Disclaimer: Me no own Kenshin, Hiko, Tomoe Saito or Okita. All I own are some random Shinsengumi member, Sho and Kenshin's embarrassing moments.

Contains very mild spoilers for OVA Trust & Betrayal.

You know, I've discovered that Kenshin isn't cooperating with me on purpose, just so I don't reveal anything embarrassing about him…

Kenshin: Damn, how'd you figure it out? Oh well, it worked for a little while

So as punishment I decided to add more embarrassing moments for him…

Kenshin: What? NO!

So on with the chapter!

((())) Hiko's Mountain – Kenshin ((()))

Kenshin sighed in relief when he realized that Okita and Saito were heading back down the mountain. Thankfully, there had been no fight, as Kenshin hadn't been able to sense any battle ki. If there had been then Kenshin had no doubt that Okita and Saito would recognize his sword style. After all there weren't a whole lot of sword styles that revolved around god-like speed. The only other technique was Shakuchi, but he'd never met anyone who'd mastered it yet or heard of anyone mastering it for that matter.

"Kuso," said Kenshin under his breath when he realized that Saito and Okita were heading in his direction, slight wariness in their ki. My ki he realized with a jolt. He couldn't mask it now, it would make them to suspicious…The Shinsengumi guy! If he could get back to the Shinsengumi guy and mask his ki right there, then Okita and Saito would think that it was the guys ki that they had sensed and that it was lost when he died. Sorry Tomoe, I'll be there soon, he though as he doubled back to where he had just fought.

Damn wolves! They're catching up though Kenshin as he started to run faster. Thank goodness that I know this terrain better than they do!

He reached the fallen body and, standing right next to it, he fully masked his ki. Then he quickly glanced around, making sure that there was nothing there that could betray him. Then he leapt up onto one of the trees and, making sure that he was well hidden, waited for them, just to make sure that they didn't suspect him and also to hopefully check whether they suspected anything about his Master or Tomoe.

((())) Hiko's mountain – Saito and Okita ((()))

Saito and Okita were walking along at a leisurely pace, now that they no longer had to strain themselves by walking uphill when Saito stiffened.

"Okita…" began Saito.

"Yeah, I sensed it," said Okita, putting one hand on the hilt of his katana. "Could it be one of ours?"

"I don't know, it's masked enough to make it impossible to guess who it is," answered Saito, already heading towards the forest.

"We're just not cut out for this," said Okita a few minutes later. They had been walking through the forest, towards the ki but, although they were actually going quite quickly, they had been getting cut and scratched by many different branches along the way. "When we get back, I'm not leaving Kyoto again," he decided.

Just when they were nearly at the spot, the ki they were following disappeared. They glanced at each other and stepped up their pace.

When they reached the clearing they stopped abruptly and Okita gasped softly. "I suppose it was his ki we were following," said Saito casually. He always took death more casually then his friend. Although they were both equal in dealing out death, it was a different matter when it was one of their own. Not that he didn't care, whoever did this would be subject to his ultimate form of justice: Aku Soku Zan. "Who do you think did it?"

"It almost looks like one of our own, but I sincerely doubt that anybody in our own squads would be able to mask their ki from us fully and besides these are our squads. There's no way that they'd kill one of our own without orders and a reason," said Okita, looking at the body carefully. After the last few years in the Shinsengumi, Okita was well-accustomed to seeing and examining dead bodies but he still didn't like it when it was one of his own men. Still, he had no doubt that the killer would find himself on the other end of one of their swords.

"It couldn't have been the man, there's no way he could have gotten down here fast enough to do this, not to mention we didn't sense his ki leaving the cabin at all," mused Saito out loud. "Could it have been the man's son?"

"The kid that ate the poisoned mushrooms because they were pretty? I doubt it. Besides, you heard him say that the kid was his son, not his student," answered Okita.

"Hmph. Well this is just wonderful. I say we go down and grill the squad for information," said Saito, already turning around. Okita nodded absentmindedly, pausing for a moment to leave some flowers on the body.

((())) Hiko's mountain – Kenshin ((()))

He had just managed to hide in the tree when Saito and Okita burst into the clearing. He listened carefully as they mused about who could have killed the man. He was highly gratified when he found out that they didn't suspect him or his master. But they just had to keep going.

"The kid that ate the poisoned mushroom because he thought it was pretty"

Master TOLD them about that? I'm going to kill him! No wait I can't kill him…I will find a way to get him back! Why did he have to tell them about me? Wait…and Tomoe heard to. Even if they don't realize it was me she will. Master that better be all you told them! Kenshin didn't even want to think about what other stories his master could have been telling about him.

