Author's note: Bwaaa, last chapter. It's been fun but I have more RK fanfic percolating in my brain that needs writing. Also, I revised Chapters 4 and 7 to add some more K/K relationship plotline, so read and review away. Some of you have commented that the story line seems rushed, so does the revised Chapter 4 and 7 make it better? Thank you all for being such devoted followers!
"Baka deshi, if you want another piece of wallpaper, you can damn well get it yourself. I'm not going to 'hand you' anything," Hiko grunted, glowering up at his apprentice who was perched on the edge of a rickety ladder surrounded by buckets, sponges, rollers, and other implements. Kaoru stood on the threshold of the door, a hand pressed over the dull ache in her lower back and looking in amusement at the sight of Seijuro Hiko, powerful Elemental Master and Sword Master, massive arms crossed over an equally large chest, standing against a background of baby blue wallpaper with rubber duckies, lambs, and teddy bears printed all over it; their cheerful eyes seemed to mock the Elemental Master's stern expression.
Looking up to see Kaoru unsuccessfully holding back a smile, Hiko rumbled, "What are you grinning at, girl? I'm just here to make certain my idiot apprentice made this room sufficiently fireproof. Knowing the amount of fires he caused as a child, I have no intention of my house becoming a smoking inferno." Making a rather theatrical gesture with his cape, Hiko turned and marched towards the door. Kaoru moved slowly out of the way – in her sixth month of pregnancy, quick motion was becoming increasingly more difficult – and Hiko waited for her to clear the exit without making it too obvious he was doing so. Scowling, he barked one final command as he left, "You've still got training tonight, baka, so don't take too long with this wallpapering business. Don't bother trying to whine that you're still injured; you are going to master the final stages of your training or there'll be hell to pay."
Kaoru could hear Hiko's footsteps lumber down the hallway as she turned to watch Kenshin climb down from the ladder. "You know," she said to him, "I think I'm becoming quite fond of the old fart after all."
"I heard that," Hiko's voice stomped back into the room. "Girl, you'll have dinner ready in 30 minutes or I'm putting you back on sword training."
Kaoru chuckled to herself, but her eyes could not tear themselves away from her husband. Kenshin was still moving in a careful sort of way that evidenced he was not fully healed, but she was delighted to see that he was slowly recovering his fluidity and strength. When they and Aoshi had apparated out of Shishio's fortress and landed on Megumi and Sano's doorstep in a bloodstained heap, Kaoru had been in a panic over Kenshin's condition; her eyes and the Soul Bond telling her how dangerously weak and injured he was. Megumi had heroically put aside all her frantic worries over Sano's safety and focused intently on patching Kenshin back together.
In the midst of all the commotion and anxiety, Hiko had shown up and immediately let loose a string of colorful abuse directed at Kenshin that made it transparently clear he was just as worried about his apprentice as Kaoru. He commanded Kaoru to summon her elements and abruptly told her how to direct their healing energies into Kenshin. She tried and it seemed to do some good, especially as Kenshin's salamanders began making an appearance and gorging themselves on wind energy. Misao came galloping into the house a few minutes after Hiko arrived and immediately pounced on Aoshi, babbling in worry over his wounds. After several hours of expert care, Kenshin was pronounced stable but unconscious and not too long after Megumi had wearily put down her medical equipment, two more bloodstained men staggered into the house: Saito and Sano. Early dawn was peeking over the edge of the horizon before everyone was stitched up, bandaged, fed, and stable. Hiko and Megumi both had directed their elements to hover over Kaoru and assess her condition and both had pronounced that the baby was well and strong.
Kenshin had stayed at Megumi and Sano's house for a week, unconscious and waking up only at very rare intervals to drink some soup, and Kaoru had begun to despair that he would never arise again but on the eighth day he was up on his feet; soon after that, Hiko arrived in the Lexus to take them back to his mansion. Healing had been a slow process, for Kenshin had been badly wounded and overtaxed. Two months had come and gone, and Kaoru was only recently starting to get the sense that Kenshin was returning to his old strength.
Kaoru's body, however, was racing away from normal at an alarming rate. In the past few weeks, the baby had apparently hit a growth spurt, and Kaoru's stomach was rapidly expanding outwards. She hadn't seen her feet for awhile and was starting to suspect that in a fairly short amount of time she would be trading the graceful, flowing walk of a martial artist for an ungainly waddle. A few times, Kaoru had gotten a look at herself in the mirror and thought with a panic, What happened? I look like a bloated manatee!
However, the devoted love in Kenshin's eyes as he stepped forward to embrace her said that he either didn't notice that his wife was rapidly approaching the same dimensions as a small planet or that he didn't care. For her part, Kaoru saw that Kenshin was lavishly besmeared with wallpaper paste, a garnish of shredded wallpaper was tangled up in his hair, and two box cutters were shoved into his jean pockets, and she still thought he was the sexiest man she had ever seen before. As he pulled her into his arms, he accidentally rubbed wallpaper paste on her shirt and she didn't care.
Tucking Kaoru's head under his chin, Kenshin said, "You know, I think Master is actually somewhat looking forward to the baby arriving."
"You think so?" Kaoru responded.
"Yes," Kenshin grinned. "I've learned through experience that the things he grouses about the loudest are the ones he cares about the most."
"I know," Kaoru said quietly. "I saw that when he showed up after we had returned from fighting Shishio." They fell silent for a few moments, and Kaoru's eyes scanned the room. It was a good spot for the baby, full of light and high windows that opened onto the snow-swept lawn. She could imagine her child growing up strong and healthy in this room, and the baby inside her gave a sudden wiggle as if in agreement.
Smiling, Kenshin pressed his hand over Kaoru's growing belly and to his astonishment, he felt something pushing back. It was firm but flexible and as it moved against his palm, he felt a ripple of chi, light and bright, brush against his soul. My son's hand, he thought with delight and wonder. Kaoru's head was tucked cozily under Kenshin's chin and she leaned against him, her small body round with his child. Stroking the tiny hand pressing up through Kaoru's abdomen, Kenshin felt great joy welling up in him. Come soon, my son, he said to the chi energy, Your mother and I are waiting for you.