Not much to say...not really any warnings..just eh...it's short! ) ENJOY!

Midnight Cherry Tree's

Chapter 6: Goodbye?

Remiyu crouched down in the darkness pulling Kenshin with her. Tears swelled up in her eyes as Kenshin tried to ask her what was wrong and what was happening. Kenshin looked out the window to see men coming closer and closer with the shadows of swords hooked to their sides.

"It's ok Remiyu…m-maybe they are just passing by…they'll be gone soon…and if they don't I'll protect you."

Remiyu couldn't understand this, a mere 7 year old boy almost eight protecting her? Sure he had spilled all that blood…but maybe he just got lucky.

"Kenshin, being able to wield a sword and swing a few moves…doesn't make you a hero."

Kenshin frowned.

"What are you saying Remiyu? That I can't take these guys?"

Remiyu nodded. She began to cry some more and stuck her thumb in her mouth. She grabbed her blue and yellow blanket burying her face into it as she sucked on her thumb. Kenshin had stopped the habit of sucking his thumb 2 years ago. He wished he still did suck his thumb because in a way it was sort of a comfort to him.

"Remiyu, I think they are going away…"

Kenshin caught a glimpse of there blue gi's that had white designs on the sleeves. All of them held their hair up in even pony tails. He also saw what looked like a boy who was just a little bit older than him. He put his finger to his mouth to shush Remiyu and listened carefully as they began to talk.

"There's no one there Saitoh!"

An older man said to the younger boy.

"But Master! I heard them!"

"Saitoh, how many times have I told you not to lie to me? No one has ever lived there since the man died long ago. There is no way his wife and daughter could have survived with out his protection up here."

The younger boy, whose name was apparently Saitoh, looked like he was going to cry, but followed the rest of the men as they headed back from whence they came.

"See Remiyu I told you they would leave."

Remiyu didn't move she just sat there rocking herself to sleep in a fetal position. Kenshin felt bad. He got up and put his arms under her little body attempting to carry her to her room, but his little arms were no match for her little body. He sighed and walked to their room and dragged the light bed out to her. He rolled her onto it tucking her in. Dragging his bed out too, he took off his sword setting it next to his pillow. Curling up into a fetal position much like Remiyu's he tucked himself in wishing that his mother were there to do so, but she wasn't there nor Namika to comfort his torn soul. He stuck his thumb in his mouth feeling comfort spread through out his whole body, for now he would just sleep.

-------

Hiko walked ahead of Namika as they headed back. Namika was constantly talking about Remiyu and Kenshin and how Kenshin was very mature for his age and how he got him that way.

"Yeah…he's a good kid…blah…blah…blah…now will you quit blabbing on and on about my apprentice and your kid and hurry up."

"Well pardon me, but I thought I was being entertaining."

Hiko stopped and turned around.

"Entertaining? This is exactly what I hate about women. They've got everything a man could ever hope for but their mouth. The one thing men hate is how women can't shut the hell up!"

"Well you were the one who was responding! I thought you enjoyed it!"

"Responding would be the only way to tire your mouth out but you just had to keep on going didn't ch'ya?"

"Well I—

"No! Don't speak let's hurry up and get home before it gets dark and freeze my freakin' feet off!"

Hiko began to walk and Namika came shortly after he did.

"You don't have to be so rude you know."

"Rude, me rude? I am appalled that you think that but it's kind of hard to not be rude when you won't SHUT UP!"

"Well when your walking it's nice to talk don't you think?"

"No…it's not…"

"Oh come on Hiko…"

Namika said seductively.

"Why suddenly a change in voice?"

"Well I entirely don't know…"

She giggled.

"Namika quit it…I told you…you're not a whore…"

"Well I could be…"

"No you couldn't…"

"Why not Hikums…?"

"Don't call me that Namika…I mean it stop it…"

Namika giggled some more and came up from behind breathing on his neck. Hiko felt a shiver run up his spine.

"Come on Hiko…"

She whispered.

"Namika…"

"Yes…?"

She grinned. Hiko then suddenly snapped and lashed out his hand whipping across her fair white face.

"Stop Namika, you don't know what your doing or saying! You've got a kid up there! We don't have time for this! Why can't you just shut up and leave me alone! I mean it Namika don't speak!"

Namika nodded silently and sniffled crying under her breath. Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth and her cheek throbbed and seared with pain.

"I'm sorry Namika…but I must respect you…I love you…but I can only stay if you promise you wont do this to me…you cannot bear my child Namika…you mustn't, because to do so would bring you much pain fore I cannot marry you...I am an outlaw the shogunate will find me sooner or later and I will have to leave. If you bear my child I will have to leave you just like your husband did."

