Be My Future

Disclaimer: This fanfic is based on the manga series "Please save my earth". All characters Belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki from Rurouni Kenshin series.

Chapter 6 –History

"How are you supposed to feel when you're pregnant?" The sudden question forced Megumi's attention to the girl behind her. She was sitting on the kitchen looking at her cup of tea with sad eyes. The woman stopped what she was doing trying to understand the girl's feelings to make her question that. The two women were on a room at the clinic. Kaoru sat on her knees on a table in the center of the room.

"Have you been feeling anything lately?" Kaoru slowly looked at Megumi curious but she avoided her worried gaze. Kaoru remained silent for a moment. The girl had her violet and rose kimono on and her hair was held in a high ponytail as usual.

"If I did, what are the feelings you know I should have?" The girl asked again avoiding Megumi's question. The woman approached the girl with a cup on one hand and joined her the little table, walking slowly because of her kimono.

"Well," the woman started "The first symptoms are nauseas and you get a feeling you're going throw up." Megumi paused observing the girl whom kept her eyes sad. The woman was curious as various thoughts passed trough her head since the girl asked that question. The girl avoided answering her. Is it possible? Is she-? "Slowly, your belly will start to grow and you're going to feel your organs moving slowly to give space for the baby to develop." She decided to continue. "What-?

"I didn't mean that kind of feeling Megumi…" The girl said with eyes down on her cup. Megumi waited trying to understand, somehow hesitating, afraid of what the girl would tell her. Kaoru's hand came to her face, putting a hair behind her ear, thoughtful. She knew something happened between Kaoru and Kenshin but she wasn't sure what. The silence was growing and the woman couldn't control her anxiety.

"I don't understand what you're asking." Kaoru looked to her again and slowly started to talk.

"I didn't mean physically," Megumi listened "I meant sentimentally." The woman stared at the girl a little confused.

"Well," she started looking down a little confused "I haven't been pregnant, but from what I see from my patients it's that the pain or nauseas they feel during all the pregnancy were only minor things. All that process they're feeling, makes them happy. A deep wish and warm feeling of a baby growing inside them, for choosing them as their mothers. It's a different kind of love, but a lovely feeling." Kaoru had been staring at Megumi and the woman started to see Kaoru's eyes filling with tears. The woman just watched her confused and looked at her questioningly. "What's wrong? Have you been felling nauseas? Have you been feeling any of what I've been saying?"

"I wish I had Megumi," One hand came to her face hiding her eyes. Megumi's eyes watched her sadly, for the love the girl wished to have and never came. But somehow she was relieved.

….

The dream woke her up and a deep guilty feeling started to grow on her chest. All the dreams she had made her woke up like this. Since Kenshin evaded her house and revealed a scary and horrible act from the past. It had passed four days since she had been at the hospital and gone from there. Sanosuke had been worried about Megumi and she just avoided him every time he asked if he could be with her or take a walk with her. She knew he already knew something was wrong with her but never took pressure on her. She always avoided the subject too.

Getting up from her bed, she realized she was still dressed the same as yesterday and did never changed clothes. She didn't know why, but somehow from that encounter, she only slept a few hours. Walking to her mirror, she could see a rosy line below her eyes from lack of sleep. Her parents didn't know she had been in the hospital for she didn't know what to tell them about the cause. Sanosuke wanted to stay in her house to take care of her but she refused. It would have been nice to have him around her, but she insisted she didn't need any help. But the truth, the real reason was scaring her off: she didn't feel comfortable around him.

A pain in her chest was something that didn't go away ever since she returned from the hospital. It always came when Sanosuke invaded her mind and now because of her 'nightmare'. Turning to the tub, she started to fill it with water, ready to take a shower. As she was looking at the water flowing down, she began to hear a noise. She stopped the water a moment trying to hear it better and realized it was her phone. Was she getting paranoid? Coming to her room, she picked it up without seeing who it was.

"Moshi...moshi?"

"Megumi?" Sano's voice flow through her ears and her shoulders eased down. "Felling better?"

"Hm-Hm." She simply answered sadly

"So, you're coming today?" she stared confused

"Where?"

"To the meeting, it's today... remember? They're all coming to my house, they said they wanted to talk about something." He reminded her and she just sighed.

"I totally forgot about it…"

"Want me to pick you up?" she looked down a little sad. She wanted to be with him but somehow it pained her. Megumi couldn't avoid him anymore. But, could she face everyone? She knew what she had done, could she face Kaoru?

"Well-"

"C'mon I don't see you in four days already, I'll come pick you up after lunch ok?" he implored and she just sighed.

"Ok…"

"That's my girl." She knew he was smiling as he said that. "ja!"

