Author's Note:

This chapter brought to you with in part through the kind encouragement of

Sabina-san (who writes excellent stories!; I'm glad that you liked seeing Saito of the Shinsengumi make an appearance, so to speak-stay tuned), thepatriarchlistens (I'm glad you're finding the detail so much fun!), Scintillaofmyself (thank you for understanding and as you can see, you were right-time for some more Shinsengumi), NyaPowa (thank you for the points and ideas, they're great!; Mamoru won't be forgotten; Chizuru may in fact prove them wrong; and Kaoru is causing even more mayhem than it may appear), 14Phantom (I'm actually very relieved that people look forward to updates!; thank you for such an enthusiastic review, it was great!), and nakigaoyuu (I can't wait to play Shinkai in English; and I'm thinking that you're right about the little ones, hehehe)

And of course, Guest: I had such a good time reading your comments, thank you :) Honestly, your evaluation on who to take home to meet the parents was awesome and made me laugh! I think it does provide some perspective on Suzuka, because a lot of Sano's refreshingly sane attitude to life may come from her; finally, and this is a good point you raised:

Amagiri wasn't implying that Chikage killed his own father; he's implying that Kimigiku did, in revenge for the cruelty to her sister and her baby nephew. The fact that this assassination meant that Chikage ended up head of his clan in his late teens is interesting, of course. I wonder if Chikage will make it past fifty?

Naming... specifically, the Ikeda Inn. This has been bothering me for a while. I have used Ikedaya until now, but it's not quite right. At some point, I will go back and fix the other chapters, but first, I'd like your input. Does anyone else out there have a preference between Ikedaya and Ikeda for an English story?

Thank you to everyone who is reading this story! A special thank you to Shell1331 whose perception and humour helped me through some writer's block.

~ImpracticalOni

\(^u^)/

Chapter 68 – The Wolves of Mibu

[I] - The Shinsengumi Meet

The common room at the Shinsengumi headquarters was fuller than it had been for some time. Only Saitō-san was absent, and his absence or presence generally made very little difference to the noise level in any event.

Once Yamazaki had come around properly, he had looked over Okita, who now insisted that he was perfectly well, despite the addition of several stitches to his body. Yamazaki had concluded that Shimada and Hijikata-san had done a competent job, although it must have been very uncomfortable for Okita-san. He immediately felt guilty for not feeling as badly about that as he should. Maybe if the man would stop calling him "Yama-chan" and actually take his medical advice for once…

When Sannan-san arrived, the noise level dropped a bit, for which Yamazaki was grateful. His head felt better than it had, but it still hurt and he should have stayed in bed. However, Kondō-san had asked him to come by after dinner, so here he was.

"Ah—thank you for joining us, Sannan-kun!" Kondō was saying, smiling at the Deputy Commander. "You should really leave your work more often, you know."

Sannan-san smiled, but Yamazaki felt a slight chill. The Deputy Commander looked the same as always, but by this point almost everybody tip-toed quietly around him: both his snide comments and his rather passive-aggressive self-pity were becoming very wearing. Only Kondō-san seemed immune to the unease that affected his captains and even the rank and file soldiers around Sannan-san. Actually, Yamazaki reflected, Okita-san still seemed not to mind. Maybe their attitudes cancel each other out, he thought, before reproving himself for not being more respectful of his superior officers.

"I thought it would be a good idea to have a quick meeting before tonight's patrols head out," Kondō said. "First, before going on to more serious—or at least more worrisome—matters, I'd like to formally announce that Third Division Captain Saitō Hajime has married Yukimura Chizuru-san. Saitō and, ah, his wife, are presently guests of her cousin, Osen-sama. Saitō will return to duty after tomorrow."

Although everyone present had known of the marriage, there was a murmur of voices.

"Personally, I find that pretty worrisome news, Kondō-san," snickered Okita. "Although I guess that's Hajime-kun's style… Go on one date—incidentally beating up some bad guys—get engaged, get married. All in less than a week. It's efficient, I'll give him that. I wonder if he's just as efficient—"

"Give it a rest, Sōji," growled Hijikata, over a certain amount of laughter.

Kondō-san cleared his throat, but he was smiling slightly.

"Well, it may turn out to be a decent match for Saitō-kun. I'm sure he'll be fine, Souji. Ah, and a good husband, of course. "

The good-natured Commander blushed slightly when there were a few chuckles at his comments. Sannan-san, beside him, was still smiling a little, but Yamazaki could feel the Deputy Commander's irritation rising.

