It was different, watching her now. Just as before, he was unable to take his eyes off her, but just as before he had to pretend that he wasn't. He was the only person in the fortress that knew her secret and he wasn't about to give her away. It wasn't that he would ever send her away; he knew he'd never be able to do that. There was still the matter of the other bandits to consider, and what they would think of having a woman around. Especially a woman who could out-shoot any of them and was coming into her own in hand to hand combat.

Just as he thought this, Kai blocked a strike, turned her body slightly, then performed a perfect high kick that knocked her opponent a few steps backward. He couldn't help but feel a little proud of her. Genrou sensed someone coming up beside him and he turned to find Kouji standing there.

"His form's pretty good," Kouji said, knowing exactly who Genrou was watching. There was no hiding things from Kouji, and Genrou wondered just how much he was seeing. "But he's still weak. He's gotta catch his partner off balance before he can knock him over."

"He's just gotta practice," Genrou said. For some reason he felt like he needed to defend Kai, even though he knew she would say he didn't have to. "Once he figures out the right spots to hit, he'll be a great fighter. Nami said he hits pretty hard when he's into it."

"They've become a good team," Kouji said with a smile. "A little weird to look at, but they work well together. I thought for sure he was gonna be mad about having to work on the road with him but now I can hardly picture the two of them separately." He laughed. "Can you just imagine Kai and Nami fighting?"

"It'd be like a sparrow fightin' a boulder," Genrou said, grinning. "I don't care how hard he punches, Nami's gonna come out the winner on that one."

"Market day's coming up," Kouji said, nodding toward the fortress. Genrou followed him inside. "You still want to take a couple extra guys down in case the guys from Mt. Kaou try something?"

"Yeah, it's probably a good idea. They've been kinda quiet lately. It ain't normal." It was true. Since the last minor skirmish between the two bandit groups a few weeks earlier there hadn't been so much as a peep from the Mt. Kaou bandits and there were no reports from travelers of even seeing them. It was suspicious. "For all we know, they're waitin' for us to head down there."

"Yup. So what, it'll be you, me-" Kouji jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "That one and who else? Nami?"

"Why not? It's always good to have a guy like him along." They walked together down the hall to the storage room and Genrou gave his friend a curious look. "How'd ya know I wanted Kai to come with us?"

"When don't you want him to come with us?" Kouji raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? You wanna take someone else?"

"Nah, Kai's fine. He's pretty good with his bow and his sword now, so it doesn't matter which one he takes. The four of us should be able to handle a couple of them easily." Genrou kept his voice steady. He had meant to take Kai, of course, but he worried now that it looked like he was playing favorites. Then again, as Kouji had said, he already took her with him whenever he could. Yeah, that was back when I thought she was a guy. Still can't believe I missed that. He opened the door to the storage room and put his hands on his hips. "We've got a lot of crap in here, don't we?"

"We missed the last market day," Kouji reminded him and Genrou ducked his head slightly. That had been the day he went to Souun with Kai and he'd been so preoccupied with her that he'd completely forgotten about it. He felt like pointing out to Kouji that he hadn't reminded him either but decided not to at the last minute. "We'll just have to pack the wagon tight. Did you ever teach Kai how to drive it?"

"I thought you were gonna."

"Great. This'll be just great." Kouji pressed a hand to his face. "Guess I'll ride up there with him and show him what to do. That means you and Nami get to walk."

"Fine with me. Just don't let him crash the wagon," Genrou said, going over to a table where some fine china was stacked. "That's the last thing we need."

"Sorry, no promises."

000

"So you'll be ridin' with Kouji," Genrou explained to Kai after dinner as they walked down the hall. There was nothing unusual about this, especially since she was going with them to Souun soon. "If ya want, he can show ya how to drive the wagon before then."

"It can't be that hard," Kai said with a shrug. "I'm fine either way." They reached her room and she lowered her voice. "Thanks for taking me along."

"Why wouldn't I? You're gonna be haggling with merchants before long yourself, so we're gonna make ya practice as often as we can." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Next thing ya know, you'll be tellin' us what to do."

"I doubt that," Kai said, smiling nonetheless. "I'm looking forward to another trip to town. I had such a good time last time we went." Her words made Genrou blush and she grinned up at him. "So I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

"Did ya wanna come to my room for a little bit? Just to hang out?" His face was still red and Kai looked around as if she was expecting someone to be listening in on their conversation. "Maybe have a couple of drinks?"

