I hope you like this chapter. It's a little different, but it sets the stage for the last two chapters. Yes, this fic will be completed soon. I've been writing it for so long it's hard to imagine. So, give me some good feedback, ok?

Chapter Thirty Two

"I am not sure what to say honestly," Misao said, pushing her glass away from her. Suddenly, the strawberry milkshake was flavorless and unappealing. "How could you keep such a secret for so long?"

Aoshi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, which was across from Misao. It had been a while since he had seen her, since all the craziness began. He probably would have not seen her for some time yet if Misao had not called him and demanded he come and explain things to her. He thought it odd, but he would not fight it. He had missed her. Placing his large hand over her small one, he prompted the young woman to look into his eyes.

"You need to know…for many reasons. If you had not called me, I might have left well alone. But, the situation with Enishi would not have allowed for that," he explained.

"I know, Aoshi…but…" Misao leaned closer and whispered, her eyes darting side to side to make sure no one was around to overhear, "but you were…are Yakuza? And Kenshin? He's a lawyer. How does this all work out?"

Aoshi put his hand up to silent Misao's onslaught. "I know you have a lot of questions, but some of them must wait. I must get a hold of Kenshin and Kaoru. If I know either of them, Kaoru has gotten Kenshin to tell her what she needs to know and has developed a plan. I'll need to know what her plan is," he then softened his gaze and smiled, "Your sister really is a devious genius, I have to admit."

"Yeah," Miaso giggled, "she is. But, if some of my questions should wait, where can we go to talk? Who else is involved? I mean, this is obviously much bigger than Enishi hating Kenshin, isn't it?"

Aoshi sat back a sighed. How to explain this to her right now? There was so much? And her eyes were so demanding. Damn it, he knew this wasn't going to be easy, but this was just too much.

"Aoshi?"

"Yes…and no," he responded to the prompt. "Enishi has been obsessed with Kenshin for years. It is this obsession that led to his actions."

Aoshi threw a twenty on the table and motioned for Misao to follow him. Grabbing her purse, she obliged. The pair walked down the sidewalk for a block or so, arm in arm. The weather was warm, so they continued down the main thoroughfare to the waterfront.

"He has killed people…to get back at Kenshin?" Misao asked quietly.

"He's killed for less," Aoshi said matter-of-factly, and Missy shuddered. "I know it's hard for you to imagine, but it's a totally different world. The Yakuza, here and in Japan, are absolutely brutal. Enishi has been primed to take over the Yakuza all of his life, so his sense of entitlement is amplified."

"That's an understatement," Misao breathed. "He's sick. You think Tomoe-san tried to stay away from him?"

"Tomoe hated that her father was Yakuza and she hates her brother is one," Aoshi replied.

"Tomoe-san…is going to be hurt regardless of what happens," Misao said astutely. Aoshi started to speak but this time she put her hand up to silence him. "I am young, but I am not stupid. I understand in all likelihood Kenshin will leave Tomoe-san for my sister. They are two of a kind and from what you tell me, he and Tomoe-san were not a good fit from the beginning. I think Kenshin saw something so unobtainable; he'd have done anything in his power to have it. I think he loves his wife, but they are not cut from the same cloth. Kenshin and Kaoru understand each other…much like you understand Tomoe-san. Yet, you are not with Tomoe-san right now trying to sooth your heart. You are with me and I have to question why. Her world is going to fall apart soon. Who will she blame for that?"

"Misao…" Aoshi started, but the young woman stopped him again. He could see her trembling, her eyes wet with unshed tears.

"You were supposed to be her protector, Aoshi. You love her. I'm sure you love me in a fashion but I cannot compete with her. Tomoe-san," at this point the tears came down her face, "Tomoe-san needs you and I won't come between you two. I honestly just wanted to know the extent of the situation."

Misao found herself enveloped within Aoshi's strong embrace and her tears began to flow freely. His silence told her all she needed to know. It wasn't fair and it hurt! She had given herself to this man, it seemed so unfair.

"Gomen nasi, Misao-chan," Aoshi whispered, his tone raged with his own pain.

Sanosuke was a handsome man. His looks were rough, with dark gruffy hair and a perpetual five-o'clock shadow. The color of his eyes was the same as his hair, but there was warmth behind them that he tried hard to hide, warmth that the woman he loved recognized the moment her fox-eyes first gazed at him. For her, he would do anything…and had done just about everything for her. His past life was gone from him. No longer was he a Yakuza or the runner of drugs. His life of crime was over. He had gone back to school and tried to make a good life for himself. Sanosuke was a new man.

So, why wouldn't the past stay in the past? Why was his old boss here, on the other side of the country, stirring up trouble? And why did he feel like he was going to be in the middle of something bigger than he could handle?

The tall man shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the wall right outside his apartment door. The toothpick in his mouth moved up and down as he chewed on it, grinding as his mind raced. Sanosuke let the back of his head hit the wall with a soft thud. The feeling in his gut let him know something was definitely going to happen. His intuition was rarely wrong. But, what was he going to tell Meg? If only he could get a hold a Saitou and find out what had been transpiring the past few weeks, if he knew what the exact connection was. He was informed enough to know his former partners in crime were also in the city and had some sort of link to Meg.