"Not wholly unconnected to this happy news," Hijikata said, in the tone that suggested that he was ready for everyone to shut up, "we have reason to believe that the bastard who's been spying on us might be an Oni like those other men claim to be. You've all heard various things, but I want to be clear: Kondō-san, Sannan-san and I all believe that whatever else is going on, there's no question that this guy's dangerous. Also, I don't care if the idea of Oni is weird, we have to deal with it. Yamazaki, what does he look like—do you have a better idea now?"

Startled at suddenly being the center of attention, Yamazaki bowed to hide his momentary confusion. Unfortunately, the movement made his head ache more.

"Yes, Vice-Commander. He is smaller than I am—"

"Well that's saying something," sniped somebody, almost certainly Okita.

"…with dark hair and dark eyes. He is very strong for his size—"

"Don't worry, Yama-chan, so are you." Definitely Okita-san.

"Sōji, shut it or next time we're stitching up your mouth along with everything else!"

"Hai, Hijikata-san!"

"If you aren't feeling well, Okita-kun, perhaps you should return to bed," said Sannan, in a quieter but somehow more threatening tone. There was immediate silence in the room.

Yamazaki, who was looking at the floor during this exchange, wished again that he could go back to bed. His stomach had the uneasy feeling that so often accompanied a concussion. Also, Okita-san was being unusually annoying, even for him. He usually tempered his behaviour during official meetings, especially with Kondō-san and Sannan-san there.

"Can you tell us anything else, Yamazaki-kun?" asked Harada into the sudden hush, his pleasant voice somehow conveying sympathy for more than Okita's snarkiness. It was as if he knew that Yamazaki was in pain. He probably did. Even more interesting, though, was that Yamazaki's head cleared a little.

"Yes, Harada-san," the shinobi said respectfully. "I am almost certain that he was using some kind of magic to hinder Okita-san's movements."

"Magic now?!" demanded Kondō, sounding rather out of temper.

Hijikata-san pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I hate to admit it, Kondō-san, but if we're going to admit that the Oni aren't exactly human, then we might as well consider all the possibilities."

"I would like to know how you came to this conclusion, Yamazaki-kun," said Sannan, sounding more curious—almost eager—than upset.

Yamazaki continued stoically, as everyone present stared at him with expressions varying from disbelief (Kondō-san) to frustrated wariness (Okita-san):

"Deputy Commander Sannan. Since the events at the Ikeda, my senses have become increasingly sharp. Most recently, I have noticed what I can only describe as a kind of, of energy from Yukimura-san—that is, Saitō-san's wife."

"For the sake of simplicity, Yukimura-san is fine," said Sannan, his eyes flickering to the Commander and Vice Commander. The other two leaders nodded.

"Hai. Well, I believe that Yukimura is at least partially responsible—probably mostly responsible—for the way that many of the Shinsengumi have been able to heal from serious wounds. Harada-san's men should not have survived the wounds that they sustained; at least, I will say that their survival was highly unlikely."

"That's true," Harada said quietly.

"You think that's why Sōji and I healed so fast?" demanded Heisuke, his eyes glimmering aquamarines in the rather dim room. It was still raining, and the gray daylight was fading.

"Yes, Tōdō-san."

"This is extremely interesting," said Sannan, cutting off Heisuke's protest at Yamazaki's formality. "However, let us return to the first question: should we infer that you sensed a similar energy with the spy and that is why you think he was somehow, ah, impeding Okita-kun's efforts?"

Yamazaki repressed a sigh. He couldn't understand why he was so tired, but he felt exhausted.

"Yes, Deputy Commander. At least, I believe that I sensed or was aware of some kind of hostile effect on Okita-san emanating from the spy. I can show some kind of evidence for my belief in the fact that I was able to find the man much more easily than before. I regret that I cannot describe it better."

"Thank you, Yamazaki," Hijikata cut in, before Sannan could ask another question. "The point to take from this right now is that we don't really know what this guy's doing or how he's doing it but he is not to be taken lightly. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, dear mother," murmured Okita, amid the murmur of assent.

Despite his head, Yamazaki looked sharply at the First Division Captain, but apparently he was the only one who had heard. No—evidently Harada had heard as well, because the captain's amber eyes had also locked on Sōji's profile. Nobody said anything, however, and so the moment went unnoticed.