"I understand, won't say anything more…I was wrong to act that way in front of you."

Namika nodded.

"When's Kenshin's birthday?"

"In 2 days I think."

"Well then won't that be a treat?"

Hiko nodded.

"Come Namika, we must keep moving."

Slipping up the side of the hill it began to get dark and they quickened the pace. They needed to get home to Remiyu and Kenshin.

"Remiyu must be so scared!"

Namika gasped.

"Naw, Kenshin should be some sort of comfort!"

"Remiyu gets really scared when there isn't an adult!"

"Kenshin acts like one!"

"That won't be good enough go faster!"

They sped up their wooden sandals slipping on the snow. Namika suddenly let out a horrifying scream and fell. Her ankle didn't look like it was supposed to be facing in that direction. It looked really nasty.

"Are you ok Namika?"

"Aye…my ankle…"

"Holy…Namika I'm going to have to carry you on my back…"

"No Hiko…its ok I'll be able to walk on – AYE!"

Namika had just tried to get up but her ankle seemed to crush its self beneath her weight.

"No you can't…"

Hiko carefully hoisted her onto his back and ran as fast as he could go. Hiko wasn't surprised when Namika started treating him like a horse.

"FASTER HIKO!"

"I can't with your fat trunk on me!"

"I don't care! Hey what's that in the distance?"

Hiko smirked.

"It's home Namika…"

"Oh!"

Hiko ran as fast as his legs would carry him and collapsed on the front porch Namika rolling off his back. Hiko gathered his breath and picked up Namika in his arms slowly opening the door. He saw Kenshin and Remiyu curled up with their blankets and sucking on their thumbs.

"Huh."

Hiko grunted.

"Kenshin told me he had stopped."

He shrugged and took Namika to her room laying her on her bed.

"I'll be right back Namika just sit tight."

Hiko ran into the living room and picked Kenshin up with his bed and set him and his bed on the shiny wooden floor of his bedroom doing the same to Remiyu. He then ran and got a bucket full of snow and packed the snow around Namika's foot and ankle inside the bucket.

"Cover up now… this should help the swelling…"

"Since when did you become so utterly caring?"

Namika said with a bitter voice.

"Because I care about you..."

"Right…"

"I really do care Namika…"

"I some how…can't believe that Hiko…"

"I carried you all the way here on my back! And suddenly I don't care!"

"You're just here…because you're lonely…not because you care…and you carried me…because you couldn't live with the guilt that you left a women out in the cold to die…a women who had a daughter…"

"Namika don't say that…you don't know that…"

"Thank you Hiko…but you needn't lie to me…"

Hiko grunted and slowly walked out of the room. Maybe he didn't care; maybe he was just there because he was lonely. Maybe he just needed someone to say I love you to. Hiko shook his head and went to his own bed. On his way he stopped at Kenshin and Remiyu's room and woke Kenshin up.

"What Master…?"

Kenshin said drowsily.

"Kenshin, I'm setting you free—

"What…?"

"I'm setting you free to do what you want to do. Tomorrow I'm leaving at dawn. You may stay and live like a normal boy, or your can come with me as I would have ordered you to do."

"But Master?"

"Kenshin, you will not call me by that name. You will now address me as 'Hiko'."

Kenshin nodded as Hiko took his leave.

"Oh and boy."

Hiko called.

"You don't have to keep the name I gave you, you can change your name to whatever."

"Yes Hiko, but I like Kenshin."

"Tomorrow I would like your decision. Alright boy?"

"Yes Hiko."

"Goodnight Kenshin."

"Goodnight Hiko."

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Namika felt the tears seep from the corners of her eyes as her ankle began to throb. It felt like a huge club. It was very numb from the snow, but if anything could help it the cold would. She whined in discomfort.

"Why does he have to be so rude? He said that he screwed tramps all the time…well something like that. I thought that if I could be that maybe…just maybe he could share some love with me. What am I saying? I just want to know why he has to be so cold."

She whispered to herself. Her cold icy hand made its way to her own cheek to feel the searing pain return. He had hit her for a reason, some sort of lesson. Would Hiko be the kind to just hit a girl? Hiko had wise reason that no one could understand. Why was it that she always fell for the bad boys? Everything about him made her stomach turn. Her last husband hadn't been that way. He was sweet loving, he made a great living with the farm. He just couldn't give her everything she wanted. She couldn't understand why or how, he just couldn't.

To be continued...

A/N: Finished! ) ok well i enjoyed writing this chapter, it was fun I just wish it could've been just a little bit longer but i was stumped at that point so hoped you enjoyed! REVIEW! (dear people i know i will answer your review questions in person)

-Rachee-chan