Hiya and happy holidays. Again, I am just living on old drafts, hoping to just finish. Heck, I'm living pretty much my entire life like that now. Just to finish. As there is nothing more important to be thinking about (because of holiday break), the holes in this chapter got patched nicely. Thanks for still reading this piece. Here we go.

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Yahiko never had a normal childhood, even when it achieved some degree of normalcy. For example, he first drank sake at 10 years old. He had mastered drinking it without passing out by 12 years old. He was as good as any man at 15. Evidently, the man who raised him for the last 8 years considered it alright for him to know that skill. Kaoru had a few shouting matches with her husband about that, but nothing changed. Furthermore, Yahiko had been started on that path by a certain loafer who had been an unofficial member of the household during the first few years.

He did not take to sake on a regular basis. Much like his mentor, he drank it when it was offered, stood his ground against any drinking matches, yet did not drink it of his own accord. But when something seriously bothered him, he did have a bottle or two.

Well, in this case, more than two.

Even after he tried talking it over with Kenshin that night, it was not enough. He found it impossible to sleep and impossible to not think about that event. It was tough going through that day.

Five men were on the ground, face first. Standing before them was a young man, a sword to his side. There was no blood anywhere. Not on the sword, not on the ground, not on the bodies. And yet the scene was more frightening that way than if it were steeped in blood. It was more terrible that the man who supposedly did it was scared as well. It was not supposed to be that way. His sword was not supposed to be shaking. His face should not have lost all color and life. Lastly, he, Yahiko, should have been dead as well by his hand, the retired assassin's hand. Yet Yahiko was alive, and Jiro's face was haunting his dreams, and Jiro's pleas were ringing in his ears.

The last thing he recalled was going to a little ramen store at the side of the road and asking for a bottle of sake. He saw Yutarou's face surrounded by a deep haze after an unrecalled number of minutes.

"My good man, what's happened to you?" Yahiko somewhat heard Yutarou's voice asking that. "How many have you had?"

"I don't know, I don't know!" He honestly did not know. He was not sure about what he saw, about what he heard, all that night.

"Come on, my friend, I'm taking you home."

He more or less knew that he walked back to the Kamiya dojo, somehow, slung on his cat-eyed friend's back. Then nothing else for the rest of that night.

He woke up, and found that it was already mid-morning. Kaoru was beside him, and sighed with relief. She offered a cup of tea, but he waved it off as he sat up on the futon.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I feel sick," he said in all honesty.

"I know you're not living with us anymore, and I know you can handle yourself, but do remember to take care, especially at night," Kaoru smiled slowly. "You've annoyed me all these years, but I still don't want you dead, alright?"

"Huh?"

"It's in all the papers. 5 people were murdered in one night, and no one knows who did it. It's being called the Midnight Murders."

His head was still spinning. He still felt like throwing up. He did not know what time it was. He was pretty sure he had already missed one morning class, but he was not sure if that was for the little kids Kenji's age or for the 10-year-olds. He was also sure Kaoru would be handling his afternoon class as well, he was not up to it yet.

"Yahiko? Are you listening?" Kaoru waved a hand in front of him. "Please don't tell me you're still drunk."

"Stop acting like my mother," he drawled. "What was that about the murders again?"

"Just reminding you not be out so late, or you might get murdered yourself," Kaoru continued.

"By whom? Tenken no Soujirou?" he laughed out loud and bitterly. Then suddenly stopped.

Did Jiro kill those men, those men he saw sprawled on the ground? Tsubame probably already knew about the murders Kaoru was telling him about. Did she associate Jiro with the murders? Worse, what if Jiro really commited those murders? What was he supposed to do? Was he even supposed to do anything, say anything?

"Yahiko, you're not with me," Kaoru said again.

"Sorry, Kaoru," he said without looking at her.

"If not for yourself," she continued with concern, "at least take care, for Tsubame's sake."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you," he sighed.

…………………………………

Aside from Jiro still not appearing at any time in the Akabeko, aside from Yutarou visiting every morning, everything was quite normal for Tsubame.

But a stranger shouting in the middle of the warm afternoon – that was not normal.

"I'm looking for Sanjou Tsubame," a loud and royal tenor resonated through the Akabeko. "Where is she?"

The waitress nervously hobbled to the guest, a tall man wearing a white Chinese suit over dark pants. He wore an odd bowler hat that hid silver hair underneath. Tsubame bowed before him, and waited.

"You are Seta's girlfriend, are you not?" he bluntly asked.

She blushed, and answered, "Yes, sir, I am one of his, close friends."

He suddenly took her hand and yanked her to an isolated corner of the restaurant. He looked around, then bent down to her. "He has not reported for work for three days. Do you know where he is?" he whispered with concern.

For days she was not really worried about why he had not appeared at the Akabeko. But her concern was suddenly replaced by fear. He was not gone because of business.

She looked at the man more carefully. "Yuan-san?"

He sighed, "Yes, yes. Now will you answer my question?"

She bowed again. "I am very sorry, sir, but I promise you, I also do not know where he is. He has not visited for the last two weeks."

"Sacre bleu, where could that infernal smiley be?" the man stomped, then apologized to the young lady. "He's setting me off my schedule already with this prank. I'd appreciate it if you can help find that annoyance for me. And no going to the police, not yet, alright, little miss?"

