Someone was pounding furiously on the door, dragging the downcast Aoshi out of bed as he forced himself to go to the door. He was suffering from a hangover alright. After three straight days of drinking himself into oblivion, he had every intention to sleep till the afternoon before starting to drink again to escape a few facts of his life.

Misao Makimachi was responsible for his parents' death.

Kenshin was in the hospital, unconscious since the time he left straight after Misao left the visitor room to do the blood test.

He had yanked all of his telephone line out and switched off his handphone so that no one would disturb him from his private hell.

And now some moron is pounding the door, not wanting to leave.

He opened the door, only to be pushed into the house and given a punch on the face. "YOU BASTARD!" An unfamiliar voice shouted unsteadily.

He landed on the floor as he shook his head. If he didn't have that hangover, he would have returned the blow. But damn shit, he felt like a ton of brick was weighing him down.

He blinked and opened his eyes slowly, to see a pair of hands lugging him one once more and drew the hand back to deliver another blow. "Stop!" Aoshi shouted, not realizing that it was no use. Before the fist met his face again, his right hand stretched out and blocked it.

Aoshi was shocked and dismayed when he figured who the attacker was. He pushed the person away as he struggled to stand up. "How the hell did you get my address Soujiro?"

The man blinked and shook his head before speaking unsteadily. "I can't read lips. You would need to write out or hand sign to me."

Aoshi groaned before searching a piece of paper and pen. By the time he found what he wanted, he desperately wanted to go back to bed for the killer headache was irritating him.

'How did you get my address?'

"Kenshin gave it to me." Soujiro said, with the hesitating voice.

'Kenshin is awake?'

Soujiro sighed and nodded. Although Aoshi wanted to ask how his brother was, he had one question that kept bothering him.

'If you can't read lips, how can you talk?

You never talked to us last time.'

He could see Soujiro literally rolling his eyes. "It doesn't mean… if I don't talk and used sign language… means th…that I cannot talk…" He said, stuttering the words out. "I.. just don't like peo..ple… to stare … at me.. when I am no.." he took in a deep breath. "not speaking properly."

Aoshi stared at him for a moment before he wrote.

'You can speak at your own pace.

But what brings you here?'

Soujiro took in a deep breath. "Kenshin is.. asking.. for you." He frowned and tried harder. "You cannot blame Misao for everything." He said slowly, in order not to let his stuttering problem manifest.

'What Misao did was unforgivable!

You think I didn't suffer because of her careless act?'

"You think that she… she.. she didn't suffer as well!" Soujiro slammed against the table, breathing hard, with the furious glint in his blue eyes. "She.. was uprooted because.. coz of this and.. you think she isn't guilty?"

Aoshi blinked, not caring whether he was losing his control of his temper. "DAMN YOU SOUJIRO! I LOST MY PARENTS!"

But all Soujiro did was blinked and shook his head and thrust the paper into his hands.

Aoshi muttered an awful curse before scribbling on the paper.

'I lost my parents because of Misao's act.

Am I expected to forgive her?'

"Do you love her?"

Now it was Aoshi's turn to blink.

"I came here because Misao has been visiting Kenshin for the past three days." Soujiro started slowly. "And she is always quiet and sad. She isn't herself Aoshi. When Kenshin-san woke up, he was stroking her face and telling her its okay." He ran his hands into his hair. "She would come to work tired and her eyes are red." Soujiro looked straight into his eyes. "Do you love Misao enough… enough to free he… her from hell?"

He took the paper and wrote something on it before crumpling it and threw it to him before walking out.

"Wait!" Aoshi quickly got out of the chair, only to sit down again, feeling the effect of the alcohol. He watched Soujiro closing the door behind him and knew there was no way of calling him back. He glanced at the paper that landed squarely at his feet and he bent down to pick it up.

'Think about it.

She loves you.'

That got him staring into space, trying to think.