"Sure," replied Kai. "That sounds nice." She followed him to his room. "Do you ever wonder if maybe we drink too much?"

"Nah. We're bandits. What else do ya think we do for fun?" He nudged her with his shoulder. "Not all the guys are into readin' books and lookin' at stars, y'know." Kai folded her arms over her chest and he couldn't help noticing its flatness. She'd told him she was a girl but he still hadn't seen definitive proof of her claim and the more they were together the more it was on his mind.

"It's fun to me," she said, not noticing the direction his eyes had drifted for a moment. "Maybe you should give it a try sometime."

"No thanks. I've had enough constellations to last me a lifetime." Genrou pushed open the door to his room to let her in. Once they were inside he locked the door behind them after checking the hallway to make sure they hadn't been seen. He didn't want to be interrupted while he spent time with her, since they didn't get much time alone together.

"Do you get to see your friend at all now?" The table had been moved away from the window and Kai took her usual place by it, making Genrou smile when he thought about how she had her own place in his room.

"Every now and then. He's one of those wandering monks, so I run into him sometimes. Or I guess he runs into me. We don't talk too much about the old times, though," he said, bringing a bottle of sake and cups over to her. "It would be nice to see him more often though."

"I wish I could meet him," Kai said, reaching for the sake. It was her turn to pour it for him and he was reminded of the shy and awkward way she had poured his drink the first time they'd met. He liked this Kai much better. "I'd like to thank him."

"Ya know, if ya really get down to it ya never thanked me," teased Genrou. Kai raised an eyebrow at him, then set down her cup and leaned over the table. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close to her, kissing him forcefully for a long moment. He liked this Kai a lot too. In fact, this was his favorite Kai so far.

"Thank you," she said when she let go of him, her cheeks pink.

"If I say you're welcome do I get to kiss ya again?" Kai gave him a mischievous smile and he moved around to her side of the table. This time he was the one who kissed her, putting his arms around her and pulling her close as he did. Kai's fingers clutched the sleeve of his shirt and when he leaned her backward she didn't resist.

With his lips still pressed to hers, Genrou laid her back onto the floor. He looked down at her and she nodded with a smile in answer to a question he hadn't asked. If he had any doubts, they were brushed aside when she opened her shirt and loosened the binding surrounding her chest so that her curves were more evident. Not wasting any time, Genrou pressed his lips to the side of Kai's throat and she murmured softly. His hand slid up her side and covered her breast as he kissed her, but when she reached up and pressed a hand to the back of his neck a shock went through him and he suddenly sat up. He backed away from her until he hit the wall with a horrified look on his face.

"Genrou?" Kai sat up and looked at him in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothin,'" he said a little too quickly. "I mean, i-it's not-" A look of confusion with an undercurrent of hurt was on Kai's face and he looked away from her. "It's nothin' ya did. It's just, I ain't, I mean-" He forced himself to look back at Kai. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Kai said, She adjusted the bindings around her chest and retied her sash. She started to get up and Genrou slid over to her and put an arm around her.

"Hey," he said gently. "I'm sorry. I don't want ya to think I don't wanna, y'know, be with ya. It's just there's somethin' in my head. I thought I was over it but I guess I'm not."

"It's all right," Kai said again. She leaned over and kissed him cautiously. It was a relief and he kissed her back. The only thing he felt this time was the depth of his feelings for her, merged with guilt for how he had pushed her away before. "I should get to sleep," she said. "Lots of breakfast to cook in the morning."

"You're leavin'?" As if in reply to his question, Kai stood up and nodded. Genrou sprang up after her. "Ya don't hafta go, we could have a couple more drinks."

"It's late," she said, untying her hair for just a moment so she could straighten it. "I told Yuta I'd show him the shrines tomorrow after I get back from the road. If you want, we can have those drinks tomorrow night instead."

"But-"

"Tomorrow night," she said, shaking her head and putting a finger to his lips. "It's a promise." Genrou grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away, only to have Kai smile at him tenderly. "Don't worry, I'm not angry. In fact, don't worry at all. It'll make you go bald."

"Ya sure you're not mad?"