…

Sanosuke sighed as he looked at the phone. He was inside his car, parked in front of Kenshin's door. His eye looked troubled even if he ended the call smiling. Kenshin sat in the seat next him, analysing his friend's features.

"Is everything ok?" the serious Kenshin made, really made Sano feel he was talking with his adult friend of the past. He looked at he boy, smiled and turned to the phone again.

"It's just…nothing." The man started hesitating "Ever since Megumi came from the hospital, she's been acting different. She looks sad every time I talk to her by the phone." The boy's eyes widened for a moment and turned into confused ones.

"She was at the hospital?" the man then looked at the boy with sad eyes.

"I didn't want to tell anyone, nor Megumi wanted." He paused and Kenshin just observed his face waiting for the man to continue. "I thought it was just a shock from the moment, I found her already passed out on her house. She woke up acting a lot different that she used to, and it's been like that ever since. I wonder if it was something bothering from her dreams. I don't know…"

They stayed silent for a few moments. Both were thinking about Megumi, but with different intentions. Sanosuke did not know the real cause of her break down. They were having another meeting it seemed. He just wondered about what they talked about, but his friend did not know that he knew about those meetings. It was a rule Megumi seemed to have inputted to Sanosuke. Kaoru would not tell him since she thought he didn't have to know the first place.

"So, how have you been lately?" the man interrupted the silence making the boy look at him "I mean, your health, have you been pushing yourself?"

"No, I'm fine. I've been taking medication so I'm fine." The boy answered looking away.

"But the doctor also said for you to not practice too much, right?"

"I'm fine." The man sighed by the boy's behaviour.

"I'm just worried about you, that's all." The boy said no more as he stared at Kaoru's house across the street. It's was true that he was fine. He practiced sometimes since his mom wouldn't let him do it as much as he did before. He hasn't been feeling anything so it could mean he was recovering. Or so he thought. Since his friend didn't talk too much after that, he began to open the door of the car.

"I'll go now." He looked once more to Sanosuke. "Classes are going to begin this Monday so, I don't know when we will see each other again."

"Don't worry, we'll manage." His friend answered happily "Kaoru is around now so, it'll be fun." Kenshin smiled by that thought. "Say Hi! To Usagi-san"

"I'm not sure if mom is at home now, but I'll tell her."

"Take care!"

Sanosuke drove off as Kenshin watched the car disappearing and turned his gaze to Kaoru's house with a serious face. Although Sanosuke said that they would spend more time together with Kaoru, he didn't feel like it was going to happen. He hadn't been with her that much, she's been taking care of school and he couldn't imagine how it's going to be when it began. He would have to wait for Monday to come. He wanted to be with her, all the time. If she only knew…

Turning to his house, he began to walk to the door with his head down. He wondered how many days did he have to wait until he turned 13. Or 18. He didn't remember being too anxious to become an adult in the past life. His childhood was never this sweet as he was experiencing now. When he and Kaoru were still alive in the end, he remembered he wanted to be younger so he could be in her age, since she was pretty and more like a woman each day it passed and he just seemed to grow old. What an Irony.

Getting at the door, he entered and felt a marvellous smell in the air. He knew it came from the kitchen and that it could be that his mom was home. Turning to it, he went to greet his mother.

"What are you making? It smells great-"

"It's an American dish." Kaoru said looking at him with a smile. She was dressed with an apron already and standing in front of the stove "I thought you would like it."

"Kaoru? Wha..?"

"My stove burnt down, so I needed a kitchen to cook." She interrupted him but his admired look was still there. She started laughing with that. "I'm just kidding! You're so hilarious!" Kenshin then woke up and smiled to her. He started to walk to her side still looking at her.

"You surprised me there; I thought you really burnt it." The boy told her smiling

"How rude, you know that's impossible, I cook extremely well!" She answered him proudly looking at the food she was cooking. Kenshin only watched her about to laugh. Who could have thought it? If it was in the past life, no one would believe her if she said that. He started to laugh. "What?"

"Nah, nothing, just remembered something funny." She looked at him for a moment but then turned her attention again to what she was making. "So, what's the real reason?"

"Oh! Your mother told me she wouldn't be at home by lunch time." She replied "I get lonely sometimes in that big house. So I asked her if I could lunch here with you. We haven't been together for some time."

"That's great." He said happily. He was really happy for having her as a company; he wasn't expecting such a guest. While her back was turned to him, his arms came to encircle her form as he approached her. He was almost her height and his arms were just below her chest. A gasp escaped her lips by the sudden impulse.

"Thanks for coming."

Although she wasn't used to Kenshin's embraces, his two little arms made her relax for a while. And a small smile appeared on her lips.

….

"I guess everyone studied ancient History at school right?" Misao asked to the group. They were all reunited at Sanosuke's house and were all sat in his little room.

