Souji continued to eye the foreign girl cautiously, it was extremely odd how she knew so much about them. Their conversation though had to be put on hold as they tried to slink along quietly down the halls, it appeared as though someone had suspected they had snuck out and set guards up in the halls to try and catch them. Finally as they rounded another corner and regrouped Souji could break the silence, "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"That's what I'd like to know too, it's not like I asked to be brought here… I don't even know how I got here." Haru answered him bitterly arms crossed before her grumpily, "I still don't even know if you guys are the real deal." She muttered to herself sourly, she knew that whatever was going on wasn't a dream, but that didn't really answer any questions that she had about where or when she was.

"What was that?" Souji asked threateningly not having heard what the girl had muttered but knowing she had just said something insulting.

She jumped and flushed bright red, "N-nothing at all sir nothing at all." She insisted frantically, Souji began to scowl at her darkly in his opinion they should have just killed her it would have made everything so much simpler, he opened his mouth to threaten her again when suddenly hands were thrown over both of their mouths to silence them.

"They might hear us." Harada whispered harshly to Souji his hand clamped firmly over the other captain's, meanwhile Heisuke's hand was thrown over Haru's mouth who sat blinking from confusion. Souji's scowl softened before disappearing as Harada's hand stopped his mouth from working. Footsteps could be heard in the hall just ahead of them and a guard walked past quickly disappearing down the hall.

"Quickly to our room." Harada hissed not wanting to have another close encounter knowing it may not end up as this one did. Even if they didn't have Haru with them getting caught would certainly mean trouble with the vice commander, getting caught with Haru in two would mean an unimaginable amount of trouble.

Souji pried Harada's hand off his mouth, "Nah I'm heading over to my room, you enjoy figuring this out in the morning. I want nothing to do with it." He hissed getting to his feet and turning around before setting off the hall turning down a hall that Haru hadn't been down. The faster I get away from them the better, I certainly don't want to get in trouble for towing a strange kid around, he thought to himself and then cracked a grin I'm going to love seeing how this plays out he added as he slunk down the hall wary of the guards Hijikata placed to catch the Baka Trio in case they got up to trouble again.

"C'mon it's this way, Hijikata put us all the way over here to make sneaking back in really hard, so we wouldn't want to sneak out." Heisuke whispered to her as the remaining group quickly shuffled down the hall trying to make as little noise as possible. They stopped in front of a door that honestly looked like all the other doors to Haru and watched as the three men quietly slid it open.

She quickly found herself ushered into the room and the door shut behind her quickly and near silently, "This is the room that Shinpachi, Heisuke and I share." Harada politely explained to the new comer, "You'll be spending the night here."

Haru gawked at him, her mouth falling open and eyes bulging, she stared at him in disbelief, "You want me a little girl to stay in a room at night with three grown men she doesn't know and just randomly met on the street after they killed people in front of her?" she asked him for clarification, in all honesty she wasn't as scared or worried about the situation as she sounded she just wanted to make sure they were aware of the place they had put her.

Heisuke was beaming at being called a fully grown man not really listening to the rest of what Haru had to say, Harada flushed red and glanced away embarrassed and Shinapchi scratched his chin, "Well when you put it that way…" he trailed off realising she had brought up a very valid point.

Haru sighed and waved her hand, "Just never mind, there's no point in arguing about this. There is really no other option than this… I mean what are we supposed to do lock me in a room or stay awake all night." She said trying to think reasonably, "Anyways if you are who I think you are there should be no problems- but!" she exclaimed pointing at all three of them, "If any of you try anything I will make sure you regret it until the day that you die." She threatened mustering her most serious voice and face, "And I'm not joking either I'll hurt you." She added on in a serious tone.

"We understand don't worry miss, we won't do anything." Heisuke chirped reassuringly, "By the way I don't think I got your name what would it be?" he asked her just realising that if she ever had said her name he had totally forgotten it by now.

She blinked now unsure of whether or not she ever gave them her name, "It's Haruka… Everson Haruka, but everyone just calls me Haru." She said politely quickly correcting herself on not having said her last name, "You're Tuodou Heisuke captain of the eighth division, and you're Sanosuke Harada captain of the tenth division, and you're Nagakura Shinpachi captain of the second division." She said pointing at all of them.

The three men shifted uneasy and somewhat disturbed by the odd girl's knowledge, "Are you some spy or something?" Heisuke said trying not to be accusing but really feeling creeped out by the girl's knowledge and wanting to stop the creeping sensation.