"I swear." Kai kissed him, this time on the cheek. "See you tomorrow." She unlocked the door and left before he could say the same, closing the door behind her. Genrou pressed a hand to it and leaned his head against the wood with his eyes closed. He wanted to follow her and apologize again, to explain to her why he'd acted the way he did but the thought of it made his stomach turn. Instead, he went over to the table and poured himself a cup of sake. Another followed quickly and he sighed. I'm an idiot, he thought. Dammit.

Genrou continued to drink until the sounds from the fortress had all but stopped. He'd been thinking in circles for a while by that time and stood up to go to bed, trying to push the thoughts and memories out of his head. As soon as he was up, though, another idea came to him. He went out into the empty hallway with a clear destination in mind in spite of his slightly spinning head.

For once she hadn't locked the door to her room and he stepped inside silently. Kai was asleep as expected and he was relieved she wasn't sitting up worrying about what had happened. He stepped closer to her and sighed. Her hair was out of its usual ponytail and her head was resting on the pillow with one of her hands underneath it. She looked peaceful and calm and he leaned back against her wall.

He knew why it had happened. As much as he would have liked to deny that, he knew exactly what memory he'd triggered when he had her on the bed. He also knew that the only way to get free of it was to tell Kai what had happened.

I can't, he thought as Kai shifted to a more comfortable position. Her hair fell into her face and he reached over to carefully brush it away. A small frown crossed her brow and she murmured but didn't wake up. I can't let her know. She'd never look at me the same again.

He stayed by her side for several more minutes before going back to his own room and falling back on the bed. In spite of his worries, he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. The last thing he thought was of Miaka's face.

000

"Something wrong, Aniki?" Yuta looked over at Kai, who jumped up from the tree trunk she'd been leaning on. She looked over at him and saw that he had a pail of water in each hand then looked back to see that he was coming back from the well.

"I just have a lot on my mind," Kai said. She was surprised that she had wandered so far away from the fortress and nodded toward it. "Come on, I'll walk back with you." As they walked, Kai saw that the boy was struggling with the pails and sighed. "Give me one of those and it'll go a lot faster."

"I can carry them myself."

"The hell you can." Kai grabbed one of the pails and started toward the fortress. "Trust me, I was doing this six months ago too."

"Thanks, Aniki." Yuta grabbed the other pail with both hands and Kai smiled. She'd only tried to drag one pail at first, not two. She couldn't help being a little impressed by his ambition.

They came up the hill together and Kai saw Nami standing by the gates with his arms folded across his chest. She handed the pail back to Yuta and waited for him to go to the fortress before she went over to her partner.

"Been waitin' for you, brat. You think you'd know better than wandering off by now."

"Who's wandering off? I was just helping the kid out." She neglected to mention that she'd been off on her own thinking before Yuta had come across her but thought that it was better not to tell Nami about what had happened. It was better not to tell Nami a lot of things at this point. Goh and Kita arrived to join them and she stretched her arm across her chest to loosen up her shoulders. "I should start carrying buckets again to build up more strength."

"We still have to fix the back part of the wall," Kita said. "You'll get plenty strong helpin' carryin' the timbers for it."

"There's no way he can carry something like that," Nami said, shaking his head. "Skinny little arms and clumsy to boot." Offended by everything he'd said, Kai punched him in the arm. "Like I said, you've got skinny arms."

The road was pretty much deserted that day and Kai passed the time shooting arrows with Goh, seeing who could shoot the farthest and the fastest. She held her own for a while but started dropping back when her arm got tired. Goh laughed.

"You know what you should do?"

"What's that?"

"Try learning to shoot with your left side too," he replied. "It's a lot harder but it'll help you get stronger in both arms." Without replying, Kai switched sides and was immediately back to firing arrows into the ground. The other bandits laughed and she gave Goh a dirty look, wondering if he'd said it just to tease her. "Maybe just stick with your right side for now."

"You guys are all jerks, I hope you know this." Per their agreement, Kai went to retrieve the arrows. She picked up the one she'd shot into the ground last, dusting it off as best she could without hurting herself. She could just imagine how hard they'd laugh if she had to go back up to the fortress to bandage her hand.

"Yeah, I noticed it too," Kita was saying when she returned. "He's been actin' real weird."

"Who has? The kid?" Kai started sorting the arrows, handing Goh's to him as she found them.