Yamazaki turned back to the Vice Commander, only to find Hijikata-san looking thoughtfully at him.

"You are not well, Yamazaki. Why—no, never mind that. Kondō-san, would you please excuse me? The others all need to hear your news, but I think somebody had better get Yamazaki to his room."

Yamazaki tried to protest, but the world was spinning and he suddenly realized that the problem wasn't his concussion: he had a raging fever. As embarrassed as he was—which was to say quite a lot—he was very grateful for the strong, rock-steady hand under his elbow as he made his way to the door. Oddly enough, he thought he heard Harada-san say something to Hijikata-san, but in his head. …may need their help… He was pretty sure that "they" meant the Oni. Yamazaki could only agree.

By the time Hijikata-san had helped him to his room, he was more than ready to lie down. He was relieved that he hadn't needed to be carried.

After several minutes of lying still, Yamazaki started to feel a bit better. That and the cool cloth on his forehead and face.

"If I get worse," he said softly, "will you contact them?"

The purple eyes that met his were stern.

"I will contact them regardless."

Just then, the door slid open and Shimada hurried in.

"Vice Commander!"

"Shimada. He has a fever and possibly a broken skull. Keep the fever down—he'll tell you how."

"Hai."

"And don't let anybody in to see him, on my authority."

Shimada looked startled. "Yes, Vice Commander."

Yamazaki felt relieved. He wasn't sure why, but he had been uneasy about being left alone. Fortunately, Hijikata-san was looking after things as usual.

"Rest, Yamazaki. I'll see you soon enough."

On those slightly cryptic words, the Vice Commander was gone.

Takeda had been watching the comings and goings with interest. Although he had a strong dislike of discomfort, and there was still a light rain, he needed information more than anything else in order to impress Kondō-san with his abilities as a thinker and strategist. The First Division's junior Vice Captain had already decided that Yamazaki-san was a potential hindrance, but the young shinobi could not be everywhere, and with the unrest in the City following the events at the Ikeda, he had spent far more time away from the compound than within it. This was a good thing, since it kept his odd purple eyes away from Takeda's business. Still, one could always hope that an unfortunate summer illness—all too common, after all—might pose a serious threat to the man's health.

[II] - The Commanders

Hijikata returned to the meeting to find that Kondō-san had more or less wrapped things up and everyone was sharing a drink. Harada, Nagakura and Heisuke were deep in conversation, and Gen-san was speaking with the two commanding officers. Sōji appeared to be watching the three younger men, but he turned to Hijikata almost as soon as the latter entered the room.

"Ah, Toshi!" exclaimed the Commander. "How is Yamazaki-kun?"

"Well enough, I hope. His head was bothering him quite a bit and I think he has a fever. I've left Shimada with him."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Kondō optimistically. "I just hope that he's better and Saitō's back if we get called into battle! I've told everyone that because of our success at the Ikeda, I received a letter this afternoon from the Military Governor himself saying that he will be glad to have our assistance—officially—if there is sign of more trouble going forward."

"Official acknowledgement is one thing," Sannan said quietly, "financial support is another. However, if there is action in the next few weeks, and we acquit ourselves with honour, perhaps there will be tangible rewards as well as recognition."

Across the room, Heisuke and Harada were standing up.

"Hijikata-san," called Heisuke, "Sōji and I were supposed to go out on patrol this evening, but Harada's going to replace Sōji. Anything we should know from Yamazaki?"

"No. But keep your eyes peeled out there, okay?"

"Yes, Hijikata-san."

"Yes, Vice Commander."

Nagakura finished his sake and rose as well.

"I think I'll go practice," he murmured.

Hijikata nodded. Nagakura had a lot on his mind, and was known for getting some of his best practice in when he was on his own in the evenings. Of course, as the Shinsengumi attracted a few keen swordsmen, along the usual sort of more roughly-trained warriors, it wasn't unheard of to find Nagakura giving impromptu lessons in the indoor training area late at night to like-minded enthusiasts.

"I think I'll go watch," said Okita, joining the small group now gathering at the door.

"Sure," said Nagakura easily. "But don't think I'm going to let you fight. I've had to carry you to your room once already today and you're damn heavy."

"Meat-head," said Sōji, without any heat.

"Green-eyed freak," was the reply in kind.

Both Hijikata and Harada relaxed when they realized that it was just a normal exchange. Then their eyes met and they exchanged rueful looks. It had been that kind of week.

