THE IMPOSSIBLE

By: Chiki Yumeshisa

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin……all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though.

AN: Ah, here we go, another random scene that backtracks. Sorry for the late update.

Warnings: none.

Chapter 5:

- Playtime-

Hiko took a cautious step forward. In the darkness, he wasn't too sure of what he was seeing. He felt his hands clench into fists. Damn it, if only he had his sword with him, he would be able to take the person on right away instead of cowering behind the shadows.

Still, he didn't want anyone hurting Kenshin, and so he was willing to use his bare hands just to stop him. Even though Kenshin wasn't his real son, there was something about him that just made him so attached to the child. He was so innocent and cute.

Okay fine, so he was a softy, so what?

Gritting his teeth, he peered into the room again, only to see that shadow again. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he felt a cold rush of air. The window was open? So that was where that infiltrator came in from, ah?

He took a step in, slipping quietly behind the door, watching the shadow as it made its way toward the bed.

Just a little more, he thought darkly.

He held his breath, waiting. The figure stepped on something, but he merely kicked it out of the way.

Hiko could see the figure of his sleeping nephew on the bed, curled into a ball, the blanket over his head. Maybe the poor child was scared.

The figure came close enough to touch. It was then that Hiko quickly caught the wrist that was holding the sword and twisted it around, managing to pry the fingers off the sheath. The figure let out a surprised gasp, but it was too late, the blade of the sword was pushed up under his chin, Hiko holding the hilt, seething.

No one messed with his family.

He blinked when he realized that the 'murderer' was a mere butler, who was staring back at him

"What……….?" He started to say. Perplexed, his grip on the sword faltered.

His butler was deathly pale. "My Master! Please don't hurt me!" He cried.

Hiko's grip on the man's shirt only tightened. "Oh God, I thought that you were……..what were you doing!" His mind was screaming at him not to lose his anger. It wasn't working though.

"I was merely putting the young Master's sword up on his wall next to his desk." The butler protested. "As was orders from Nakamura…….."

Hiko relaxed then. He had asked her to place it in the child's room. She must have riveted the request to someone else. Nevertheless, he released the butler and snatched the sheath out of his hand, sliding the sword in, safely. "I almost killed you."

His butler was shaking so badly that he could hardly stand. He looked away fearfully. "I'm sorry…….forgive me Master…….forgive me……." He kept stuttering.

The fool.

It was then that Hiko heard Kenshin's bubbly laughter filter down the hall. Nakamura's admonishing voice was hushed, but still audible.

She walked through the door and paused. Kenshin stood by her side, his little body pressed up against her leg as he begged her to carry him, but she refused to. She had said her back hurt and she was tired. His purple eyes took in the scene before him and the little smile he had on his face dropped.

"Hiko-san?" Nakamura started to ask.

"It was a misunderstanding." Hiko growled angrily, tossing the sword onto the desk. "The next time I ask you to do something, Nakamura-san, I expect you to do it. Not give the task to someone else. Am I understood?" His voice had gained that edge.

She nodded stiffly. "Of course, Master. My apologies……."

His eyes fell on Kenshin, who, feeling his Uncle's anger, shrunk back. "And why isn't he in bed yet?"

"Um…….sir, I brought him down for a snack………" she answered nervously.

Hiko's eyes narrowed. "His bedtime is not his snack time. I hope you fed him something healthy." He directed his question to the child. "What was it?"
"Oatmeal cookie." He answered, his voice small. He had a passion for those. He liked them best with chocolate milk.

His Uncle couldn't help but snap. "Stop wasting time and go to bed. And you," He addressed Nakamura, "make sure he's in bed on time instead of 'eating snacks'."

She bowed her head in acknowledgement, and watched as he stormed out of the room. The butler retreated too, and Nakamura finally picked Kenshin up. He grabbed fistfuls of her shirt in his tiny hands. Her actions seemed jerky, hesitant.

"Is he mad?" He asked.

"No…….he's just irritated, that's all." She answered, placing him onto his bed and then stuffing him into his pajamas. He poked his arms through the holes for his sleeves and watched her button the front up for him. Airplanes designed the fabric. His uncle was scary when he was mad. Her nimble fingers slipped each button into the hole.

He looked up at her, trying to squirm out of her grasp. "Was Kenshin a bad boy?" He asked, worriedly.

"No, you weren't." His maid told him. "It was my fault."