Wait a second…Saito had said "the mans son" and Okita said "You heard him say that the kid was his son not his student." Kenshin chuckled when he realized something Looks like your not as cold as you want people to think, master. Now I have got something against you…

When Okita and Saito left, Kenshin jumped down from the tree and headed back up the mountain, wondering what Hiko and Tomoe were doing. He hoped Hiko wasn't talking about him…

((())) Hiko's Cabin ((()))

"Wh-what did you just say?" she asked.

Hiko turned around to look at her in surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked, starting to get curious.

"Do you have anything that belongs the boy? Anything at all?" asked Tomoe urgently. It can't be she was thinking inside. For one thing Kenshin's parent died a long time ago, for another thing the only other person Kenshin ever mentioned was his master but this man couldn't be it…could he?

"Well, yes but why?" said Hiko in answer to her question.

"May I see them?" she asked, ignoring his questions.

"I'll show you them only if you agree to tell me why," said Hiko, crossing his arms.

"Of course. But can I see them first?" said Tomoe. She had to know for sure otherwise she could risk blowing Kenshin's cover. Hers was already blown, but if she mentioned Kenshin for no reason then she might put him in danger.

Hiko agreed reluctantly, but at least this way he would finally have the answers to the questions that had been plaguing him about this woman for the last few days. He went inside the cabin, gesturing for the woman to follow him. Then he pointed towards the trunk that she'd noticed the first day she was here.

She went up to it and carefully opened the lid. At the top was a beautifully made sword that had Winter Moon engraved on it. Below that were a few gi's, obviously made for a young boy of perhaps 13. Below that were a few stones, a beautiful cup with a dragon on it and…several strands of bright red hair.

Hiko studied her ki as she silently looked through the contents of the trunk. After her initial reaction of surprise and shock, she had locked down her emotions and wasn't showing anything. Was it the name that caused her to be surprised? Or the mention of his hair colour? With his baka deshi it could be either. But how would she know either? Well that proves it. She's definitely an Imperialist. Hiko watched as she put everything away carefully and closed the trunk. Then she turned to face him. "Will you answer my questions now?"

"Yes. Just answer me this first. Is the boy's name Kenshin Himura and what sword style do you use?" she said calmly.

Hiko was annoyed that she was still asking him questions when she should have been answering, but then her words sunk in. "How do you know baka deshi's real name?" he asked, now it was his turn to be surprised.

Baka deshi? Thought Tomoe with some amusement. No wonder he doesn't like to talk about his master if that was his nickname. Out loud she said "In a moment. Is your sword style Hiten Mitsurugi?" Tomoe was already certain, but she just wanted to triple check.

Now Hiko was really surprised. Knowing Kenshin's full name was one thing, but knowing his sword style? Nobody knew his sword style. Hiko had always told Kenshin that his sword style should remain a secret and apparently the boy had listened to him (for the first time!) for all anyone knew about the Battousai's sword style was that it was one-of-a-kind. "Yes, but how do you know that? And how do you know Kenshin? It's your turn to answer the questions!"

Hiten Mitsurugi Style…Kenshin's secret one-of-a-kind sword style. This was definitely Kenshin's master. Nobody else would know the Hiten Mitsurugi Style.

"I suppose the only way I can say this is…well, I don't believe I introduced myself properly did I?" asked Tomoe.

"Well…no, but that's hardly the point," said Hiko, annoyed that she might be trying to get out of answering the questions.

"My full name is Tomoe…Himura," said Tomoe.

Hiko registered the name with shock. Tomoe HIMURA! "The baka got MARRIED?" he said and, for what was perhaps the first time in his life, he was shocked.

"Yes, Kenshin is my husband…why are you so surprised that Kenshin got married?" asked Tomoe somewhat amused by his reaction.

Well at least I was right about her husband being an Imperialist. But still Kenshin got married? In answer to her question he said, "The reason I'm surprised is because after I explained the 'facts of life' to Kenshin, he couldn't even look at a girl without turning bright red. And when he did finally manage to stop his voice from cracking when he talked, he tripped over himself trying to impress her," he said, still chuckling over the memory. He normally didn't explain himself but if this was Kenshin's wife, then this was the perfect opportunity to embarrass him a little. Even better than when he was telling the Shinsengumi since this time she knew who he was talking about.

Tomoe found herself smiling at Kenshin's antics. No wonder he never talks about his childhood, if this is the kind of thing he grew up with, she thought.