"Kashira," he replied. "He's been checkin' on us down on the road a lot." This was true, and Kai had a feeling she knew why. "Think it's 'cause the guys from Mt. Kaou have been quiet?"

"Maybe," she said. "Why do you think they've disappeared?"

"Probably tryin' to catch us off guard." Goh sighed. "Wish Kashira would let us just go up there and clear 'em out. He's a great guy and all, but sometimes he wants to be on the cautious side a little too much."

"He didn't used to be," Nami pointed out. "I remember when I first started, he was a real hothead. It's probably the wisdom of age or somethin' like that." This made the bandits laugh and Kai joined them, though she didn't feel like it. She made a mental note to tell Genrou that the others were noticing how he was acting when she was with him that night. The thought only brought back the night before in her head and she put her bow on her back.

"I'm going to run down and see if they've got any information for us," she said, nodding in the general direction of the restaurant. Try not to miss me too much." Before anyone could answer, she took off. Stop thinking about it, she told herself. He said it wasn't about me, so just stop thinking about it and trust him. It was easier said than done and she sighed in between breaths. She'd thought telling him about being a girl would make things easier, but it just kept getting more and more complicated. Kai decided she would just pretend nothing had happened when she went to his room that evening. He'd tell her when he was ready. Trusting him was easy. It was everything else that was hard.

000

The sun was heading for the mountains while Genrou was frowning at a map and trying just as hard not to think about the night before. It had become a lot easier when Kouji had come with a report from one of the scouts he'd send to Mt. Kaou.

"They're staying around their stronghold," the scout said, tapping a building on the hastily sketched map. "I didn't see a single one of them on the way up there. It's weird."

"Yeah, that's for sure," Genrou said. The map wasn't really necessary for either him or Kouji since they'd been up there before. He couldn't imagine it had changed much since the last time, and he still wasn't sure he wanted to go up there this time. Just sending the scouts had made him uncomfortable enough. He didn't want anyone to get hurt if there really wasn't anything going on. "Thanks for your hard work."

"What do you want me to do now?"

"Nothin' for now. Just take a break and I'll let ya know if I need anything else done." The skinny scout nodded and stepped out of the leader's room, leaving Genrou and Kouji alone. As soon as he was gone, Genrou sank into his chair and put a hand over his face.

"Now what?" Kouji continued to look at the map. "It's your call."

"They're up to somethin,' I just don't know what," Genrou said. "But I don't wanna risk everybody's lives by takin' 'em up there when they're probably waitin' for us." He stared up at the ceiling. "The only thing I can think of is sendin' someone else up to try and spy on 'em but I don't wanna do that either."

"Might be our best bet," Kouji said. "And if he wants to do it maybe we should let him."

"Lemme think about it some more. I'm not gonna make a decision like this right away." He could feel Kouji looking at him and shook his head. "Can ya give me a couple of minutes?"

"Sure."

As soon as Kouji was gone, Genrou stood up and went to the window. He looked out over the yard where some of the bandits were practicing with their swords or naginata and felt a surge of affection for them. Hakurou had once told him that being the leader was a bit like being a father and he had never realized how true it was until that moment. It was his job to watch over them and keep them safe. The last thing he wanted was to lose one because he made a rash decision.

The thought of losing one of his men brought back the loss of Kyohei, which only made things more complicated. He'd lost Kyohei because he hadn't done anything about the Mt. Kaou bandits, something he deeply regretted. If he did nothing, he ran the risk of either the fortress being attacked or his bandits picked off one by one. If he made the first move, there was a strong possibility that he could lose half of them at one time. His life didn't matter at this point, it was all about them.

All of a sudden, his room felt stifling. He put a hand on the windowsill, thinking of how Kai told him she had jumped out the window of the teahouse. If he went out through the hall he would probably run into Kouji and he wasn't ready to talk to him just yet.

I just wanna take a walk, he thought. With a look at the doors, he went out the window and landed on the porch below, seemingly unnoticed by any of the men in the yard. It was exactly how he wanted it to be and he started walking quickly so he could get out without being stopped. The only contact he had with anyone else was when he passed through the gates with a quick wave at the guards.

When he reached the path that led further up into the mountains he was able to breathe a little easier. The sun was setting but he knew exactly where he was going. There was one place he knew he'd be able to go to think without anyone staring at him.