Kenshin gave her a small hug. "Don't cry, okay, Nakamura-san?" He pat her head, mimicking what she usually did to him whenever he got into trouble with a staff member or with someone else. "It will be all right." He stressed the word all, the same as she did.

Nakamura actually giggled. "Oh, Kenshin, you're so funny sometimes." She dusted him off from unseen dirt and then she gave him an affectionate kiss on the forehead. "Come on, darling, let's get you to bed."

She tucked him in, making sure that he was comfortable, and then sat by his bed. In a moment, she was the one that fell asleep, leaving Kenshin to watch over her instead of the other way around. He silently slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door, poking his thumb in his mouth. He didn't want to sleep – he wanted to play.

Unfortunately for him, Uncle Hiko was just returning to his study down the hall, and caught a glimpse of him. He strode over, plucking the child up in his big arms. "Kenshin? What……where's Nakamura?" He gave an irritated sigh.

"Playtime!" Kenshin cried happily, squirming in the elder man's arms.

"No, it's not playtime," his uncle told him.

"Playtime!" Kenshin insisted, tugging on his uncle's black hair.

"No, Kenshin, it's time for bed." Hiko said firmly. Kenshin didn't listen though. He wanted to play.

He squirmed out of his uncle's arms falling to the floor. "No bed!" He cried. "Let's play, Uncle Hiko!" With that, he set off, running down the hall, away from his bedroom, where Nakamura slept peacefully in the chair next to his bed.

Hiko forced down the urge to yell. He knew that Nakamura was tired, and he couldn't blame her – he was exhausted too, but at least he hadn't been running after this impossible child all day. He took off after Kenshin, who giggled. "Kenshin, that's enough!" Hiko called.

Kenshin clapped his hands, and beckoned the elder man forward. "Hurry up, Uncle Hiko!" He called. He threw open the door to his playroom, where all his toys lined the wall neatly. Nakamura had spent a back-breaking hour and a half trying to pick them all up and put them away.

The floor was carpeted, a soft peach color, just so that the child, who was fond of running, did not slip and fall. He ran into the room, across the padded floor and towards his shelf where his newest toy stood. It was a type of transformer that changed into a police car and then with the push of a button, it would start screeching its siren.

Hiko came in just as that annoying peal filled the room and Kenshin was 'driving' the toy back and forth, rolling it between his hands. Delight was written all over the child's face, that Hiko's anger faltered: his nephew looked so innocent and content, that he couldn't bear to yell at him, despite his fatigue and stress.

Instead, he squat down to face Kenshin. "You're not going to listen to me, are you?"

"Hi, Uncle Hiko!" The child quipped, holding out the toy. "Play?"

Sighing, Hiko took the toy and rolled it back and forth twice. "Is that enough?" He asked. He should have known better than to comply, because the next thing he knew, his nephew had gotten another two and had begun to play with them too.

Well, it couldn't hurt if he relaxed once.

He sat down and began to play with the child, building the blocks high, much to Kenshin's amusement. That just meant all the more for godzilla to break down. Pretty soon, even he was laughing with the child. It was refreshing, something other than paperwork and meetings.

All too soon, it ended, when Nakamura came running in, her face pale and her eyes wide. "Oh, Kenshin, there you are!" She cried. Her eyes took in Hiko who had him propped up onto his shoulders, and Kenshin laughing gleefully from his perch. "I'm so sorry, my master..." She started to say. "He...I..." She didn't know what to say. "...I fell asleep..." She twisted her finger in the hem of her dress, nervously. She wondered if she would get fired. Hiko was known to be cruel.

He gave her a gentle smile. "It's okay, Naoko...I didn't mean to be so harsh on you before. I was just spending some time with him." He pat Kenshin on the back.

Kenshin yawned and hiccuped as a response. He managed to scramble into his uncle's arms and popping his thumb into his mouth, gave Nakamura a reproachful look.

"So I presume you will be putting him to bed?"
Hiko nodded, bringing the boy to his bedroom. In no time at all, Kenshin was fast asleep, even before his head touched the pillow.

So sweet and angelic...but the job to take care of him seemed so impossible.

Who knew that the future would destroy him?

It hardly seemed possible.

But it came true...

To Be Continued...

AN: Well, there's some of Kenshin's past. It looks like he wasn't always a little brat. Please review for me and tell me your thoughts on having read this chapter. See you all next update.