Haru shook her head out, "I swear I'm not… I mean I wouldn't be a very good one anyways you've caught me. Look all I can say is that where I come from you guys are… well only found in history textbooks. I don't know how I got here and where here is exactly but I do know a lot about 'here'… at least I think I might…" she trailed off wrapping her arms around herself and shivering, somehow I forgot about how I was soaking wet and now I'm freezing she thought to herself as her entire body suddenly felt ice cold, "Look all I want is to wake up tomorrow back at my house, I just want to go home and see my family." She insisted to them.

Shinapchi smiled warmly, "Don't worry Miss, in the morning we'll figure something out." He assured her, it was the honest truth, she couldn't be older than Heisuke meaning she was just a helpless kid that needed help.

Haru shook her head out and sighed heavily, "Look it's really nice of you Shinpachi-san to offer that… but my getting home right now isn't about finding a house or a person… right now I have no idea how to get home." The room fell into a hushed silence and no one spoke for several long moments. Slowly an idea started to form in her mind and then all at once thoughts and ideas sprung to Haru's mind and she suddenly came to a clear conclusion. Her hands that were resting on her lap curled into tight fists as her jaw clenched and her face set with determination, "But there is something you can do for me… but you don't have to do it… it's just this is an opportunity I can't pass up, and it's a dream that I never thought I'd have a chance at-and I swear to you I won't let you down and I'll repay you in any way I can but…" her resolve broke and she trailed off a faint pink blush coating her cheeks, oh how stupid can you be Haru, like they're really going to hear you out on this-this is an absolutely ridiculous idea that you have she mentally scolded herself.

"But? But what!" Heisuke insisted wondering where the girl was going and what the favour she was asking for, "What are you asking about?" he pressed her wanting to know what she had gotten so passionate about.

She bit her lip her body tightening up and her eyes shone brightly, Haru could no longer contain herself, "Please let me join the Shinsengumi as a boy!" she burst out excitedly, and quickly ducked her head embarrassed, "Look martial arts has been an enormous part of my life, and I never thought I'd have a chance to pursue anything like this with it. I don't care what you have me do, scrub floors, wash clothes, endless chores-anything just please let me at least watch you train!" she pleaded with them pouring her heart and soul out, she'd never wanted something so bad in her life. She wanted to scream and wanted to cry and break down. Haru had never felt so emotional in her life over something.

The men stared surprised at the outburst not having expected that plea, they watched as she bowed deeply before them, "Please… I know I'm a girl, I'm not a samurai and you don't know me. But I swear I'm a hard worker, I'll do anything you want me to in order to stay here, I'll work myself until I bleed." She was trying to hold back sobs now that she was getting so worked up, "Please, please, please." She pleaded, "This is my wildest craziest dream that I've wanted to follow since I was a little kid."

The baka trio were still reeling, it was a lot to take in. They've had a lot of applicants, but none of them had ever pleaded so whole heartedly or with such conviction in their words. Haru was by far the oddest one they had ever had but from the way she was speaking it was clear she was nothing but honest she would do whatever it took to stay.

Heisuke chuckled scratching the back of his head, "I see no problem with it." He said cheekily, "As long as you're a hard worker." He added on chuckling, Haru finally sat upright from her bow and stared at him eyes shining brightly with hope an enormous grin stretching across her face that was glowing with excitement. He was beaming with pride and saw nothing wrong with it, after all they were shorthanded and needed good, honest hard working applicants

"Heisuke don't get ahead of yourself!" Harada scolded him sighing heavily while pinching the bridge of his nose, he shouldn't have opened his mouth, that poor girl's got her hopes up… what are we supposed to do he thought to himself, "Look we can't just take anyone in especially a girl-" he started but was interrupted.

"Then from this moment forward I'm not a girl." Haru said confidently puffing her chest out, "I'm just an orphan boy." She insisted nodding her head assuredly to him, her smile replaced with a grim expression.

Shinpachi grinned at the comment snickering, "You are the most determined applicant we've ever had." Staring at the girl who looked so serious and determined despite her disheveled appearance, just like Heiuske he felt himself won over by her. She had after all wrestled him to the ground on her own, from his perspective she should be strong enough to handle herself.

Harada sighed again, "It's not that easy… look we can't just take someone in, we have to speak with Kondou-san and Hijikata-san about it, especially since no offence Miss we know nothing about you." He stated trying to be reasonable, it's not that he wanted to be mean to the kid, he just didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep.