He got a surprise when he came around the bend and saw Kai picking up what looked like a small wooden triangle. When he got closer he could tell that it was the roof from one of the shrines. She dusted it off and set it aside, then went back to digging through a pile of rocks and dirt. Genrou came up behind her and she turned before he'd said a word.

"It was like this when I got here," she said quickly. "I swear I didn't break it."

"Looks like a little rockslide got it," Genrou said, bending over to help her. The little cups were broken but the metal incense dish was unharmed. Kai pulled more of the wooden scraps out of the rubble and set them aside. "We can put it back together, no problem."

"I'm glad." Standing up straight, she dusted off her hands. "I was showing the kid the shrines and found it, so I sent him ahead while I tried to salvage it. What are you doing out here?"

"Same thing I always am. Lookin' for my favorite cross-dresser."

"Oh," Kai said, blushing. "Good thing you found her." She looked around furtively, as if someone might be watching, then stepped closer to him and kissed him lightly. Genrou liked that she was so forward, even if it was a boyish part of her personality. To him, there was nothing worse than a helpless, quiet woman. He supposed that came from growing up with his sisters.

"Hey, come with me," Genrou said, suddenly taking her hand and tugging her toward the path. "We'll fix the shrine later, there's somethin' I wanna show ya."

"Okay!" Grinning excitedly, Kai followed him with the warmth of her hand still in his. He wasn't worried that anyone would see them; the place he was going was one of his secrets. Kouji knew where it was, of course, but he wasn't likely to come there without his friend.

He was walking rather quickly by the time he got to the little building tucked into the trees on the side of the mountain and Kai kept pace with him easily, never letting go of his hand. They so rarely got to spend time together alone that neither of them wanted to waste a second of it. Genrou knew that at some point he would have to tell Kouji but he didn't really want to tell him about Kai being a girl unless he had to. He would much rather leave that up to her.

"Only my close friends know about this place," he said, pushing open the door to the room where he'd 'kidnapped' Miaka in an attempt to get to Eiken, the disgusting bandit that had taken his place when Hakurou died and Genrou was still searching for his cure. "Now ya know about it too."

Kai looked around at the building, which was really little more than a shack. It was completely empty of furniture but the floors were solid and it looked as if someone had been taking care of it. "Is this where you go walking?"

"Yeah," admitted Genrou. "Sometimes ya just gotta be alone."

"You weren't really looking for me," Kai said, moving to the window. "What's going on?"

"I was comin' up here so I could think about what to do about the Mt. Kaou guys. The options I've got ain't that great." He joined Kai at the window and leaned against the wall. "I'd rather hang out with ya for a little while, though." She took a step toward him and he put an arm around her waist, trying to figure out how he could have ever thought she was a boy. The warmth of her body under his hand was distracting and he pulled her close. Kai started to put her arms around him, then hesitated and let them fall to her sides.

"Why don't you tell me about your options and I'll see if I can't help you figure something out? Unless you'd rather have Kouji Aniki do that." She sat down by the wall, legs stretched out in front of her, and Genrou looked down at her. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable around him and he definitely didn't want her to stop touching him. What he did want was to hold her and kiss her, and maybe wake up beside her. Unless he told her the truth he knew he'd never be able to do it, but there was every chance that when he told her she'd say she didn't want to be with him at all.

"Kai-"

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," she said with a grin. Her brow furrowed as she tried to think of another topic. "Let's talk about something else instead. How about that guy we saw the other day? The one dressed in women's clothes. Not like I have any room to talk, but he wasn't very convincing."

"There's somethin' I've gotta tell ya," Genrou said, completely ignoring her attempt to change the subject and turning his back to Kai. She cocked her head at him curiously. "I don't really wanna tell ya but I kinda feel like I've gotta."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I don't want ya to know how it can be with me." He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, then stopped when Kai reached up and took his hand. Gently but firmly, she pulled him down so they were sitting facing each other. His eyes searched her face for a moment, taking in every feature as if it was going to be the last time. "Somethin' happened to me back when I was fightin' with the other Shichiseishi. I-" Kai's green eyes encouraged him to go on but he couldn't look into them.

"It's all right," she said softly. "If it's too hard, you don't have to keep going. We can always talk about this later."