"I'll meet you at the front gates when you've got your men ready," Hijikata told the Eighth and Tenth Division Captains. "I assume it's going to be a bit of a mix again?"

"Yes," said Heisuke, with a slight grin. "I wonder how Hajime-kun is going to feel when he realizes that while he's been off getting—ow, Sano-san—married, we've been taking his men out on patrol."

Hijikata rolled his eyes.

"Well just remember that they don't get hurt very often, so if you bring them back wounded, you'll be the ones explaining it to him."

"Yeah, Heisuke, don't break any of Hajime-kun's soldiers," put in Sōji.

"Come on Heisuke, let's get our guys," said Harada, tugging Heisuke's pony-tail. "I know I'm looking forward to a nice refreshing walk out in the rain."

"Again," agreed Heisuke, grimacing and then grinning. "Well, better than being bored, I guess."

"Out!"

There was a chorus ranging from "Yes, Hijikata-san" to "Fine, fine", and the captains headed off to their appointed or chosen tasks. Hijikata walked over to join Kondō-san and Gen-san.

"Stuck with dishes again, Gen-san?" he asked.

The older man smiled. "I offered. Besides, with Yamazaki-kun sick, I plan to visit some of the injured men to check on them. If anyone seems like they could use some exercise, I may press them into service."

"Aa. Well, if you find anybody who is really just playing games, send him to me."

"Of course, Toshi-san."

Hijikata tried to glare at him, but gave up when faced with Inoue's usual placid smile. Kondō-san laughed. Sannan-san seemed to be deep in thought.

"Will Saitō-kun be bringing Yukimura-chan back here?" Inoue asked, setting aside his empty sake dish.

"That's a good question. Saitō needs to return here full-time, even if he chooses to visit his wife when he can. Osen-sama's home is not especially close."

Kondō-san frowned.

"I thought that Yukimura-chan would prefer to stay with her cousin. Also, what would we tell the men?"

"I've been thinking about that," said Hijikata. "And to answer your first point, the truth is that Yukimura will almost certainly want to stay with Saitō wherever he goes. We can refuse to have her here, of course."

"She is a competent assistant for Yamazaki, however," Inoue said, peaceably. "We have felt her lack in just two days, apparently."

"We managed before she was here—before Yamazaki was here, even," Hijikata pointed out. He turned to the Deputy Commander, who still hadn't spoken. "What is your opinion, Sannan-san?"

Sannan-san looked up from his contemplation.

"Oh, I think that they should both be here. I know that we all have a great deal of respect for Saitō-kun's loyalty; however, between the Oni and a new wife, he is not quite the same man he was before. I am in favour of letting them both live, but to my mind, that means that they should be here, where we can observe them."

"Sannan-kun!" cried Kondō at once. "There is no need for such drastic talk!"

"Ah, Kondō-san," said Hijikata, clearing his throat, "I think that perhaps there is. There is no room in this organization for doubt. We are too small, and too much targets, to have captains, or leaders, that we cannot trust. As we've seen before."

There was a short, tense silence as they all remembered a night no more than a year before, when the current leadership of the Shinsengumi had decided to assassinate then-Commander Serizawa. There had been other convenient deaths before and since, but none so close to home. Kondō-san frowned deeply and looked down. Sannan-san gave Hijikata a measuring look.

"You trust Saitō-kun."

"Yes."

"But you agree that he may have changed?"

"No, not at all, in the sense that you mean. But he's being pulled deeper and deeper into Oni affairs. I want him back here. Plus, of course, his abilities—human and Oni—are potentially of tremendous benefit to us."

"And Yukimura-san? I am prepared to accept that they are married, but it may be disruptive to have her here—it could lead men to wonder why Saitō-kun should be allowed to have a woman in the compound and negatively affect discipline."

"No, I haven't suddenly changed my mind," Sannan added in response to Hijikata's narrowed eyes, "but how do you propose to manage things?"

"Me?"

Hijikata found Kondō-san, Sannan-san and Gen-san all looking at him with amusement, although Gen-san was trying to hide his smile.

"You are generally in charge of such day-to-day arrangements," Sannan said dryly.

"We could always tell the truth," suggested Inoue, with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "Well, an edited version," he agreed, as the other three looked at him in surprise.

"I still think she should stay with her cousin," protested Kondō. "And I believe that Osen-sama would prefer it as well."

"You have the final say, of course," murmured Sannan.