Misao stirred from the couch that was opposite Kenshin's bed. She smiled sadly as she watched Kenshin stroking Kaoru's hair gently, with a wistful look on his face. If only Aoshi looked at her as longingly as Kenshin did. Her heart went out to Kenshin for she knew what Kaoru had in mind that would most probably break his heart.

She looked at the sleeping woman on Kenshin's bed. With the light purple turtle neck blouse and the black jeans she wore, she looked peaceful as she slept. She met Kaoru on the first day she opened the bookshop and was pleasantly surprised when she communicated with Soujiro using sign language.

Their friendship was built on that as well as common interest- books. Kaoru was a hopeless romantic and so was she. She shared with her once that she longed to meet her childhood crush and hope that he would fall in love with her. It was almost perfect till four days ago, Kenshin met in an accident and Kaoru blamed herself.

Kaoru was going to make the biggest mistake in her life. Oh yeah, she told her it was a dumb idea but she refuses to listen.

She saw Kaoru flinched and watched Kenshin immediately putting his arms around her, as if to protect her. However they were shrugged off as Kaoru rose from the chair next to the bed. As she walked out of the room, Kaoru looked at her and mouthed her thoughts before leaving. And Misao saw the tears running down the face as she left.

Misao riveted her gaze back at the patient and saw his eyes filled with sadness as he looked back at her. "Talk to me, please?"

Misao stood up and occupied the seat that Kaoru just left. "You look tired." Kenshin said.

"Kaoru needed company. I had to drag her to the bookshop and give her books to read if not.." She trailed off, not wanting to reveal more.

"If not she would cry?" Kenshin said. "Don't look so shock. I heard her cry herself to sleep two nights in a row." He paused for a moment as he studied her, making sure she was looking at him. "How are you?"

Misao sighed. She must look like crap! Her pigtail was in a mess and she had slept in the hospital in the blue long sleeved blouse and jeans. "Fine."

"Don't lie. Your eyes give you away. You had a quarrel with Aoshi?"

"He hates me." Misao let it out in a breath, feeling tears coming into her eyes.

Kenshin shook his head. "He cares for you more than anyone I know."

Misao closed her eyes. "I killed his parents." She took in two deep breaths to calm herself down before opening her eyes.

"He is a fool then. He allows the past to control his future." Kenshin said with another of his sad smile. "Many people make that mistake." He paused. "The question is whether you would commit that same mistake?" She saw pain flashed in his violet eyes as he glanced out of the window.

"I don't know Himura-san." Misao said in defeat. "I don't have the courage to face his anger and reason out with him. I have accepted my past which was why I moved back home after fifteen years. But Aoshi…"

Kenshin turned back and caused Misao to trail off for she saw his eyes were golden yellow. "You need courage to find your own happiness or you are better off dead." He said harshly, causing Misao to flinch. "Aoshi's parents avoided you and lost their lives in the process. Is this how you repay them? By not finding the courage to live? You can always die Misao-chan. It's living that takes real courage." He turned away once more as the words echoed through her mind.

She stared out of the window, trying to figure whether she really had the guts to fight for her happiness. Most probably she would. Now the question is how? She looked back at Kenshin, relieved to see that his violet eyes staring at her. "I'm sorry"

"It's okay." Misao brushed the apology aside. "You just stated the fact. And I am a survivor. I should have more guts to let this type of things weigh me down." She got up. "I need to go and figure myself out."

"Wait!" Kenshin raised his hands. "Give me a paper and pen please?"

Misao looked at him curiously as she went to her bag and took out a notebook and a blue pen. She gave it to him and watched him scribbled something on the paper. When he was done, he gave it back to her. As she looked at what was written, she smiled. "Thank you, Himura-san"

"Wait for a week from now." Kenshin said. "Think of what I said and act accordingly."

For the first time in days, Misao gave a heartfelt smile. "Thank you." She said for the final time before leaving the ward, leaving Kenshin all alone.

Great.. one more chapter to go then I am done... grinz

How do you guys find it so far?

Joyful-x