"No, I gotta say this. We were fightin' this demon and he was great at bringin' out the worst part of ya. I got caught up in it and I-" He swallowed hard. Ya gotta say it. Even if she gets up and leaves, ya gotta say it. "I almost forced myself on a girl." Kai didn't say anything but he could imagine the look of surprise on her face and wondered if it might be a little disgusted too. "It was Suzaku no Miko," he went on, deciding that if he was going to drive her away he might as well her everything. "If it hadn't been for Tamahome, I woulda done somethin' to her I'd kill any other man for tryin.'"

"But she was all right," Kai said, her voice no different than he was used to hearing. "Right?"

"Yeah. I broke the spell in the end, after Tamahome came. And I used this-" He took the tessen off his back and held it in his hands. It gave him something to look at, something to hold onto for when she pulled away. "-to try and burn myself up. I woulda died if it wasn't for Mitsukake's healin' power." He shook his head. "I'd really like to say it was all the demon's fault. That'd make it easier, y'know? But it ain't the truth. He just brought out what's inside me. The thought I might hurt someone like that again?" Genrou's fingers tightened around the tessen. "That's why last night I couldn't, y'know, be with ya. If ya don't wanna be with me anymore, I get it. I won't stop ya from leavin.'"

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Kai said, moving over until their legs were touching. "We all have darkness in us," she went on, putting her hand over his and making him look up at her at last. Her eyes were kind, without the slightest hint of anger or fear, and he'd never thought they were so beautiful. "But you told her you were sorry, and you meant it. And it sounds like they forgave you. Don't you think you owe it to them to forgive yourself?"

Instead of answering he kissed her, relief suffusing every fiber of his being. If there was one thing he had been worried would change Kai's mind about being with him it was this and he let her hold his hand. Kai kissed him back, her lips soft and warm against his. The sun was lost in the mountains and the sky had turned from orange to purple, casting the room into shadow. There was enough light from the newborn moon to light their faces and the smile on Kai's face was unmistakable.

"Do you know what I thought when I first saw you? Back at the teahouse?" Genrou shook his head and she laced her fingers through his. "I thought that you'd never want someone like me. I was too quiet, and there was nothing special about me. Even if I'd gotten up the courage to talk to you I was sure that I'd never convince you that I was good enough for someone like you."

"How can ya say you're not special? I've never met anyone like ya, and I've seen a lotta stuff in my life." He set aside the tessen and grabbed Kai's other hand so both their hands were entwined. "You're the one I wanna be with, no matter what."

"Exactly," Kai said. "I feel exactly the same, and nothing you say will ever change that. No, it's more than that." She leaned forward so her forehead was pressed to Genrou's. "I want you to know that I would do anything for you. No matter what, I want to be with you always, Genrou."

It was the first time in his life that anyone had said this to Genrou, and yet here was a woman – whom he'd sworn he hated – telling him that she would give him her life. Who almost already had, as a matter of fact. The words he had heard Miaka say to Tamahome more than once were coming from Kai's mouth and they felt just how he'd always imagined they might.

"Come to my room tonight," he said. "I don't care what the others think. I want ya to stay in my room with me."

"We don't have to," Kai said, opening her eyes and looking at him. He could see the flush in her cheeks even in the moonlight and it made his heart beat a little faster "I don't want you to do anything you aren't ready for."

"Maybe that wasn't what I was thinkin,'" Genrou said, smirking. "Maybe I just wanna talk to ya some more."

"I'm okay with that too." Her cheeks got redder and he couldn't help thinking how cute she was. "Maybe we can come up with a solution to your problem." She sat up straight and looked up at the window. "Either way, we should get back. Yuta's probably losing it in the kitchen right now without me." Genrou nodded his agreement and stood up, offering one hand to her as he put the tessen back on his back with the other.

"Hey," he said as he closed the doors and they started the walk back to the fortress. Kai looked back at him from her place on the trail. "Thanks."

"For what?" Kai was genuinely puzzled by what he said and he joined her, putting his arm around her waist again. It felt good there, his hand on her hip and her body pressed against his the same way it had been when he helped her up the mountain when she was drunk. It felt like they were made for one another.

"For listenin.'"

"You don't have to thank me for that." They fell into step and made their way back to the fortress, separating only when they were within sight of the gates. Genrou wondered what the others would say if he told them about her. He realized he didn't really care anymore and was considering putting his arm back around her when Yuta came running out of the fortress and directly at Kai.