"Sano, what is wrong," a low, feminine voice asked, and Sanosuke looked up.

"Oh, Fox… why don't you warn me before you sneak up on me, eh?" the man said, trying to sound composed.

"I've been standing here for at least a minute," Megumi said low, her tone slightly agitated.

"Oh," was the response.

"Again, what's wrong? It was like you were off in another world," Megumi said, now leaning onto his side.

Sanosuke kissed his woman on the cheek softly, and said, "Let's go inside and talk 'bout it."

With a shrug, Megumi open the door to their more than spacious apartment. The building had once been a classy hotel in the 1950's, but closed its doors during the city's fall from manufacturing grace. As the city rebounded, those that remembered the hotel's former glory demanding it to be renovated. The result was a stunning, contradicting mixture of art deco, modernistic simplicity and unbridled decadence.

"You know, I talked to Kaoru a few days ago," Megumi said as she took off her suit jacket. Slowly, she unbuttoned her silk blouse. Sanosuke watched her, waiting for her to continue. "She asked a question that bothered me. I wondered why she would ask it of me, but I think I'm piecing everything together. She wanted to speak with you about …"

"She wanted to speak with me 'bout my past," Sanosuke finished for Megumi and she nodded.

"It has something to do with that client of hers that was murdered, I gather. I told her to call back when she had something concrete, but I realize now that whatever she is dealing with will not be patient to my sensitivities."

"Damn," the tall man cursed, clenching his jaw. "I had a feeling something bad was goin' on. You know I want no part of this, Babe. It's probably fucked up enough without me gettin' into the mix. But fuck, that means Enishi is out for revenge! The man is crazier than a bag of cat shit."

Seeing how upset her mate was, Megumi stood up and walked over to him and pressed her long, lithe body against his hard one. Protectively and lovingly, she put her arms around his body. Through his anger, he still felt the heat of her body and was forced to look into her dark eyes.

"Whatever has to be done must be done. Kaoru rarely keeps details from me. I refused her an audience with you because I could not bear the thought of any harm coming to you. You have worked so hard to be free of your past life…" Megumi's voice began to trail off as tears welled up in her beautiful eyes. She buried her head into his chest so he could not see her cry. Instead, Sano tilted her chin up and looked at her intensely.

"I'll never go back to that life. But, I think I gotta help your girl take Enishi down if I'm ever to be really free."

"It's not fair," Megumi said rather childishly.

"No, it's not," Sanosuke replied. He kissed the top of her dark head and smoothed the silken strands, trying to comfort her.

"I hope this will work out, but I just don't know," Megumi whispered.

Before Sanosuke could reply, there was a knock on the door. Odd, since they lived in an apartment building and one had to be buzzed in to get in. Very odd. Megumi clung to Sanosuke as the knock came again, this time harder than before. They both know it was not Kaoru. She would have called beforehand. Without a word, Sano motioned for Megumi to head towards the kitchen as he backed from the living room.

"Saaaaa-nooooo-sukkkkeeee," a loud, masculine voice called from the other side of the door. "I know you are in the hole with your little fox. Won't you come out and play?"

"Shit," Sano cursed as he whizzed past his girl, grabbing her by the arm in the process.

She was about to protest as he was leading her away from the kitchen. The fire escape was right outside the window there. However, his stern look told her to shut up and do whatever he said. Grabbing a few essentials from their room, the pair ducked in a closet the very same moment they heard the front door being rammed. Megumi thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest as the seconds that passed seemed to be hours. What were they doing trapped in this closet! They had to get out and fast!

"Enishi's men will be on the fire escape," he whispered to Megumi, as if reading her thoughts.

"Then how do we get out?" Megumi almost screamed.

Sanosuke fiddled with the wall of the closet for a few seconds before a trap door sprung open to reveal a dumb waiter. "Here. I know you don't know a lot about the history of this building, but this used to be a kitchen area. An odd spot for sure, but lucky for us. In you go!"

With an indignant cry, Megumi fell onto the little platform and Sano was right behind her. Carefully, he latched the door. All was dark, but it seemed Sanosuke knew exactly what to do, and slowly the pair descended down the forgotten shaft. As the pulley squeaked, the wheels in Sanosuke's head were churning. They had invaded his home. They had sought him out. Sought out his woman. He knew at this very moment, they were tearing up their apartment looking for him so they could kill him. The anger burned in his chest at the thought of anything happening to Megumi…all because of the shit he had done in the past.

"Were will we go?" Megumi asked. "It seems you've planned for something like this." There wasn't a hint of sarcasm in her tone. Only sadness.

"I have. You can never be too sure the past won't return. I had hoped it wouldn't, but we were not that lucky," was the reply. "I am sorry."

Moving slowly in the darkness, Megumi found her mate and put her arms around him. She laid her head on his chest and sighed. They had to get to Kaoru, for surely they would try to get to her next.