Disclaimer: SAMURAI CHAMPLOO IS NOT MINE! SURE DO WISH IT WAS THOUGH!

Author note: Yes this is the last chapter. Not much to say but read and review!

Chapter 11: Ending the war…

Jin entered the hotel carrying Shino's small body in his arms. She had yet to wake up and I feared she wouldn't. Jin stared at her bruised face, taking in the discoloration now tarnishing her usual porcelain skin. Blood caked around the fold of her neck and stained the deep blue of Jin's yukata sleeve where he held her head as he walked back from the dock. His body seemed to sway along the path. Not even as if he were walking but just floated towards the town ahead.

I wanted to walk next to him and ask if he was alright. Mugen put up his arm and stopped me as if he knew my thoughts.

"This isn't the best time for you to speak to him."

"Why not?" I asked feeling like I should do something.

"Think about it Fuu. What could you say to him to make him feel better about what's happening right now?"

I looked up at Jin's back and realized I didn't know what to say. Why did I still have this urge to help him? To make sure he was alright? He never did for me. There he was holding the woman who I thought I was jealous of for all these years and I still felt like he belonged to me, like we were still on our journey. I still hadn't let go…

I felt the tears begin to form in my eyes. I pushed them back as Mugen looked down at me.

We reached a hotel at the end of the path shortly after. Mugen sat outside, muttering he'd seen death more times in his life than he wished. Although he was as rude as ever when he said it I understood him completely. After my mother's and the monk's death, I did not think I could face it again.

I tried to catch Mugen's eye to see if he was really upset with the situation or if it was really me he didn't want to be near. His gaze landed on the ground beneath him and there it stayed until I turned away. I didn't want to turn my back on him but I knew I couldn't leave Jin alone.

The anger I thought I carried for him in my heart was gone the moment I saw his face. He looked as if he didn't know what to do with himself. The extensive training as a samurai, the years of wandering he done alone - nothing prepared him for a moment like this. And for the first time I'd actually seen an emotion behind those glasses… fear.

Perhaps he thought he might lose her and worried he would lose what he'd search so long to find. Perhaps he was afraid of being alone. Maybe we all were.

One of the ladies working in the hotel rushed Jin into a room to begin tending to Shino's wounds.

"You two stand outside. You will only be in the way if you're in here," she said shuffling around the room grabbing towels from shelves.

She hurried Jin and I out of the room, sliding the room door shut behind us. Jin rested his back and head against the wall next to the door.

"I'm sorry this happened to her Jin," I said watching as a veil began to cover his eyes. My voice came out as a whisper. I was afraid to speak. I didn't know what else to say and deep in me I feared I was doing wrong by Mugen just by opening my mouth. But the silence in the hall was more frightening than anything I'd encountered in some time.

Jin's body began to sink down to the ground until he sat cross-legged on the floor. He stared at the wall in front of us, focusing on it intently. His mouth slowly began to open. I could feel my heart speed up in anticipation of what he would say. I had not heard his voice since we were at the dock.

"I didn't intend on killing him," he said his voice raspy and hoarse as if he were forcing it over a lump in his throat. I feared he would cry, until I heard his voice once more.

"She wouldn't have wanted me to kill him. But when he said he would touch you I…"

The words themselves were confusing but the way he said them perplexed me further. Full of hurt… but towards me.

"Of…of course Shino would have wanted you to protect her from him, Jin. Her life was in his hands. You were just protecting her…"

Jin began to shake her head, "I was protecting you."

I didn't understand. What Jin wastalking about? And who was going to touch me? I wanted desperately to ask him but I was afraid if I interrupted he would stop talking.

Instead the woman in the room with Shino did as she exited from the room. Jin stood in silence, turning his back to me.

"She will be alright," stated the woman rubbing her hands together. "It was more shock than anything. But don't get me wrong; she has been banged up pretty bad. I will let you go in to see her, but only for a brief moment. Do not wake her. She needs rest more than anything right now."

Jin nodded and entered. I wanted to wait at the door but he held it open for me.

The blood from Shino's neck and bruises on her face were cleaned and the sweat formerly on her forehead was gone. Her hair was brushed and lay against the white of the sheet beneath her. So much like my mother…

I watched as her chest rose and fell as she took deep breathes. Jin kneeled at her bed. I felt as if I was intruding on their moment. I didn't need to be in the room. I bowed and stepped back out leaving the door opened.

