Part III

[AN] I was "warned" in a review – feel free to read it – that I might get flamed or whatnot if I wrote in a kiss between Kenshin and Megumi. I want to state for the record that A) I never post a fanfic I haven't written to completion, so what's done is done and I always have a reason, and B) You can hate anything you like, but I ask that you read it through first. Thank you. [/AN]

"Megumisan?" Genzaisensei interrupted my reverie. Once I came back to the present, I realized why: we had reached the dojo and I had kept walking, so lost in thought that my whereabouts hadn't even registered. He and Kensan were looking at me strangely; Kenji was grabbing a chubby fistful of his father's scraggly hair. For some reason, he seemed to love doing so more than most. I figured it was divine retribution. As I'd told Kensan many a time, if he hadn't cut his hair, his son would probably not be so fixated on it.

"Gomen. I was remembering the old days," I said with a rueful smile, hoping I wasn't blushing too much.

My old friend nodded. "Ahh, I understand. Still, it's not that we lack for excitement. Perhaps things are better as they are." A happy smile lit his wrinkled features. "As for me, I definitely like things calmer. An old man has to relax, you know."

We laughed at him as we crossed the yard. Kaoru emerged with a bowl, mixing... something. Her cooking had indeed improved from the old days as well, but she still had quite a lot of practice ahead of her...

"What's so funny?" She said, smiling a welcome and planting a kiss on her son's head. He cooed delightedly and reached for her hair.

"Genzaisensei thinks he's old," I said, smiling as Kaoru tried to extract herself from Kenji's attentions while not letting go of the bowl. Kensan tried to help, but it was evident even at this early age that their offspring had inherited his father's strength and his mother's "persistence".

"Oh, but he is old!" she protested. "Why, he's older than the hills! Older than dirt! Older than the Kami!"

We all laughed at the contortions my partner's face was undergoing as his internal war waged itself: the urge to laugh with us versus the urge to protest. Apparently he reached a compromise, because at last he managed to choke out, "I'm not THAT old!" in between guffaws.

I loved Genzaisensei's laugh. It was certainly one of the most healing things about him, in certain respects. Many a patient had been cajoled back to health by his great skill, gentle manner, and I had never seen anyone able to resist joining him when he laughed. He had that full, wholehearted sort of laugh in which his entire body took part. It drew you in, made you feel welcome, and brought a smile to even the most dejected, desparate souls. Many times a patient I was treating would hear his laugh from another room and smile. Everyone loved him; he was a fatherly sort in the best ways possible.

Mostly.

"Certainly I'm not too old to appreciate a fresh young thing like Megumisan, here," he leered, his eyes still sparkling. For some reason, the others found that amusing. I, however, wasn't laughing.

"Dirty old man," I muttered, not bothering to keep it low. That set the others off even harder.

"Dinner's almost ready," Kaoru said when she could speak again. "Why don't you all come inside and we'll eat?"

"That's the best suggestion I've heard yet," said my mentor.

"Suzume and Ayame will be coming straight from school, so as soon as they get here -" The young mother never got to finish her sentence, for at that moment the two young girls appeared, racing gleefully through the doors.

"Kennii! Kaoru! Kenjichan! We're here, we're here!" Ayame's exuberance was matched by her sister.

"And we're HUNGRY!" clamored Suzume.

"You're always hungry," Kaoru chided fondly.

"They're growing girls," said a newly deepening voice. "Now, me, I'll eat anything - even your cooking, ugly toad."

Yahiko was growing up well. A good looking boy, his lifestyle since coming to the Kamiya dojo had vastly improved. Regular meals and excercise were shaping him up into quite the young man, and he had matured well since I had met him just a few years ago. He was even developing manners, a feat which impressed me no end and, I was sure, had to do largely with the influence of Tsubame and Taesan. The latter would not tolerate any silliness in her restaurant, and since she had become like a big sister to Tsubame, was very protective of the young waitress. She would be beating sense into Yahiko, if none of us could.

Still, some habits died harder than others.

He almost managed to duck Kaoru's swing - almost. Fortunately for him, the wooden spoon she was using was clean.

Some things never do change.

