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Chapter Three
I'm Sorry...A Little Bit

Sayo stood outside her room, keeping herself flat against the wall as she squeezed her eyes shut. There was no way Hijikata and Asaji wouldn't see her, there was no way she could escape.

"Oh, there's Sayo-sama!" Asaji waved, smiling at her sister, oblivious to the fact that what Sayo was doing could potentially get her in trouble.

Hijikata side glanced at the small girl happily waving next to him, "Sama?" He questioned, before turning his attention back to the direction they were walking.

As they reached Sayo, Asaji ran up and hugged her with excitement. "He said we get to live, isn't that great?"

Hijikata stood giving Sayo his signature intense look. "Like I told your sister, your terms will be discussed tonight. You may also properly introduce yourselves then if you so choose."

"Th-thank you…" Sayo said somewhat surprised as she bowed.

The door slid open revealing a disgruntled Shinpachi. "That. Was not cool."

"I don't know why they left you in charge of her…" said Hajime, appearing behind him.

"She was standing right next to you! Why didn't you grab her?"

"…I wasn't on duty."

"Enough! Put the girls back in their room," Hijikata dismissed.

Asaji covered her mouth, holding back a tiny gasp as Shinpachi and Hajime walked past, stepping outside the room to complete their order.

"Someone will be back to get you for tonight," Hijikata informed them.

Asaji removed her hand and turned to look up at him. "So what do we do until then?"

"We could tie you guys up and you could spend your day trying to get out?" Shinpachi suggested hopefully.

"That doesn't seem productive…"

"Practice makes perfect."

Hajime turned to look at his superior, hoping he would say something to end the nonsense.

"This is not my problem. I have other matters to attend to, but I expect you two will watch them, and keep them inside this time until I send someone to relieve you. In the mean time behave yourselves!"

"Awh man." Shinpachi snapped his long fingers with disappointment.

Hajime, though also disappointed at the vice president's response, calmly stepped back into the room and sat down, folding his long black robes beneath his knees.

Shinpachi followed suit, falling over casually next to Hajime. "This is comfortable…"

Hajime looked over at him expressionless as Asaji took her place across from them, nervously holding her wrist and tugging on the hem of her long sleeve. "So… do you normally do this kind of stuff? Watching prisoners and such?"

Hajime turned to her, "No, not normally."

"Watching pretty girls instead of going out and fighting? Tch, I wish…" Shinpachi whined.

After watching her sister, Sayo knelt down calmly and politely in the corner, folding her petite hands in her lap.

"Sayo-sama , why are you in the corner…?"

Hajime and Shinpachi took this moment to glance at each other, as if sharing a secret joke.

"We don't bite… most of the time." Shinpachi smiled a crooked smile at Sayo.

"You shouldn't talk like that, Shinpachi," Hajime reprimanded.

Sayo looked down at her hands. "I see no reason to sit and converse with our captors anymore than we already have."

"Awh, don't be like that, we're gonna be living together, we need to get acquainted. Come, sit on my lap." Shinpachi smoothed out his robes, and patted a knee. Sayo's eyes became wide with a horrified expression.

Hajime hit his forehead with the open palm of his hand. "You are an embarrassment to the Shinsengumi."

"I resent that remark!"

"You resemble that remark."

The two men glared at each other.

Asaji spoke, trying to break the tension. "Is it really alright to address it as 'living together'? It makes me feel very rude to say it like that… how about 'working for the Shinsengumi' … that way we don't put ourselves in such a high position…"

Shinpachi turned away from Hajime to smile at her. "As great as we Shinsengumi are…" He paused dramatically and inhaled deeply. "I'd prefer it be called 'living together'." He winked at Sayo who was caught glancing at him.

"You are foul," She dismissed, looking away once again.

This wiped the smile off his face. "That was unnecessary…"

Hajime watched Sayo as she sighed and stood up. She persisted to walk over to the trio and sat down next to her sister. "I'm sorry… A little bit."

"So…" Asaji started as she looked around awkwardly, admiring the ground and then the ceiling and the window. "Anyone know what Hijikata's going to say tonight? Or where we'll be talking about it as a group?"

"Eh, who knows," Shinpachi answered. "Probably a bunch of stuff about how you know too much… blah, blah, blah… we sacrifice you both over a fire, blah, blah, blah…"

"A…fire…?"

"Just kidding. If that were to happen, we'd just take you out with these." He laughed and pointed to the shiny silver sword at his waist.

"That's…a…relief?"

"Speaking of swords… Are we ever going to have ours returned?" Sayo asked hopefully.

Hajime looked at her. "That will be decided once we determine if you can be trusted."

"But you're the Shinsengumi… What if you're attacked, how are we expected to defend ourselves?

"She does have a point…we can't be expected to sacrifice our lives for them." Shinpachi commented.

"…thanks."

"What good would a sword do you anyway? Against our enemies, you stand no chance with or without your weapon," continued Hajime.

Asaji shifted on her knees. "You both make it sound like we've never held a sword before…"

"Oh, we know you both held swords… because we took them from you," Shinpachi pointed out, light-heartedly.

"…that's not what I meant…" She sighed. "Who are your enemies anyway? Who would want to be mean to the Shinsengumi…?"

Shinpachi smiled proudly and turned to Hajime. "You hear that? It's like we're flawless!"