"Of course," said Hijikata, nodding to Kondō-san courteously. "There are good points on both sides."

Kondō appeared to be rethinking his position, however. He disliked being in opposition to either Sannan-kun or Toshi, let alone both.

"I would think that a young girl, barely a woman, would prefer to remain among her kin in comfortable surroundings," he said slowly. "However, at the same time, a young girl, just married, is likely to feel safest with her husband. There is merit in both points, and strong reasons to have Saitō-kun here. Not that I believe that Saitō-kun would ever betray us, but it would be better for him to be here to supervise his men in the usual manner."

Inoue smiled gently. "I will arrange things suitably," he said.

The other three looked at him, and he shrugged.

"Yukimura-chan belongs here with us. Moreover, she will want to be with Saitō-kun. I'm not sure whether anything short of a direct order from Saitō-kun would prevent her from coming here, if she could find any reasonable way to manage it. Material wealth or comfort will not weigh with her."

Kondō-san shook his head; obviously this did not match his experience of women. To be fair, it didn't really match Hijikata's experience either, not so much of women in particular but of people in general. Sannan-san just shrugged.

"Unless you are firmly against it, Kondō-san, I think that we should have the two of them here. Let Inoue-san organize things." Sannan-san smiled at the calm older captain. "I feel quite certain that he is well able to do so."

"And we tell the modified truth, then?" asked Hijikata, who was satisfied that things had gone the way he wanted.

"Yes," nodded Inoue. "We rescued the girl from ronin, she begged our help in finding her father, who did some work for us not too long before, and we dressed her in boy's clothes to conceal her from those who might wish her ill, given her father's disappearance. However, there is no longer quite the need for so much secrecy now that she is married and has a husband to look after her."

"You should write stories," Kondō said with a laugh.

"I feel as though we're already in one of the stranger legends," muttered Hijikata.

Sannan-san just nodded impatiently.

"I need to return to my research," he said to Kondō-san. "Please excuse me."

"Of course, of course…"

"I should go as well," said Hijikata, rising. "So tell me this, Gen-san: will you help look after any little brats they conjure up?"

Inoue laughed. He wasn't very much older than Kondō-san, although he gave the impression of it, both in appearance and character.

"I would expect any children of Saitō-kun's to be extremely well-behaved, wouldn't you?"

This time, everyone laughed, even Sannan-san. They parted in the hallway to go their separate ways.

Hijikata hurried off to the front guardroom by the gates, knowing that he'd kept the two patrols waiting longer than intended. Not that he looked in any way apologetic when he walked up.

"Vice Commander!" That was the lookout. Hijikata wondered what the man had done to get the job of standing in the rain waiting for him while the others stayed dry inside. Mind you, he was under the eaves of the building, in the shallow porch area.

"Send Harada out to me," he snapped at the man. "Tell Tōdō to assemble the rest."

"Yes, sir!" The man ducked inside, but Harada was already coming out through the door.

"Looking for me?"

"Shit—stop doing that. It's uncanny."

Harada grinned at him.

"I expect you'll have to get used to it too, eventually, Vice Commander. May I speak privately with you a moment."

"Yes, I—" But Hijikata was interrupted.

Mind to mind is faster. Do you want me to get Yamazaki to Sen-hime's?

To Harada's surprise, Hijikata barely blinked.

Sort of. I want Kimigiku or Saitō to come for him, preferably Saitō even though I hate to do it to him. Unless you think you can move him as quickly as they can?

Hijikata sensed frustration from Harada.

I can't seem to get the knack of that trick. Seems that even mom's special genes don't get me there yet. But… I can get a message to them for you, if that's what you want.

Good. That's what I want. And I really, really don't want this to be seen by our little spy.

Got it, Vice Commander.

And about the other matter you mentioned to me earlier... If you happen to speak with Saitō directly, tell him that I don't want to know anything about his damn Oni politics but I'll be really pissed off if he gets himself killed, or worse, caught.

Hijikata gave the tall spearman the hint of a smile, and then turned and walked off just as Heisuke came through the door, adjusting his head-guard.

"What was that about?" he asked Harada, puzzled. "First he makes us wait fifteen minutes and now there are no orders?"

"He needs me to do something for him. Tell you later, promise."

Heisuke grumbled, but took his place beside Harada as the men started filing out into the warm drizzle. The moon was hidden and there was very little light. Not a good night to be going on patrol. For a moment, Heisuke felt a strange kind of pang at the thought of Saitō with Chizuru. He sighed. Who was he kidding? Still, he hoped that she would come back to see them at some point. It was just better with her around.