"Well, I don't remember it too well, why do you ask?" Sanosuke replied confused.

"Misao found some books about Tokugawa and Meiji era." Yahiko answered "We've been searching for some clue of Kenshin's history."

"And as we were expecting, the books about Meiji era don't talk about him at all. About Tokugawa era, they all talk about groups and a hitokiri that was famous. His name was Battousai." Misao paused, showing the books for them "They say he disappeared after the Tokugawa chaos was over. The law about not carrying a sword on Meiji era was really strict and maybe they didn't want to point him out since he wouldn't let go of the Sakabatou."

"Sakabatou?" Kaoru asked curious "Is that a katana?"

"It's a reverse blade sword. It's meant not to kill." Yahiko explained almost instantly.

"Then, why did he have it?" Kaoru asked looking at the book.

The room went into a long silence by the girl's question. Everyone looked at each other sadly not knowing what to say by her conclusion. All of their heads were down thinking and Kaoru was starting to feel bad. Did she say something wrong?

"It's okay," Sanosuke assured her "It's normal, you still don't have all the memories."

"Did I say something wrong?" Kaoru asked worried and low.

"He carried the sword to protect the weak and his loved ones." Yahiko interrupted "Kaoru had also a code in her technique: The sword that protects. Kenshin admired her in the way she defended her father's teachings. Although he said that it was motto difficult to follow, he preferred to think of a new era like that."

"You could say on the other way, Kaoru's way of life gave strength to his ideals to protect and atone for the crimes of his past." Sanosuke explained to Kaoru too. Megumi only heard, never reacted. She glanced a few times to girl but it was only that. "Maybe that's why he cared so much for her."

A sword that protects. That's an interesting theory for a person who killed to change and era. Kaoru thought. I still do not believe Hitokiri like Battousai was able to care for someone. At first I thought they weren't talking about the same person, but they actually were.

"The point of this meeting is also for us to start a "past-diary" Misao said cheerfully.

"What the-? When did you decide the name?" Yahiko asked confused.

"Right now, it sure seems mysterious!" She replied with a big smile.

"It won't be a diary if everyone will reads it!"

"But it's a great name for a book!" Misao continued flapping a note book proudly.

"You're going to publish it?" Sano and Yahiko asked at the same time.

"Excuse me, I need to go to the...Hm, you know…" Megumi suddenly interjected rising and leaving the group, all staring at her. Sanosuke sighed with that and then stares turned to him. Kaoru's eyes never left Megumi's direction worried.

"She's been quiet for a while." Yahiko started talking to Sanosuke. He raised his eyes to him showing tiredness. "Is everything ok?"

"She's just…" the man started hesitatingly. "…Worried. But she's better now. The last meeting revealed something choking for her, she just needs time." He paused, "Perhaps, it's better if she doesn't write on this diary yet, we should write her part. At least, not now."

"You're right, maybe she needs time, let's not push herself over this." Misao said smiling to the man.

"I understand." Yahiko told him patting in his back. "I'm sure she will be ok pretty soon."

"Thanks man." Sanosuke told him grateful smiling to his friend. Kaoru and Misao kept looking at him still worried. Kaoru never saw Megumi down like that, she wondered if the memory her best friend had was that bad. She won't talk about it either, that's something Kaoru noticed ever since they went to pick her today, and she was really silent. "Since we'll be the only ones to do this, tell me more about this diary."

"It isn't a 'Diary'" Yahiko replied

"Nop, it's just its name." Misao joined him

"I won't even start discussing this."

"Then it's settled!" The girl said cheerfully and Kaoru only laugh with her stubbornness. Yahiko simply rolled his eyes not caring about it anymore.

"This so called 'diary' consists in a timeline of our past lives." Yahiko started as Misao handed him a note-book. "This will let us understand more about what really happened to us and to find out about our history from the ones who're left behind dying with the decease."

"There are some things we don't remember yet, and so we can write it down here. It will start construct our past and let us know some important matters of our lives." Misao continued.

"That is a good idea. But I think the diary won't be full, I mean we're still missing people. It will be very vague." Sanosuke added "We should try and look for the others."

"We'll start university on Monday." Yahiko replied "I don't know if it will be possible to search for the others, think you can make another article on that magazine?"

"Hell no!" Sano said instantly

"Why not?" Misao asked confused and Kaoru just giggled.

"Anyway that doesn't matter, if anyone else didn't replied to it, maybe it's because they don't read that kind of magazine." He explained

"You may have a point but," Yahiko started "What if they missed that number? We should at least try once more."

"Ok but just this once, I don't want to receive any more weird calls." Misao laughed with Kaoru and he avoided looking at them. Yahiko just smiled by the weird conversation.

