room and grabbed some bandages from a desk. He couldn't find any ice but he grabbed some icicles from outside. Good enough, Sano decided.

Megumi directed him what to do. He sat down on the floor and applied ice to her swollen ankle while she watched on biting her bottom lip.

"You okay Kitsune?" Sano asked, looking up at her.

She nodded but Sano could tell she was fighting back tears. She wouldn't cry in front of him though. Her exterior was too tough for that.

After a while the swelling had gone down and Megumi instructed how to put the bandage on. Sano slowly round the bandage around her ankle.

"Thank-you. You did a good job" Megumi finally said when Sano stood up and sat down beside her.

Sano looked up at her thinking of all the smart comments he could make.

"You're welcome Megumi" Sano said finally.

Megumi smiled at him and this time she didn't even try to hide it.

"I think that's the first compliment I've ever heard you give me" Sano added.

"It's rare, so remember it" Megumi agreed.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence before Sano started sneezing and coughing.

"On no. I hope you didn't catch a cold" Megumi commented.

"I'm okay" Sano tried to reply but it was barely audible through his sneezes.

"No, your not. We need to get out of these wet clothes now or we're both going to catch cold. I was so busy with my ankle I didn't even realize how soaked we both are" Megumi decided.

"So you want me to get undressed now?" Sano asked suggestively with a smirk.

He was feeling daring. Normally he'd fear for his life with a comment like that directed at Megumi but at the moment her ankle was hurt so he knew he could out dodge her. Megumi glared at him for a second suddenly realizing how immobile she was.

"Baka tori- atama" She murmured softly shaking her head and chuckling a little bit.

Sano was surprised at her reaction. Not at the smart comment but the fact that she had laughed. In fact the way she'd called him a stupid rooster head so softly made it sound like an affectionate nickname rather then an insult. Although, the rooster and fox had started out as teasing insults they strangely had become affectionate nicknames for each other, Sano decided. It was all part of the little game they played with each other.

"Dr. Genzai keeps a few clothes here, in that closet" Megumi told him pointing over at the closet.

"Take something that looks close to your size and go to the other room to change" She added.

"And close the door."

"And don't come in until you knock because I'm going to change too" Finally Megumi smiled.

"Anything else?" Sano asked lifting an eyebrow.

"Nope" she replied staring up at him.

Those eyes could melt any man's heart Sano decided as he grabbed an old kimono from the closet and headed out into the next room. He changed quickly and of course the kimono was pretty short on him.

"At least it's dry" Sano reminded himself as he knocked on the door where Megumi was changing inside.

"Just a second" Megumi called out.

Sano waited a little bit but then decided she must be finished soon. He peeked open the door just in time to see Megumi pull a thin white yukata over her head. He watched it slide down her smooth white back and felt his throat tighten. Megumi must have heard him and turned sharply narrowing her eyebrows. She grabbed a nearby book and threw at him. Sano ducked just in time to see it fly over his head and miss him by a few centimetres.

"I said just a minute. I didn't say come in!" She yelled at him storming to her feet only to fall when she forgot about her hurt ankle. She landed on the floor in a heap looking completely confused about what had just happened.

Sano helped pick her up and sat her back onto the futon.

"Maybe we should get a fire going eh?" Sano motioned to the small fireplace nearby. He figured it would be a good idea to change the topic quickly.

Megumi nodded and started grumbling as she grabbed her dry kimono to put on over top. Sano did a sideways glance at her silently taking notice of her long smooth and shapely legs that were soon to be covered up by the long kimono. Shame, Sano thought with a sigh as he added a couple of pieces of wood to the small spark of flame that he had just sprung to life. Sano figured the wood was left-overs from all the firewood he'd cut in the past for Megumi in return for free food. Before too long a small little fire brightened up the room. It was comforting and warm compared to the still raging blizzard outside. The wind had died down some but it was still blowing.

"Quite strange weather for Tokyo" Sano commented sitting next to Megumi as they stared into the fire.

Megumi simply nodded. She didn't appear in the mood for light conversation. He knew he was making small talk but the silence was driving him crazy. Over the years, their fighting and teasing and chemistry had created an unusual sexual tension that neither of them would admit to. Never the less it was there and now it was silently creeping up on both of them.

"Are you cold?" He asked looking over at her.

"No, I'm okay now…" She replied slowly before looking down at her stomach which growled with hunger.

"I'm a little hungry though" She admitted.

"Is there any food here?" Sano asked starting to get up. He stomach was growling too. It was way past supper time.

"No… But I Think there is some tea in the bottom cupboard" Megumi replied pointing.

Sano nodded and got to work making some. A few moments later he sat down beside her on the futon and handed her a cup.

"Be careful, it's hot" He warned giving it to her and brushed his fingers against hers a little longer then he should have.