Shoulders slightly hunched against the rain, the two Shinsengumi night patrols moved out.

[III] - Pillow Talk?

Chizuru woke slowly, and for a moment she was very startled to find herself naked—and not alone. She was lying curled against a man's muscled chest, with his sinewy arms wrapped around her waist and under her breasts, so that his body was curved around hers. At her indrawn breath, the arms tightened, pulling her closer, and she felt soft lips press a kiss onto her neck just under her ear. She didn't need to open her eyes or turn around to see him perfectly. Scent and memory and touch were more than enough.

"Hajime." Her world had been turned upside down, and in the last few days it had seemed as if everything she had believed was wrong, but right now she felt her breath catch with something that was very like joy. Apparently, a world could be righted or even rebuilt.

She felt a breath of laughter against her ear. She thought that it seemed to shake, just a little.

Why me, dear one? Why me?

The words, unspoken but crystal clear, held the same tremor—of fear? Chizuru was puzzled. Yes, there were a lot of things to worry about right now, but how could a man who faced death on a regular basis be afraid of being loved?

"You are just braver than most people, Chizuru," Saitō told her softly, glad that she couldn't see his face. He wasn't sure what she would see, exactly, just that he felt too exposed right now already.

"You're being cryptic," Chizuru responded. She tried to twist around, but an immediate awareness of his discomfort made her stop almost before she'd started.

As her eyes grew accustomed to the gloom she saw Saitō's katana lying within arm's reach. She could only assume that he'd fetched it after she had fallen asleep. He definitely hadn't had his swords with him when he'd carried her in here earlier.

"I have the wakizashi closer to me," Saitō said, in response to her unvoiced question. "It is much easier to unsheathe than the katana and requires less clearance. I had to put the katana to your right so that I could reach across you to draw it left-handed."

Fully awake now, Chizuru found the statement endearing but rather funny.

"Perhaps you should practice later on," she murmured, "just to make sure that you don't accidentally decapitate me while trying to defend me."

"I probably will," her husband returned imperturbably. "Practice, that is." The arm around her waist loosened, and then he ran his hand slowly down her side. "I still have a lot to learn."

"About drawing a sword while in bed?"

There was another soft laugh from behind her.

"I suppose it depends if you mean that literally or figuratively. If the first, then no. I know how to defend myself if attacked while prone in bed."

"Of course," said Chizuru. Then she blushed as she finally puzzled out the figurative meaning. "Ah, um, H-Hajime, you know I didn't mean that."

"No, but I did. I want… to please you."

"You do."

Chizuru knew that she was already bright red, but somehow she felt as though she were getting redder. It was confusing. She had been raised to believe that a woman's role, especially a wife's role, was to be submissive. Moreover, while men were expected to enjoy, even crave sexual pleasure, for women the situation was very unclear. On the one hand, girls and women were certainly told in many different ways that sex was somehow bad, and that only the lowest class women enjoyed such things. On the other hand, the women in Chizuru's neighbourhood whispered and giggled often about men, and she was too perceptive not to know that some of them, at least, did not at all mind the obscure activities that supposedly only took place between husband and wife. Now that she had been admitted to the ranks of the initiated, so to speak, Chizuru was firmly on the side of the latter.

"The difference between you and most people," Saitō said, after a long stretch of thoughtful silence, "is that you allow yourself to care even when there is no clear gain and even when there is a significant chance of rejection or potential for loss."

"Well I don't think I'm as unusual as all that," his bride replied, rather rebelliously. "You make me sound like a bit of an idiot. I'm not. I just don't see anything wrong in trying to see the best in people, instead of always seeing the worst. And I can't help it if I care about people, it's just the right thing to do."

The hand that had been caressing her side came to rest on the curve of her hip.

"If it's just the right thing to do, then why are you so attached to a person who cares about very few people in the way that you mean? Ordinary politeness and understanding is important to allow people to get along with each other. It is both accepted and logical behaviour. But it is not the same thing as what you do."

Chizuru didn't know how to respond. At some level she actually did understand. She just wasn't convinced that the way she approached people was as special as Hajime made it out to be.

"What time is it?" she asked, just to speak of something less charged.

"Almost midnight. How are you feeling?"