"I think this is just for now." Yahiko said starting to get up "Next time try to remember the dates before your deaths, we'll try to figure out what happened at the very end of our past lives." Kaoru's head bent down thinking. She wondered about the dreams, she never had since the last one.

"Seems like you're going to the same university as us, huh Kaoru?" she looked up curious to Misao "Yahiko and I study at the University of Tokyo. But I'm one year older than him so, this is my third year. This will be fun!"

"Third year?" She asked amazed

"Yeah, I didn't even think you already were in college!" Sanosuke said too and she just looked at him annoyed. Kaoru just laughed.

"Well, I'm 21 if you haven't noticed yet." She told him "Yahiko is younger."

"Wow." Was all that Sanosuke managed to say. After that, Megumi finally came out of the bathroom as quietly as she had been before. They never said anything either, until Sanosuke got up. "We'll then it's settled, we'll start writing in the diary on our next reunion." Megumi listened to him with same expression she had been the whole meeting. "So, does anyone need a ride?"

…

"So Kaoru what are you studying at college?" Misao asked curious. They were all sat on Sanosuke's car. Megumi was next to Sano who was driving.

"Well, I intend to be a lawyer." Kaoru answered smiling to her. "I want to be a very good one, so I'll have to try hard."

"Seems promising." Yahiko answered smiling "I'm studying Economics while Misao is studying Communication. Both very hard to accomplish as you can see."

"Yeah," She answered admired "Oh! Economics you said? I met a person on the day of our application, he was bit lost so he asked me directions. He told me he was going to follow economics. He was really good looking." Misao giggle with that "I don't remember his name though."

"Well that's something you'll notice in the first days, you don't remember anyone's name at college." The girl advised her "Well, if you happen to find him again at college, we should meet him, right Yahiko?" The girls gave him a melancholy smile.

"You're right." He answered back with one of his own. Kaoru just looked to one and another confused.

"Did I miss something?" she asked "I'm kinda confused here."

"HOHOHOHOHO!" Misao laugh with her hand in front of her. Kaoru looked at her with one eyebrow up not getting anything they were saying. Yahiko and Sanosuke only laugh.

"You just sounded like Kitsune right now!" Sano said laughing and looked at his girlfriend smiling "Don't you think?"

When she saw he was talking to her, she smiled back at him "Hai." When the man saw her smile he knew Megumi wasn't listening to anything they were saying. But even so he tried to not show her too much. Has they were arriving her house, he parked right in front of the building.

"Ok, one to go." He said smiling to her and bent over to giver a kiss which she answered but quickly ended. He tried not too show the others what happened and kept on smiling. She opened the door and before closing it she turned to her friends "Have a nice trip back home, take care!"

"Byyyeee!" Misao said cheerfully along with Kaoru. The woman closed the door still smiling and turned to her building. Sanosuke's car rode off as the conversation in the back seat kept on.

"You're still not saying, what'll you do when you meet this guy?" Kaoru still asked "If you are going to welcome him you wouldn't smile like that."

As the discussion went on, Yahiko felt an urge to turn to his right side. Sanosuke was still turning the car around so he could drive the opposite direction and it was then, in front of Megumi's building he saw a figure of a kid with a ball in his feet, playing, leaning against a wall. His face was not visible for he had a cap and his head was down looking at his ball. The car was driving off and when it came to a point he couldn't see the kid anymore, he turned in front of him with thoughtful eyes.

"I just don't want you to ruin my social life, I'm still new here remember?" Kaoru told her starting to get annoyed "Don't embarrass me."

"Oh no, it will be much more fun than that." Misao replied "Don't worry, I won't do anything for you to be troubled about ne?"

"Yahiko." Sanosuke's sudden voice called him. He looked trough the mirror to Sano's eyes somehow worried. "Are you alright?" The girls stopped talking and looked at him once they heard that question. When he saw everyone looking at him, showed a smile and replied:

"Why wouldn't I be?" I just thought I saw and glimpse of red…

…

Once the car wasn't visible, Kenshin's head came up; resting in the wall, looking to the way the vehicle drove off. The cap got down with process, revealing his beautiful red hair to the setting sun. He stood there for a moment.

Yahiko

Turning to the building where he saw Megumi's apartment light on and his eyes stood there for a moment.

I have nothing to do here…right?

With that, he got his ball in the air with his feet and grabbed it below his arm. He turned to the road and slowly got farther away.

End Of Chapter 6

A/n: Ok you can spank me now .. I'm so sorry this came so late, I just you guys to know that I haven't forgot about this fic! I've been so busy with work at college that it just seems to get in my way. I hand't have time to think about this either. But don't worry, I'll start writing next chapter soon and hope to update it as soon as I can!

So now, tell me what you think about it (and yes you can call me meany lol)

Please review!