Shortly after Jin walked through the door and slid it shut behind him. He walked past me as if I was not there. I took him by the arm before he passed.

"Jin, you were saying something before you went in the room. I-I want to know what you were trying to tell me."

Jin pulled away from me as if my hand burned his skin and continued to walk away from me towards the front door of the hotel as if I were not important. I felt anger rise in me. How dare he? After everything!

"You owe me!" I screamed, frustrated with him.

Jin stopped walking but did not turn around. It seemed as if he were holding his breath.

"I didn't intend on killing Hanjiro, until he said he would come after you."

Jin slowly turned and looked at me. His eyes seemed to look deep into my soul. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"I knew I wanted to take care of Shino, but thinking of him even trying to come anywhere near you… made me realize I still want to take care of you too."

Jin walked closer to me placing his hand on my shoulder. He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.

"You truly are special to me Fuu. No matter what you may think. I care about you. I shouldn't feel the way I do about you but I would be wrong to do anything about it. You belong to…"

I shook my head confused by what was happening. Was Jin actually…trying to tell me he… he…

"Somebody has taken care of her a lot longer than you, jackass. And I think I've done a better job at it than you ever could. I didn't need your help and come to think of it, it looked like you just needed me about 20 minutes ago."

Mugen stood at the door leading into the hotel. His hand on the hilt of his sword behind his head.

Jin turned towards Mugen blocking him from my sight.

"No one asked you for your help. And if you would listen for a minute you would let me…"

"Oh yeah, then why don't you go say so to your half dead girlfriend in there."

Jin pulled his sword from his hip.

"I didn't ever think I would use this on you, Mugen."

Mugen pulled his sword from his back, "Well bring it on."

"No!" I screamed making my way past Jin and standing between them.

"You promised you wouldn't ever try to kill each other," I said

"Yeah before he lost his fucking mind and started thinking he was doing shit to protect you. I did all the dirty work damn it. I was the one putting my ass on the line. And this bitch thinks he can step in. Anyway whether you killed the bitch at the dock or not, I wouldn't have let anything happen to Fuu."

I realized Mugen heard everything at the door, no matter how I tried to whisper.

I walked up to him afraid he might push me away. But I needed him to just back down for a moment. Just so I could speak without infuriating him further.

"Please Mugen," I whispered, pleading with my eyes. "Step outside so I can speak to Jin alone."

"So you are choosing this jackass over me."

Mugen's eyes seemed to turn blood red in front of me. I could feel my heart breaking at the thoughts possibly running through his head.

"I need to talk to him Mugen. Please give me just a minute."

He stared down in my eyes for what seemed an eternity. He turned away and sheathed his sword as he walked back through the door and out of my sight.

I turned towards Jin, feeling the cloud in my mind slowly begin to lift and my train of thought return to me.

"Before you say anything else I need to speak. I may be seeing what you were trying to say to me completely in the wrong light but its better I say this than not. I care about you too Jin, I always have and always will. But you didn't have to… I mean you don't have to worry about me."

I stepped back from him looking towards the door.

"Mugen is right; someone has been protecting me for a long time. Even when I didn't think he was there, he always was. And he won't stop protecting me any time soon."

I kissed Jin on the cheek.

"I will always be okay as long as Mugen is with me. Just as Shino will be with you."

"So our journey ends here?"

"No, our friendship continues from here. I expect to see you and Shino again."

Jin nodded and turned back to Shino's room, "No matter what Fuu, you and Mugen mean a lot to me."

I began to walk towards the front door, fearing what was outside. Fearing what may not be there. I waited before I stepped out, trying to hear Mugen. Hear him curse, hear him breath… something to let me know he was there. But nothing. All I could do was step through the door and pray. Pray he didn't leave me.

"Please Mugen, don't leave me…"

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I watched as Fuu walked through the doors and back into the night. I did love Fuu. If the situation were different I might have chosen to be with her as Mugen had but I knew love. I loved Shino more than anything in this world.

I walked back into Shino's room intent on spending the night and the rest of my life watching over this beautiful woman.

Shino lay quietly in the bed only making the occasional moan in her sleep. It was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard.