"So tell me, how is the baka," asked Hiko, suddenly serious. Other than the rumours Sho told him, he didn't know anything about what Kenshin had been up to. Was he really the demon everyone made him out to be? He really didn't want to know if Kenshin's heart and spirit was destroyed but he had to know. Just what had they done to him?

"You're his master aren't you?" asked Tomoe. At Hiko's nod she continued, "Well then there's not much to tell. Obviously with the Hiten Mitsurugi Style he wins every fight he enters. When he kills…it almost seems like he doesn't care but when we first met, we were sleeping in the same room, I on the futon and he was sleeping sitting up, he had a nightmare. He's no demon, Hiko-san, you can be sure of that. Katsura-san asked me to be his sheath," said Tomoe, looking at the man as he processed the new information.

"What do you mean by sheath?" he asked.

"Katsura-san didn't want Kenshin to be consumed by madness so he asked me to be his sheath, to hold the madness in. To bring him back to humanity, if you know what I mean. And, well, we fell in love and when we were told to go into hiding after the Ikedaya affair and to pose as a couple we decided to make it official and get married," said Tomoe. I really do love him and care for him…I just can't help the Shogunate defeat him. I care for him to much.

"Hmph. And why didn't the little baka tell me he was getting married?" said Hiko, mainly to himself. At least now though…he has someone to help him, to make sure he doesn't become a soulless demon. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice that a ki was coming closer to his cabin.

"So you're in hiding in Otsu," said Hiko. It all fit. She carried around a dagger to protect herself, after all she had to, her husband was one of the most wanted men in Kyoto. Her husband's ability to 'disappear in the shadows', he snorted at that one, he'd better have that ability, the kid was, after all, the student of Seijurou Hiko, and her dislike of Kyoto, after all that was the place she and Kenshin were in the most danger and where Kenshin had to work.

"Yes. We are posing as apothecary and wife. It's working quite well. And all of the children love to play with him. And we're even making a garden and growing some plants there. I had no idea he was such a good farmer," said Tomoe, smiling a bit as she remembered some of the peaceful moments they had in Otsu together.

Children? Farming, I know mused Hiko. Kenshin had always been good with plants. Actually, the boy had had a small garden here as well. After he'd finally got it into his head that not all pretty things were good for him he'd become quite good at it. But he'd never played with children much. Of course, he was usually much to busy with training, but still. "Children?" he said out loud.

"Yes. He really is very good with them. He plays hide and seek with them in the forest. It's odd, he seems to be able to tell exactly where they are no matter how far into the woods they go," she said, thinking about all the times the children would beg him to play with them.

"Of course he can. I was the one that taught him after all," said Hiko, smirking.

Tomoe nodded absentmindedly. "If you don't mind answering one more question for me, Hiko-san," she asked.

"Well, I suppose I can answer one more," said Hiko.

"You mentioned to the Shinsengumi captains that Kenshin isn't your student, but your son. However Kenshin's parents died when he was 6. So why…" she said, trying to find the right words to finish her question.

"Why did I call him my son?" he finished for her. Tomoe nodded. "You're right. Kenshin is really my student. He was seven when I found him, but I care a lot about my little baka deshi," said Hiko, admitting something to her that so far he'd only ever admitted to himself…and that was reluctantly. He didn't add that although they were in no way blood related, Kenshin really was like a son to him.

"Did I just hear correctly?" asked a voice from the shadows a few moments later. Hiko and Tomoe turned around to see a short red-head standing at the doorway, a look of disbelief etched on his face as he stared at his master.

((())) Authors Notes ((()))

Hehe, another cliffie! Blame Hiko, he didn't know whether he wanted to hit Kenshin for eavesdropping, tease him about getting married or just being relieved that he's ok. By the out of the above, please choose what you think Hiko's reaction should be and let me know!

And no, I didn't add a fight with the Shinsengumi because I honestly couldn't find a way to do so without ruining the flow of the story…so sorry but no fight. At least Kenshin gets to know that Saito and Okita know his most embarrassing secrets. (And yes, there will be more embarrassing Kenshin moments next chapter…)

One more thing, do you guys want me to add a chapter where Hiko finds out about Tomoe's death? Coz I've been wanting to do that, but I want to hear your opinions!

There'll probably be 2-3 chapters left (this is turning out much longer than I thought it would, but that's a good thing, right?) and I should update within the next few days. Oh and I got a 92 on my test! Sorry, I'm just really happy!

And THANK YOU VERY MUCH to akisu-san, starfruit-22, TeZukAb0ch0u, MikaylaMae and DragonWolfStar for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, drop me another comment!

Anyways that's all, hope you enjoyed and please, drop me a review!