"Oh!" Chizuru was disconcerted. Her hours seemed to be vanishing rather too quickly for her. Then she finally caught it, the elusive tension that Hajime either couldn't or hadn't tried to hide. "Oh… you've been away again."

"… Yes. Sumimasen, Chizuru. Sometime a little more than two hours ago I heard that Yamazaki needed my help. You were deeply asleep and I couldn't bring myself to wake you. I wasn't gone very long, actually."

"And now you've let me sleep another two hours and lie here just talking to you when Yamazaki-san needs my help?" Chizuru felt indignation and even a sense of let-down. Didn't he trust her? Not even now?

That's not it, dear one. But you need to understand…

Chizuru turned to face him, and this time he didn't try to restrain her. Nor did he bother—for once—to ignore or control the rush that he felt when she not only turned but sat up, her dark hair framing her face and falling over her shoulders, but still too short to cover her small breasts. They were lovely breasts, in his private opinion, and it was… interesting… to see them from this angle. He decided to remain where he was, looking up at her.

She wasn't going to like what he had to say, but he was going to say it anyway; he might as well make it plain to her now that he could love her, and desire her—very, very much—and still make decisions that she might not agree with. After all, hadn't she told him that she knew what he did and what he was?

"Why didn't you wake me up when I could have helped?"

Chizuru was taken aback when he didn't sit up with her. It was unsettling to feel his reactions plainly in her mind: his enjoyment of her naked body (which made her flush with something other than just embarrassment) and his determination to lie there until she had heard him out.

"Because if I allow you to try to heal every single person who needs your help, especially when you are tired, then I am not your protector. You will hurt yourself trying to help, and until we both know where the limits are, I won't risk you. I tried to explain this to you before: while I might regret causing harm to others—and even that is not a given—I do not, and cannot, put the needs of others, or their lives, above my duty. That means that I will let people die, or even have a part in their death, if it is necessary to preserve what I have promised to protect, or to follow the orders of those that I promised to obey."

"You aren't a killer!"

"Yes, I am. I don't kill for pleasure, but I am, without question, a killer. Call me a soldier, if you prefer. Remember what you said to me about the events at the Ikeda: I was angry at you for not protecting yourself, but I felt absolutely nothing when I killed the man who attacked you. That was a correct analysis."

Chizuru bit her lip. She had said that. It was so frustrating not to be able to convey what she meant… that Saitō was a good person and a kind man, no matter what he said.

"How can you talk about killing people so calmly and still look at me like that," she asked, the words sounding childish even as she spoke them.

"Because you made me promise to be honest with you, unless it was absolutely unavoidable. … And I am not sure if I am either good or kind, in the way that you mean."

All at once, the need to touch again was too strong, and Chizuru placed a hand on his chest. Saitō immediately covered it lightly with his own hand. At least she could understand him perfectly on one thing: no matter what they were talking about, she couldn't seem to help the physical desire that made her pulse quicken, and her breath shorten, and the muscles around her lower abdomen tighten.

"I love you," she said at last. "I'm sorry if I've said the wrong things, or… or tried to get away from plain facts. It's just that in my mind you're…" She gave up in embarrassment and lowered her eyes.

Saitō felt relief wash over him. He hadn't pushed her away; at least, not this time. He would tell her about his conclusions on the other matter—concerning Kenshin and Yukishima-sama—later. He was still considering Hijikata-san's message, as delivered by Harada.

"Thank you. I promise that I will try very hard to let you make your own decisions about when you are too tired or when things are too urgent. It will get easier once I know you have the ability to put the limits on yourself."

Chizuru met his eyes rather ruefully, tacitly conceding that point, if not everything.

"Now will you tell me about Yamazaki-san, Hajime? And…" Chizuru paused shyly, "um, can I at least put on my yukata?"

"Yes, I will tell you. However, we might as well just get washed and dressed—again—since I would prefer you not to walk into another man's room in your sleepwear, unless it is unavoidable, of course. In this case, Chiharu-sama and Sen-hime seem to have things well in-hand. I told them that I would bring you as soon as possible."

His wife looked at him with a slight twinkle in her soft brown eyes.

"With the princess and Haru-chan there, and Yamazaki-san unwell, are you sure that the yukata wouldn't suffice?"

Saitō rose, pulling her up with him. Then he stepped back, crossed his arms, and raked her with an appraising look from head to foot and back again that left her blushing furiously.

"Yes," he concluded. "I am quite sure."

[END]

A/Note: I didn't get quite as far as planned, but it's coming! :)