Hajime nonchalantly flipped his long pony tail off his shoulder. "As much as we would like you to keep believing this… The truth is, we have many enemies."

"Lots and lots of people hate us… lots of women… a lot of women."

"That's just you Nagakura…"

Shinpachi laughed. "Eh, what can I say… not all women like it when you sleep with their friends."

At this Sayo's face because flushed as she turned away.

"I didn't know the Shinsengumi did that…" Asaji spoke, watching her sister's reaction.

"Again, not the Shinsengumi, that's just Shinpachi."

Shinpachi shrugged. "Shikata ga nai…"

"Well, what kind of people would hate you?" Asaji looked pointedly at Hajime. "Or Hijikata-sama…? Or Okita-sama? They seem like nice people… not that you don't, Shinpachi-sama…"

"Our job is to kill…" Hajime replied, a stern look on his face. "Many people disagree with that, with whom and what we represent. We've said enough, it is best that you don't know more. Please no further questions."

As the room fell into another tense silence the sliding doors burst open, rattling the adjoining walls. Souji was the cause of the disturbance, and stood, head hanging inside the room, with either hand on the wooden door frame.

"I've come to relieve you of your duties!"

A smaller boy with long brown hair peeked his head in underneath Souji's outstretched arm and waved at the startled girls.

"Awh man, but the red head was just starting to warm up to me." Shinpachi said disappointed as he lifted himself off the wooden floor.

"I was not…" Sayo dismissed, scrunching her nose.

Hajime stood up in one fluid motion and walked up to Souji. Souji smiled at him and removed an arm so he could step past without saying goodbye.

"Don't worry, I'll be back later." Shinpachi winked at Sayo before following Hajime out of the room.

Heisuke pushed Souji into the room and slid the door closed behind them. He turned to Asaji who was still avoiding eye contact due to the embarrassing situation that had taken place earlier. "Hi, I'm Heisuke."

"Look Heisuke! Finally a play mate your size!" Souji teased.

Heisuke turned and glared, narrowing his eyes for a brief moment.

"But… He's much taller than me…" Asaji finally recovered and examined her new potential 'play mate'.

"Yeah!" He turned back to face Asaji, slightly blushing. "But it's a good thing that you are, because shorter girls are cuter…! Not that taller girls aren't…" He turned to Sayo nervously.

Asaji jumped up and ran over to Heisuke, positioning herself next to him, looking at her sister. "Sayo-sama, who's taller?"

"… Me." Sayo pointed to herself as Souji laughed, amused.

"I think she means between the two of us… I'm obviously taller?" Heisuke puffed out his chest, in an attempt to seem manly.

"I don't know… It's hard to tell."

"Ehh?" Heisuke turned to Souji, panic on his face. "I'm taller, right?"

Souji leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes in relaxation before answering. "You know, I think it really is too close to call…"

"I can see the top of her head!"

"Yeah, we're not even at eye-level… oh… I think they're just teasing you…" Asaji informed him, coming to a realization.

"It wouldn't be the first time…" He sighed and sank down to a sitting position.

XXX

Later that same night after everyone had been fed a generous supper the Shinsengumi gathered together in the main room. Asaji and Sayo sat on the edge of their heels, heads bowed low, in front of Kondou, Hijikata, and Sannan while the other captains circled them silently.

Hijikata was the first to speak; clearing his throat he broke the silence. "We've come to address our new visitors, for those of you who do not know, Matsumae Sayo and Asaji will be staying with us and working off the debt to our hospitality."

"Well, ladies, there is a lot of debt to work off…" Shinpachi muttered, speaking out of turn.

Heisuke elbowed him in the side, keeping his eyes on the vice president. "Don't be rude."

"It seems they are bringing out the worst in Shinpachi." Hajime commented quietly.

"Wasn't he already like that?" Sano slipped Shinpachi a sly smile.

Shinpachi merely shrugged.

Once again Hijikata cleared his throat, attempting to reel their attention back to him. "Now if you're finished. You are all expected to treat these women with respect, but know that they are not allowed off the grounds without an escort. Matsumae Sayo,."

"Hai." Sayo answered confidently, though keeping her eyes to the bare floor in front of Hijikata's folded legs.

"Your duties are, but not limited to, laundry and deliveries among the Shinsengumi members."

"Yes, I understand."

Hijikata nodded in confirmation. "Matsumae Asaji, you will be washing the floors and tending to the gardens. The two of you together will be expected to cook and clean for every meal."

"Yes, sir… "Asaji bowed her head slightly lower than before.

Shinpachi elbowed Heisuke, half getting him back for earlier and half to get his attention. "You and I will have to send messages to each other all the time now." He smiled at Sayo as he said this.

"Um…" Asaji started. "I have a quick question, if I'm allowed, Hijikata-sama."

"Yes?"

"Ano… Will someone be able to bring us some clothes…? All we have are these." She pointed to red and blue flowered kimono Sayo and she had been wearing when they were captured.

"We could get them some cute maid outfits," Sano suggested, smiling.

"We will provide you with some old robes for your maid duties… Any further questions?"

"None that I can think of, sir. Gomennasai." Asaji shifted her eyes back to the ground, tipping her head once again.

"Very well." Hijikata turned and looked up to address his men. "You may be dismissed."

"Hai!"

Translation Notes:

Shikata ga nai - It can't be helped
Ano - Um
Gomenasai - I'm very sorry