THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER

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Title: "1o Different Ways to Say I'm Sorry"

Summary: Au. AxM If High School is filled with heart-ache, imagine collage. Going to college means facing Aoshi Shinomori again. Can Misao really face her past sins?

A/n:

Here is the last chapter. Enjoy.

PLEASE READ

I have a few issues to face. First off I want to thank all my reviewers. Though I don't like to read criticism, I feel it is necessary for a good story. I realize that I am Megumi bashing, and I will admit that bashing any character is not the best way to do things. However, every story also needs a bad guy. In this fan fiction my bad guy changes from Misao to Aoshi to Megumi. In this fiction the villain is the characters. Every person has a part of themselves that is not savory and I am trying to bring that out. Aoshi is misguided. Misao is hot headed. Megumi is also hot headed and jealous. I am sorry if some of the characters are OOC but this IS an AU and one can not make the characters exactly how they are in the anime. That and I am not the owner of RK so I can not be expected to write them exactly how they are. Hopefully I have addressed all the issues people have had with thus fiction. I know it is dragging and hopefully I can amend that in this chapter. This fiction is coming to an end so enjoy.

PLEASE READ ABOVE

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. I also don't own Sugarcult's "Back to California."

Chapter: Back To The Beginning

How long I'll wait
Just to say goodbye
Ten different waysto enjoy this night
Can't do this anymore
Won't feel you anymore

How long I'll wait
Just to say goodbye
You could never let me in
Holding on until the end

The time I waste just to say goodbye
Out of your way
I could do this right
Can't see you anymore
Won't feel you anymore

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Misao needed to stop. Her legs were burning and her breath was coming in gasps. She needed to stop but she couldn't. It was all too much too soon. She could feel the tears that she had shed drying as she dashed through the streets. Too many tears were shed over Aoshi Shinomori for her own liking, yes far too many. The street signs blurred past her as she ran towards her dorm. Vaguely she could hear him following her like she knew he would. She also knew that she was running a losing race. He had longer legs and more stamina, but she couldn't give up.

"Misao." She heard his soft ash like voice whip towards her. Closing her eyes she made her battered legs go just a little bit faster just a little bit longer. She just could not deal with this. Every human had a breaking point and this was hers. She had said her apologies and made her amends; there was nothing more he could want from her. He had moved on, if the appearance of the long haired beauty was any sign. She should follow in his footsteps and simply live without him. In time she was sure that she could forget him. She could breathe without him right? If she could do that then she could do anything. It had been silly for her to have come to Tokyo and assume that he would forgive her and take her back. It had been two years and she would simply have to go on with out him and without her heart.

Finally reality in the form of Aoshi caught her. She stopped abruptly and he crashed into he back. Aoshi managed to keep them both up right.

"Misao calm down; you are solving nothing by being hysterical." Misao closed her eyes and wished for nothingness. But Kami-sama was not being generous today.

"Misao we need to talk and a conversation takes two people." Aoshi stated calmly. Misao remembered saying that before…

FLASHBACK

Misao sipped her drink and glanced at Aoshi deliberately once more. He didn't seem to get what she was doing. She began to nervously twist her long braid in front of her. The twisting became rebraiding.

"So is that hamburger good?"

"hn."

"Right." A few more minutes of awkward silence reigned.

"You know Aoshi-sama; it takes two to make a conversation." He looked up and a smirk appeared on the corners of his thin lips. 'Alright that's a good start on our first date.' Misao thought to herself with a secret smile.

END FLASHBACK

"Go away Aoshi." She expected him to do as she wished. Why would he not? He hated her and he blamed her. But instead she felt his arms tighten around her and she felt his head rest on her shoulders.

"No, I will not go away." Misao tried to rip herself from his arms but all she was able to do was turn around so that she was pressed against his rock hard chest. She struggled for a few more minutes before collapsing against his chest with a sob.

"Let me go Aoshi. I said my apologies and I can do no more than that. I just want to go home, so let me go."