I loved this family that had, in many ways, become mine. I loved the banter and the friendship and the genuine warmth that blossomed so freely. Mine had been a household like this; less eclectic perhaps but with the same comforting closeness. Fortunately, this seemed to be a family brought closer by crisis unlike mine, which had been rent utterly and forever.

Again, the painful wish for a household of my own pierced me briefly. Fortunately for me, Ayame and Suzume were tripping over each other to relate their day in class for us and I don't think anyone noticed.

Once dinner was on the table, Kaoru had taken charge of Kenji and was now holding him on her lap as she ate with somewhat more decorum than she had in days not so long gone by. I suspect that was more a matter of default than of choice, however, as it is harder to eat like a horse with a small child on your lap. Especially when that child is very interested in learning and exploring the world around him firsthand - including one's dinner. Kenji had started on solid food, but he wasn't quite up to his mother's cooking.

"I'll hold him, if you like," I found myself offering. Having eaten my small portion - I did have to watch my figure, after all - I had finished shortly after Suzume and Ayame but with considerably less mess. Yahiko was half a step behind them and well ahead of me.

Kaoru looked reluctant for a moment. She was very protective of her first child, and found it hard sometimes even to let her husband hold him. "I'd appreciate that," she conceded as the child in question grabbed at her plate again and shoved something in his mouth.

He was screwing up his face to cry when she passed him to me, having tasted the salty ume with which she'd topped her rice.

"Oh, I know, you don't like salty stuff, do you little one," I cooed at him, smiling tenderly down at his scrunched little face. "No, you don't, and that's a good thing because too much salt is bad for you, yes it is." I sounded a little silly, but I didn't really care.

Kenji was already starting to giggle, the nasty taste forgotten as my hair tickled his little face.

"Memi!" he trilled happily. I thrilled to hear his nickname for me. He didn't speak much yet, but he did call some of us by name. It always overwhelmed me, when he did...

"You're really great with him, Megumisan," Yahiko said with clear admiration in his voice. "It's kind of funny, really, considering that you don't have any of your own."

Kenji had grabbed onto my hair and was happily tugging on it, so I shifted him to my shoulder where he could reach more easily and I could look up. The comment had hit home, though, and I suppose he noticed - or else someone kicked him under the table.

"Sumimasen. I didn't think," he said. Same old Yahiko.

"Daijoubu da, Yahiko. You're right, I don't." And what I did not say aloud was that with my thirtieth birthday creeping ever closer, I wasn't sure I was likely to do so, either. Kensan was past thirty when Kenji was born, but the rules for men were different, and I did not want to rush right into motherhood.

"Kenshin, you got any friends for Megumisan?"

I tried hard not to laugh; he really was trying. I couldn't stop from raising an eyebrow, however.

"Oro?" Kensan looked flabbergasted.

Kaoru was altogether shocked. "What are you doing? Do you think Megumisan couldn't find a boyfriend on her own if she wanted?"

The look on Genzaisensei's face was as priceless - and far more lecherous. "Oh come now, silly boy. She's staying with me! What woman in her right mind could want a better man?" He sent me a concerned glance behind the mask of his leer, knowing me as well as he did.

We all laughed at that, although my mentor managed to look properly indignant for a moment at least.

"Maybe Megumisan could have our teacher as a boyfriend! He'd be perfect!" Suzume just had to get hers in.

Her older sister, for once, got the second word. "Hey, yeah, Sensei's really smart! I think you'd like him, Megumisan!"

Kaoru looked thoughtful at the prospect. Kensan's expression was carefully neutral. Yahiko, however, loved the idea. "I knew these kids were smart," he smirked. "That could work..."

Kaoru was nodding. Oh dear. This seemed to have turned in a moment's time from a chance comment to a full scale household conspiracy. Suddenly I was afraid for my sanity, if not my singlehood... Couldn't I just be silently miserable over Kensan in peace? Did they have to throw someone at me?

They tossed the idea around, and next thing I knew, Kaoru was going to feel out the girls' teacher to see if he'd be interested in dating the lovely woman doctor. Sigh. I left Genzaisensei there, claiming exhaustion, and started the brief walk back to the dojo myself, letting my thoughts wander back to that seemingly long ago day...