Yahiko knocked lightly on the back door before entering the Sagara house quietly. He set the miso soup on the counter and went looking for his older friend. He found Sano in the fetal position in the bathroom. Sano had dragged in one of Saiko's blankets to lie on and her stuffed chicken, which he was using as a pillow. "Uh…Sano?" Yahiko asked softly realizing how sick Sano actually was.
Yahiko got down on the floor next to Sanosuke and put a hand on his back trying to be reassuring. For the first few seconds Sano did not move, but then suddenly his eyes popped open and he crawled toward the ceramic bowl. Yahiko jumped back and looked away when Sano started puking again. "Oh wow maybe I should just go get Megumi" he said quietly. Sano would have protested the statement and begged for Dr. Gensai, but Yahiko was already out of the room.
When his nausea settled Sano curled back up on the floor clutching the little chicken as hard as he could. He felt a tear come to his eye all he could think was 'Not Megumi anyone but Megumi.' Somehow he had managed to fall asleep for a few minutes before Yahiko returned with Megumi. She had her whole medicinal kit with her and dropped it on the floor next to Sano.
Sano jerked awake and found himself moving away from the sound. Megumi looked down at him, realizing it was the first time since she gave him Saiko that they were both conscious in the same room. Sano looked up at her, but did not move or say a word. The tension was obvious to Yahiko and he excused himself out of the room to go train.
Megumi dropped to her knees and began rifling through her kit. "Sanosuke" she said dully "you have a very very bad case of food poisoning, I have already treated Katsu earlier this morning, he was smart enough to call for a doctor after puking his guts out." Sano frowned "I thought it was just a really bad hang over…man was Saitou mad too" Sano tried to joke.
A packet was thrust into Sano's face. He took it and looked back at Megumi waiting for an explanation. "Just take them with a drink it will help with your nausea, but you will probably feel bad until tomorrow. With these you should stop throwing up and may be able to eat something light.
Following Sano into the kitchen Megumi continued with her cold banter. "So where is your daughter Sanosuke" she said curtly prodding him for a response. "She is you-" Sano started before feeling Megumi hit him hard in the back of the head. "What was that for?" he said angrily. "She is yours not mine Sanosuke" Megumi said hotly.
"Whatever fine, mine and Saitou's daughter is with Saitou at work since I was sick all right?" he said still confused at her anger. "Have you told him about me Sanosuke?" she said the anger in her voice revealing a little sadness. Sano had poured the mix into a cup and had started a pot of tea to drink it with. He turned around "No of course not" wishing Megumi would just leave if she was going to be in such a bad mood.
"I do not get it Megumi" Sano said, "why are you so mad at me?" Megumi sighed "I am not mad I just do not think you understand how important it is that no one finds out…the people that I am afraid of are looking for me again all right so I am really on edge" she admitted. "I have kept our secret for over two years you know, Saiko's birthday is less than a week away if you care" Sano said not caring if it pissed of Megumi. He did not think she had to be apathetic about her daughter even if she would never admit her parentage.
And thus the battle started. "Do not start with that Sanosuke you know I…" she tried to fight back. "You cannot care I know I know, but jeez have you even seen her since she was a month old? You are always missing when I see Dr. Gensai you always happen to be on break" he said still feeling sick but his temper was getting the better of him. "See you do not understand the situation Sanosuke, and just so you know I have seen her all right, but I cannot risk someone realizing we look alike, which we do!" she said trying her hardest not to yell. Sano just shook his head and turned his back to her.
She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around and look at her. "Sano I will not say this again, if anyone ever finds out I am Saiko's mother because of you I will take her away from you and Saitou and never let you see her again. I will move to China, or Korea, or somewhere else, just so you will never find us. Now do you understand Sanosuke if those people find out they will try and kill us so I will take her and if I do Sanosuke you will never see her again."
All the anger had drained from his face and Sano stared back at Megumi. Megumi could not keep looking into his eyes which were filled with a painstaking sadness she wished she could understand. Ever since she had been pregnant with Saiko she had known she could not love the girl to ensure her survival so she did not really feel the depth of love Sano obviously had been able to grow for their child. 'No' she thought 'his child.'