"Aniki! There you are! We have to get dinner ready and I couldn't find you anywhere." The boy looked frazzled beyond repair and Kai sighed.

"Calm down, kid. You're gonna make yourself go bald if you don't stop worrying so much."

"What is it with you and people going bald?" Genrou grinned at her and she raised an eyebrow.

"It's what my father always used to say. And he never went bald," she said, cutting off Yuta's question just as he was opening his mouth to ask it. "Come on, let's get into the kitchen. Starting tonight I'm teaching you how to cook. You can at least make rice, that's a start." With a look back at Genrou that clearly asked him why she'd had this responsibility dumped on her, she followed Yuta into the fortress.

It took them longer than usual to get dinner made and put out on the table, much to the dismay of the bandits. There was a low rumble of concern that it would be Yuta cooking on his own again and Kouji asked more than once if Genrou was sure that Kai had gone to the kitchen with him. In preparation for another barely edible meal, the others started drinking early and often. Just when they were wondering if they should make themselves scarce, Kai came out of the kitchen with her hand over her face and dropped heavily into her chair beside Nami.

"That's not the face of someone with good news," Nami said as Yuta started putting plates down on the table in front of the men while they looked dubiously at one another, then at Kai. "Tell me you had something to do with this food."

"Of course I did," Kai said, and a sigh of relief went around the table. Immediately, the hungry group descended on the food while she leaned back in her chair. Genrou poured her a cup of sake and pushed it across the table at her. "Thanks," she said, taking it and downing it. "I tried to teach him how to do it but he just kept dropping things, so I took over."

"That's a good thing," Nami said. "It means we actually get to eat tonight." He looked toward the rice Yuta was now bringing out. "Nothin' you ever cooked was as bad as what he brought out that one night."

"Thanks, I think."

Dinner went by quickly and Kai went back to her room while Genrou went to his to wait for her. When she didn't come, he began to get worried. Not wanting her to think he had no faith in her, he sat down and studied the map of Mt. Kaou again, trying to think a little more about what his plan should be. When he looked up and saw the moon above the trees, he decided it was time to go check on her. Rolling up the map, he dropped it in his chair and went down the hall to Kai's room.

In spite of what he'd told her earlier, he looked around to see if any of the other bandits were around before pushing her door open and looking inside. The room was empty and he frowned. She'd told Nami she was going straight to bed. Footsteps and voices in the hall were coming his way and instead of ducking out, he went inside and closed the door.

"I don't think so," said one of the voices, which he recognized as belonging to Nami. "You'd look ridiculous carrying a naginata that's taller'n you."

"They're taller than everyone else too," Kai replied in an offended tone of voice that made Genrou smile. "That's the point of them."

"When I said taller, I meant twice your size." There was a small thump, then a larger one.

"Ow!"

"Brat," Nami said. "Don't dish it out if you can't take it."

"You didn't have to hit me that hard," Kai said loudly. Nami laughed and Genrou heard her put a hand on the door. "I'm going to sleep. Go be an asshole to someone else for a change." She pushed the door open, taking a step back in surprise when she saw Genrou lurking by the wall. "Oh!" Nami looked back for a second and she waved him off. "Sorry. Just hit myself with the door."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Oh, go away." Kai closed the door behind her and locked it, then lowered her voice. "What are you doing in my room again?"

"I thought ya were gonna come down to my room."

"I was, but Nami wanted to show me a sword he'd found in the storage room. Then he started picking up women's robes and teasing me about how he'd finally found something that fit me. It's not like I could tell him I had to go because I was supposed to meet you in your room," Kai said, and Genrou frowned.

"What are ya talkin' about? He knows?" This came as a surprise to him at first, then he thought about it. They'd shared the same room for months and gotten closer than he'd ever expected when he'd first put them together. He supposed he should be more surprised if Nami hadn't found out somehow.

"Yeah. He walked in on me when I was changing after I got shot. Good thing I had my chest bound, otherwise he would have really gotten an eyeful." She patted her chest and Genrou closed the distance between them with a step. "Did you still want to go down to your room?"

"Nah. We can talk just as easy in here." He tilted her face up to his and kissed her smiling lips, then pulled her over to the bed and sat down with his back against the wall. Kai sat against the opposite wall with one leg pulled up to her chest. "Ya get along pretty well with Nami these days."