"You have said what you need to say, but I have not. I was hurt and I was a fool. I will not say that I can ever forget them, but it was not your fault. It hurt me so deeply that all I wanted to do was justify it. And my way of doing that was by blaming someone, and you were the only one I could blame. In the end it ceased to be about them and became all about me. I had forgotten what they would have wanted from me. Hannya would have never wanted me to hate and despise you. I wish I could say that I completely forgive you, but I still harbor some distrust. But …..Even so I…Misao." He opened and closed his mouth once then twice before falling silent. He loosened his arms and Misao could have pulled away if she wished to. He waited to feel her break the circle of his arms.

What he did not expect was a pair of small arms glomping him tightly. "I WON'T LET YOU HATE ME AOSHI-SAMA!" Misao yelled into his chest.

She stared into his cold blue eyes with a passion and energy that she had been lacking for the last few years. Aoshi tensed in her arms at first and then hugged the exuberant woman back. They stayed like that for as long as time would allow them and then pulled away. Misao looked up into his icy eyes with all the love and forgiveness that was in her tiny body and Aoshi's eyes as usual showed her nothing. Sadly their reunion was interrupted by a woman clearing her throat.

"Megumi." Aoshi said as he turned to where the beautiful woman stood with tears in her red eyes. He could see the feelings flow through her eyes like water, betrayal, hurt, hatred, and finally realization. Misao watched the same emotions pass through her eyes and felt sympathy for the woman she had hated not five minutes ago.

"I see you've made your choice Aoshi." Megumi said with a sniff. She could feel her heart beating painfully fast in her chest. It was so loud and she couldn't stop it beating. She wished she could. All she wanted was to stop the thumping. Aoshi walked over to Megumi and crushed her to his muscled chest. She gasped and could not help but melt into his embrace. "I loved you Aoshi." She mumbled into the thick material of his trench coat. Threw her tears she saw Misao start walking away.

"I know and I do wish I could say it back to you." Aoshi looked into her beautiful eyes and knew where he needed to be. Megumi clutched him to her trying to keep him there if only for a few more moments. "I wished that I could have made you love me Aoshi." Megumi sobbed into his chest.

"Aa. I have to go Megumi." Megumi looked up at Aoshi and drowned in his eyes once more before pulling back and walking away. She didn't look back. Not once. She walked towards her future. She walked towards where destiny was leading her and her broken heart. But most importantly she moved on.

Misao walked along the sidewalk whistling a tune she had made up. Her head told her that she should be worried about Megumi winning Aoshi back with her pretty smiles and softly spoken words. Misao's head wanted Misao to cry and to be upset, but Misao's heart simply wouldn't let her. No matter what happened from now on Aoshi had forgiven her. His eyes had spoken to hers. She did not need it in words or actions. Words could lie and actions could prove false. Eyes were the place where truth lived. Eyes were enough for Misao.

Misao walked confidently into her new life and all the worry and stress of the old one slipped off to where it belonged, in the past.

How long I'll stay
Just to say goodbye, say goodbye

Leave it all the fights and all
Summer's getting colder
Drive all night to hold you tight
Back to California
Days went by
We waited and I guess we're getting older
We couldn't win in the end

You're gone
I'm miles away
Turning out your lights
Ten different ways I could end this night
Can't do this anymore
Won't feel you anymore

How long I'll wait
Just to say goodbye, say goodbye

Leave it all the fights and all
Summer's getting colder
Drive all night to hold you tight
Back to California
Days went by
We waited and I guess we're getting older
We couldn't win in the end

You're gone

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THE END

A/N: and that is the song that inspired it all. Honestly I'm glad it is over. I like the feeling of completion. It was a long time coming but I am fianally here and it feels great. okay so tell me what you thought of the end. OH and...So do you think Aoshi went after Misao or just forgot about both Misao and Megumi? Can you say Epilogue?

I'd like to thank all my reviewers. I could not have gotten this far without you. So THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

See ya next time!

-Mandella-sama

Ps: I LOVE YOU ALL!