Jiro was right about the Chinese accent that was not there with his boss, she mused. But the remembrance of him imitating typical Chinese businessmen, just made Tsubame miss Jiro all the more. "Hai, Yuan-san." She made a final bow.

"Thanks," was all the boss said, patted her on the shoulder absentmindedly, and exited.

"What was that all about?" Tae asked as soon as the man was gone.

"Jiro is missing!"

"But isn't that nice young man always missing, out on business?" Tae chuckled.

"Yes, he was out on business, but he hasn't been seen yet by his boss, nee-chan," Tsubame explained and wrung her hands.

Tsubame and Tae asked everyone who came into the Akabeko if they had seen the courier over the last few days. Either because of business or because of the romantic gossip, most regulars knew who he was. Yet, everyone shook their heads. No one had seen him.

She even asked for directions to his outhouse. But when she got there, it still looked like someone owned it. It was a bit dusty from lack of the tenant, but most household articles were still there. None of the neighbors had seen him arrive yet.

Having nowhere else to go and nobody else to ask, she, reluctantly, walked to the Kamiya dojo. Her closest friend would still be there.

…………………………

He did not want to see anyone just yet. Even Kenji annoyed him, and his parents, even more. It was not their fault. Just, well, EVERYTHING annoyed him. Seta Soujirou, in particular, annoyed him, and he was not sure why.

And her face was one of the last things he expected to see in front of him.

"Tsubame," he mouthed, with no sounds coming out. It had been a few days since he had seen her this close. He could neither smile nor frown. He could only stare.

"Yahiko," she lowered her head, and walked a few steps closer to him. "It's…it's…."

"Everything is not alright with you, I could see," he said gently, wanting to give her a good pat on the head or tell her he can whop anyone to her favor if necessary, like old times.

"It's Jiro," she sighed and said.

"Oh." He started to walk away.

"Don't, please, Yahiko," she pleaded, and held his sleeve. "I don't know who else to talk to."

"I'm not the best person to talk to about Jiro, if you haven't noticed," he said with ice.

"He's gone, Yahiko," she just said, as a few tears fell. "Just gone, disappeared, without a word, without a trace."

Well, now! That was the last thing he expected to hear! Jiro was gone? Just up and left? Had he heard right?

But he looked down at Tsubame, as she clung to his sleeve, and saw the fear in her eyes. A fear much like the one he saw in Kaoru's eyes, many years ago. The fear that a new loved one would never come back. Yahiko did not understand. His chief rival was gone. He should have felt ecstatic, victorious. Now he could finally have her all to himself, once again. But he felt miserable. Because she was miserable, he was, too.

Dammit, he muttered to himself.

He led her to the front porch, and sat beside her as she sobbed.

"I thought it was just for a business trip, and he didn't get to tell me. But Yuan-san came to the Akabeko today, and told me he had been absent for 3 days. I tried asking around, but nobody has seen him recently. I even went to his place at the outhouse. Almost all his belongings are still there. He just, disappeared."

Yahiko did think about it. The Tenken was too good a swordsman to be beaten or ambushed, so his murder was out of the question, especially with no report to that effect over the last few days. Jiro was liked, he knew that, so his death would be a sensation in town. Therefore, Yahiko was sure his rival was not dead.

The only reason he could think of for Jiro to leave town was the same reason Kenshin left them to go to Kyoto: to find himself. Or to lose himself. One or the other. In any case, to avoid Tsubame, because of that awful night. He was rather relieved that it was he who saw Jiro that way, that terrible way, and not Tsubame.

But he remembered the Tenken's pleas. "Please don't tell her! Please don't tell her!"

And he wouldn't.

He was made aware of Tsubame's sad eyes looking up at him. "What is the matter, Yahiko?" She looked up even more. "Do you know something? Did he tell you anything before he left? Please tell me!"

Yes, Jiro told him something. He was told not to tell.

"It's nothing, Tsubame, I was just thinking," Yahiko said. He averted his eyes from her. "Don't worry. He'll come back. Some day." It was hard to say, but it was the only thing he could say.

"You really think so, Yahiko?" she asked.

"I'm not sure."

And he could not tell her the truth in his mind. He hoped the Tenken would stay away for good.

His thoughts were disturbed by loud knocks at the dojo gates. He raised an eyebrow. No visitors had been expected. Both he and she went to the gate and opened it.

They were met by a small contingent of policemen. One of them thrust out a piece of paper with official print.

"Myoujin Yahiko, you are arrested for committing the Midnight Murders."

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Half-dead. That's a great way of putting it, Maeko-Nohara. (sigh). Seriously, if you guys want to read more inspired writing of the last few weeks and months, I suggest you read Tenshi instead. Or Firefly Story, that might make more sense to the uninitiated. Even Firefly Story was choppy, that's why I can't believe people like it a lot.

junyortrakr: Thanks for understanding what I'm getting at, more or less. Warg: Um, thanks. No problem about the criticism, really. Maeko-Nohara: Thanks for the concern. Still half-dead, if you're wondering. As I said I'm currently using up old material just to get by up to the end. Sakurai9826: Thanks for reading (despite half-dead recent chapters?). It is one the longest Yahiko/Tsubame fics, really? I didn't know. Put me up on story updates if you want to know when I have a new post. pnaixrose: Thanks for coming back, and thanks for liking Yutarou's entrance.