"It's hard not to," Kai said. "Especially since he's the only one around here who knew about me for the longest time. I feel like my big brother's come back to me."

"He'd hafta be a really big brother." He reached out to Kai and she put her hand in his, then let him pull her across the bed until they were sitting beside one another. "Y'know, I was thinkin' about what ya told me about your family and the war. What made ya come all the way here?"

"I almost didn't," admitted Kai as she tugged at the blanket. "Originally my plan was to hitch a ride to Hokkan and live there instead. But I didn't have papers and they didn't want to let anyone in without them, just in case. So I came this way, to Souun, and just never left. I can't imagine how different things would have been if I'd ended up in the north."

"I'm kinda glad you didn't have papers," Genrou said, pulling her hands away from the blanket. "Otherwise we might never have met." This made Kai smile and she squeezed his hands. "Hotohori always talked about destiny and fate but I never thought too much about 'em. Seemed kinda silly, even after actually seein' Suzaku appear right in front of me and all. Maybe I shoulda paid more attention."

"I don't know if it's fate," Kai said, shrugging. "More like a happy accident."

"Whatever it is, I'm glad you're here now." He pulled her close, until their faces were almost touching. "And I ain't lettin' ya go."

This time there was no feeling of unease, no flashback to the time before. He kissed her over and over, unable to get enough of her. Kai's clothes disappeared piece by piece, ending with the binding over her breasts. They were by no means small, but they also weren't the large kind that made him uncomfortable. This time when he touched her the only thing he felt was his desire for her and he stripped off his shirt. The character on his arm was glowing again and Kai touched it.

"It's amazing," she said quietly. "You really are Tasuki."

"Of course I am," Genrou said with the sort of cocky smirk his fellow Shichiseishi would have known at once. "Who else would I be?"

"I don't care who," Kai said, putting her arms around him and pulling him down to her. "So long as you're mine." Instead of a reply, Genrou kicked off his pants and kissed her, glad she'd locked the door and hoping no one came to his room looking for him. If they did, they'd be waiting awhile. This, as far as he was concerned, was more important by far.

000

"You're in a good mood this morning, brat." Nami walked with Kai toward their place on the road. "Something happen you're not gonna tell me about?"

"Can't a guy smile in the morning?" Goh and Kita were within earshot so she couldn't very well tell him what had happened with Genrou, even if she had felt like opening that can of worms. She had seriously considered telling Nami about their secret more than once, mainly so she'd have someone to talk to about it.

It was funny. When she'd first arrived and been introduced to Nami, Kai had never thought she'd be able to talk to him like she did. Even now it seemed to most of the other bandits that they were at each others' throats half the time but it was mostly for show. She had realized long ago that she thought of him as a real big brother, even before he had told her about his sister. When she thought of it this way she felt a little guilty about not telling him.

"How about I tell you all about it later?" She was grinning now and Nami gave her a sideways look, as if he didn't trust her to follow through.

"Right. Later."

"I'm serious this time," she said, dropping her voice a little. "I've been a jerk keeping it from you and I feel kind of bad about it."

"Did you eat something weird this morning?" This made Kai laugh and Goh turned around to see what was so funny. "Keep moving," Nami growled, and the others laughed together. Kai was glad to hear it. These were her friends. No matter what happened, they'd always be together.

Suddenly a strange sound came from the side of the road. Nami held his hand out for Kai to stop and she did, drawing her bow from her back. Goh did the same and strung an arrow, searching the hills for anyone who might be drawing a bead on them. Nami took out his sword and led the way into the bushes. It was a child crying over the body of a woman who had been beaten and left for dead.

"Mama," he said, rubbing his eyes. Kita stepped forward to check on the woman and Nami looked back at Kai and Goh. He motioned for them to stay where they were and watched the area while Kita checked for the woman's pulse.

"She's alive," he said. "But just barely. We have to get her to a doctor." Nami put away his sword and stepped in to pick her up. As soon as he knelt down, something hard was brought down on the back of his neck and he fell forward beside the woman. The child let out a scream of terror as Kita crumpled to the ground but Kai and Goh barely heard it as thin ropes around their necks cut off their air. Kai's fingers scrabbled at the rope as black stars exploded in front of her eyes but she couldn't cry out for help. All she could do was listen to the child screaming as she passed out, dropping to the ground. Her last thought was the hope that she would wake up again. Then everything was dark.