Now that she was sure Sano understood her message she switched back into caring doctor mode. Megumi pushed Sano gently to the side and finished preparing the medicine and offered it to him gingerly. Noticing the soup Yahiko left on the counter she poured it into a clean bowl and led Sano, who was acting much like a zombie since Megumi's threat, to a chair and forced him to drink and eat. "Snap out of it Sanosuke, you have nothing to worry about if you continue to keep your mouth shut." His eyes regained a bit of color and he forced a weak smile. "You're so kind" he said flatly.
"So" Megumi went on to fill the silence as Sano finished his soup "you really have kept this place nice. So who is it who decorates you or Saitou" she said teasingly. "Mostly me, but Saitou picked out the curtains" he said wrapping his arms around his stomach. "I know it hurts still Sano, but the medicine will start working soon. It would be best if you tried sleeping in your bed instead of on the floor on toddler's toys eh?" Megumi said trying to get on better terms with the father of her child before she left.
Sano gave her another half smile and pushed away the now empty dishes. "Fine I will help you into bed and then you will be fine. If your nausea comes back at all I will leave another packet on the counter before I leave and do me a favor Sanosuke, remember everything I said all right?" Sano glared at Megumi for reminding him of the threat. "You really have nothing to worry about in the first place Megumi, Saitou ended up telling the police chief Saiko was 'his' from his dead wife, as Gorou of course. So no one will ever suspect me of even being the father" Sano explained.
"Oh" Megumi responded thinking. 'Well' she thought 'that probably is for the best then.' "As long as Saiko is loved Sanosuke it will not matter who thinks who her father or mother is right?" Megumi added as she collected the blanket and pillow from the bathroom floor while Sano waited in the hallway. Sano crawled into the futon happily accepting the stuffed animal and blanket from the doctor.
Megumi smiled as she watched the young man drift into sleep. "I really could not have picked a better father for my child could I?" she asked herself softly. Grabbing her kit from the bathroom she left an extra packet of medicine on the counter, but curiosity got the best of her and she took a little walking tour before she left the house.
First she looked at the selection of pictures on the wall of the family. There were pictures of little Saiko from the day Sano got her up until a more recent looking picture taken on a really sunny day. Saitou was smiling in them, but it was clear Sano was the happiest to be photographed. Every one was warm and happy. This was the kind of life she was supposed to have, but since she could not have it she was happy Saiko and Sano could.
Then she went into Saiko's room looking through all the cute little outfits in her closet. There were adorable little drawings on the wall that Saiko and Sano had done together and a few well done sketches that Saitou had done. The bed that Saitou built was covered in the finest sheets and Saiko had many toys to play with. There was even a bookshelf filled with children's books Megumi figured Sano must read to Saiko. Megumi was happy that Sano had done such a good job with the house and money she gave him.
Satisfied with her tour Megumi carefully closed the back door and walked across the street to the police station. She asked for Fujita Gorou and was led to his office. The secretary warned her to be really quiet because Gorou's daughter was visiting and she was sleeping. Megumi was glad Saitou was willing to take on Saiko with Sano; it meant Saiko would probably always be safe. Saitou looked up at Megumi then motioned for Megumi to close the door.
"It is just a bad case of food poisoning, Katsu was in my office this morning so do not be too hard on him for the drinking okay" Megumi said. Saitou smiled, that was rather reassuring to his ear. Megumi went on to explain about the packet and to let Sano just sleep it off, but Saitou could not help but notice she was staring at Saiko. That was odd to him because Megumi seemed to dislike Saiko at Dr. Gensai's after the attack, 'why the sudden interest' he thought.
Megumi finished her explanation and gave Saitou instructions to call her back if Sano did not get better by the next evening. As she was leaving Saiko woke and sat up staring straight at Megumi. Saiko's hair was still done up like Saitou and that made Megumi smile, but her eyes showed a deep fear of recognition. The last time Megumi saw Saiko she did her best to avoid looking Saiko in the eyes, because it was so hard not to care for her as it was.
Saiko looked at her for a moment longer, but then turned back to Saitou and reached for a hug from her daddy. Megumi nodded and left with that, feeling content with the situation. "That was weird" Saitou said aloud. Before he could ponder any further he felt Saiko pulling on his hair a little. "Da e kiss! Sa-chan wants kiss! Love da e!" Saitou smiled and kissed Saiko on the cheek. She happily returned the kiss and hugged onto Saitou's neck. Saitou wrapped his arms around her saying "I love you too Sa-chan."
A/N: Bleh to school and work and school ; Just a few more weeks till my freedom. I will try to update as much as I can. Please keep reading!