Megumi looked up at him as if to say something clever but she bit her tongue. Sano scratched his head and turned away wondering what was wrong. In the past half an hour the usual foxy Megumi had become quiet and almost nervous. Sano decided clear the air.

"Megumi, Are you nervous because you're trapped in the clinic with me?" Sano asked her.

Megumi looked up at him in surprise and almost choked on her tea.

"What?"

"You heard me" Sano replied smugly.

"I… I'm not nervous Baka Tori. Why would I be nervous? Why…"

Before she could finish with out thinking, Sano pressed his lips on her smooth cheery ones and brought his bandages hand up to cup her face softly. Sano didn't know why he was doing this. It seemed he had lost complete control but he didn't want to hide how he felt about her and this was the only way he knew how to show her.

Kenshin-gumi had been through a lot together in the past few years. Megumi had been there for him when he had been injured and in return he had been there for her, Standing up for her when people in town didn't like having a woman doctor. But despite all the history they always fought. And he knew that kissing her would only end in pain. Mostly for him – when she slapped him. But the slap he anticipated never came.

Her skin on her face was smoother then he had dreamt and her soft lips were sweet and he smiled in astonishment when she didn't pull away from him. At first she hesitated in his arms, seemingly overwhelmed by the shock and unsure of her she should react. But the most surprising thing was when she kissed him back softly and unsure at first but then with a strange pent up passion that caught Sano off guard.

Finally Megumi pulled away from him and looked up at him with disbelief.

"Did that really just happen?" She whispered as her cheeks turned a shade of red.

Sano nodded and brushed back a stray black hair from her forehead. She was clearly embarrassed but he was enjoying seeing the ever confident and sly kitsune look confused.

"What are we doing?" She asked pulling away at him to stare at the fire again.

Sano pulled her back and looked her in the eye.

"What we should have done a long time ago." Sano replied.

Megumi looked up at him in disbelief.

"We've been denying this…. Whatever this is between us, for so long. Why were we so scared?" Sano asked her.

Megumi sighed.

"This is… it's a mistake. You're one of my patients Sano. It's a bad idea. It's the weather. It's making me crazy" Megumi told him quickly thinking of any excuse she could grab at.

She was scared of what might happen between them. Scared to be happy. Scared that she might actually fall for him and get hurt. But Sano was hurt. Wasn't he more then a patient to her?

"You can't do it, can you Megumi? It's too hard for you to admit." Sano realized out loud.

"Well I can't believe I'm saying this but you drive me insane Kitsune…. And somehow I love it. I gave you those flowers because a little girl… who despite being 8 years old is smarter then me. She told me that if I gave you the flowers… that if I acted nicer to you. Maybe you'd like me better. Now I'm wondering if I was too late" He added.

" How… I… How can you say that? You should hate me" Megumi nearly shouted before taking a deep breath struggling to fight back tears.

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you" Sano replied touching her face as he wondered how she could have ever thought that.

"I… I … killed your friend. I killed a lot of people Sano. I'm doing the best I can to make up for my past by helping people but what if it's not enough? " Megumi sniffed and Sano brought her closer so her head was resting on his chest as he let go completely.

He rocked her softly back and forth feeling her body shudder from the tears. Sano had never seen Megumi like this before. Megumi was the tough one. She got things done. He could see Kaoru doing this… but not Megumi. Megumi got things done.

"Megumi… It's okay. No one blames you. I thought you didn't think about that anymore." Sano replied brushing her tears away with his thumb.

"I'm sorry. I can't believe I'm crying in front of you. I promised myself I wouldn't. I guess I'm just overwhelmed. I know it wasn't my fault. But some days I still blame myself. I've never forgotten it, just tried to ignore it. But you can only build a wall up so far before some knocks it over" Megumi sniffed again but she was starting to compose herself.

"Maybe you just need a better foundation" Sano suggested.

"A what?" Megumi asked in confusion.

"A better foundation. If you had something you could depend on. Then maybe your wall wouldn't crash." Sano explained. He was horrible at metaphors but he was hoping he would understand what he meant.

"I want to be there to help you and hold you when things are bad. And I'll be there for you no matter what. I'll protect you" Sano vowed.

"Why?" Megumi asked as her voice cracked.

Instead of replying Sano kissed her again and neither of them broke away for a long time.

"Will you give me a chance? I know we fight and bicker a lot. But I don't want my life to be filled with regrets" Sano asked her pulling away from her a bit.

Megumi nodded and a slow hesitant smile appeared on her lips. Nothing else needed to be said the night as they lay in front of the fire falling asleep as the icy wind of the storm blew around them. They both knew that in the morning things might be different and a long the way there would be problems but that night nothing else really mattered.

eHe