I found myselfnodding off beside the bed while staring at her face. No matter how many bruises covered her skin, she still appeared to be the most captivating woman I'd ever seen.

I locked the door and lay down in the bed with Shino hoping the woman who'd been watching over her would not return for the rest of the night.

My eyes shut tight and I felt myself drift into sleep. Just having Shino next to me made me more relaxed than I'd ever been. It felt good knowing shemade such anaffect on me. The affect to make me love.

"Jin," I heard a voice whisper. I believed it to be my dream as the tone danced through my mind.

"Jin," Shino replied again waking me from my sleep with the touch of her hand on my face.

Her smile shined like the sun, warming my body from head to toe.

"You should rest," I said wanting to make her as comfortable as possible. It pained me to know she may still be hurting.

"I am rested thanks to you."

I felt my stomach go empty hearing those words. How could she even begin to forgive me for allowing Hanjiro to lay a finger on her?

"If I had done a better job protecting you, then you wouldn't be in this situation."

"Neither of us knew this would happen. Neither of us wanted this to happen. But both of us are here now and I want to be with you the rest of my life. All I want is love, not a samurai."

For years a samurai was all I'd saw of myself. Even Fuu initially saw me as a hired worker. But to have this woman tell me she wanted nothing more than my love, made me feel like I was more than just a bodyguard.

She rubbed at my face and kissed my cheek before pulling my eyes into focus with her own.

"It should not be a job for you to love me, Jin. Just open up to me and hold nothing back. We have a journey of our own to follow and we can only do so when both of us are on the same path."

I kissed her on the lips and softly pulled her closer to my body.

"It seems once I have completed one journey I am finding another."

"Yes," she said yawning softly, "but this journey is the easiest of all. It's just the rest of our lives together."

I smiled slightly, allowing the sleep creeping into my tired body to take it over. Shino placed her head down on my shoulder and drifted back into sleep.

I leaned over close to her ear, "Hearing you say 'our' is the best thing I have ever heard in my entire life. For you I'd do anything and everything for as long as I can."

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I watched as Fuu stepped through the door. I could see the tears streaming down her cheeks but at the moment I didn't care. Just when I thought she'd chosen me she turned to him.

"You're still here," she replied turning towards me her voice showing her surprise.

I stared at her wishing I hadn't heard her in there talking to Jin. Even if she did care for him more than me, at least I wouldn't know about it.

"Are you going to say anything to me, Mugen?" she asked rubbing her hands together and taking a step closer to me.

I stared at her wondering if she would ever choose me over Jin. Was I just second choice?

"What is this Fuu? Am I just here because he's not?" The words came out more hurtful than I'd expected but I was hurt and I wanted her to feel it too.

"No. Didn't you hear what I just said to him? I don't want to be with…"

"But are you sure you want to be with me?"

Fuu placed her hand on my shoulder but it burned more than comforted me. I pulled away from her.

"I… I didn't come here just to save Jin. You know I came here because I didn't want to be without you."

"How could I know?"

"Because I'm telling you! The only feelings I have for Jin are those for a friend. You are the only man I want in my life, Mugen. If you can't believe me then… then you need to decide if you really want to be with me."

"I told you already! I came looking for you after all this time and I am still here now damn it!"

I sat down on the ground feeling as if I couldn't take much more of the argument.

"If I didn't want to be with you… I wouldn't have waited for you to come out of the hotel. I wouldn't be sitting here on the ground feeling like a dumb ass because I love you or worrying you don't love me."

Fuu knelt beside me and pulled my head to her chest.

"If I didn't love you then I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't feel as if my life were ending if you walked away from me."

I felt the tears fall from her eyes and land on my arm.

Fuu turned my face to hers, "I want to spend every waking moment with you Mugen. Nothing and no one in this world can change my feelings towards you. I need you more than air. You make me whole. You are the family I've wanted my entire life. Please don't take it away from me."

I heard the truth in every word coming out of Fuu's mouth. There was no way I could believe she was lying to me.

"You know I think you're the only family I have ever wanted, too."

Fuu smiled, "Then stay with me. Don't ever doubt me. You hold my heart and I want yours."

I nodded and kissed her on the lips.

"It was yours before you even asked for it."

A/N: That's it. Hope that you enjoyed it. I may write a sequel, but I have some other stories to finish first. Until my next thoughts hit the paper - Sayonara'.