Haru sighed now and nodded her head, "It's mister now." She started trying to show how serious she was about pretending to be a boy, "and I know you know nothing about me but you've just got to trust me… look my dad always told me that there comes a point in time in your life where you have to trust the word of someone you don't know and have no reason to trust or believe in but because they need you more than you need them you just have to trust them." She explained to them.

"Whoa little missy that's quite the lesson your father has given you there." Shinpachi responded taken by surprise at what she said.

Haru nodded in agreement with that, "I know, and it doesn't really make any sense unless you hear the story, but right now I'm that person who's asking you to just trust me on this."

"I trust you." Heisuke stated looking into her honest eyes, "I think it's settled then, we'll give you a shot at joining us tomorrow. I'll speak for you to Kondou-san and Hijikata-san." Heisuke volunteered, he then paused to stretch "But in the meantime I think it's time we get to sleep." He yawned out.

"Yes I think that we need to think about this in the morning." Added Harada still uneasy with the decision, but he suddenly noticed how Haru who's lips were blue and whose arms were wrapped tightly around her, "but aren't you cold in those clothes?" Harada said looking over at Haru who was shivering in her wet clothes, "I think I have something that you can borrow to change into… it'll be large but you are only sleeping in it after all." He offered her not wanting her to get sick.

She sneezed from the cold, "Really? You'd really do that to me?" she asked him smiling gratefully, "Thank you." She gushed out.

Harada quickly ruffled through his belonging withdrawing a shirt he didn't often use, "Here this will work." He said handing her the fabric, she accepted it and placed it in her lap staring down at it. An awkward silence filled the room as everyone sat around unsure of what to do.

"Well since I'm a boy I should get comfortable with changing with other guys." Haru said to break the silence, quickly twisting her back towards the guys and blushing furiously. I can't believe that they won't leave the room she thought to herself absolutely embarrassed her face flushing bright red.

"Wait!" the guys yelled together, "We'll go outside so you can get changed." And with that scrambled to get out of the room. Haru quickly slipped out of her clothes pulling on the enormous shirt given to her and tying it shut with the belt she was given. As she finished changing she could hear the three of them talking in the hall to each other. She stood up, the shirt was like a dress on her, she then folded up her clothes and unsure of what to do with them held them against her chest.

She knocked on the door, "You can come back in." she stated sliding the door open, "Thank you again for the clothes." They shuffled back into the room standing by the doorway, "So… how's this whole sleeping thing going to work?" she asked them as they stared over the room.

Heisuke was the first one to speak deciding it would be best to bring up what they were discussing in the hall as soon as possible, "Alright here are the sleeping arrangements-you get to sleep closest to the wall away from the door so you can have some privacy and your own space. We'll sleep over here where we usually do." Heisuke explained staring over the room, "I'll try and scrounge up an extra futon but there aren't any promises. Just stay here." He stated and exited the room quickly.

Unsure of what to do now Haru quietly sat in the corner examining her surroundings since there was a break in conversation she figured she should look around the small room she was in. She'd have preferred to be next to the door but knew that the reason was they didn't trust her not to run off in the middle of the night. But on the bright side it appeared that spot would at least give her some privacy from the three of them and some space as well.

Her thoughts were suddenly broken, "So… where are you from exactly?" Shinpachi asked causing Haru to jump she had forgotten he was in the room with her too absorbed in looking around herself.

Startled she had trouble coming up with a coherent answer and blurted the first thing that came to mind, "I'm from Texas, I was born there but my older brothers were all born in Japan. My dad's a United States Ranger. My family lives in my great grandfather's ranch house." Haru explained to him.

Shinpachi nodded his head still suspicious of her claim of being from the future and of her in general, "So what is your family like?" he asked her curious to know how different things were elsewhere.

"Well my mother died when I was very young. But you see shortly after she was pregnant with me, my father… he sort of had an affair. Which led to my half-brother Seth being born. When we were three his mother refused to look after him and my mother agreed to look after him. But afterwards she got really sick-it was ovarian cancer and she… died." She explained but tried to brighten the mood realising she had mentioned some very sad facts, "So there's my younger half-brother Seth. But I have five older brothers-my family is unusually large. There's Braun-he's the oldest, then Timothy, Rin, Tomoe and Kaoru." She counted off, "They're all really different and I'm sort of like a mix of all of them since they all teach me what they know." She chuckled.

"So that's one little girl in a house with seven men?" Harada asked to confirm suddenly interested in the odd girl they had taken in. He could see in her eyes that she was only speaking the truth.

She smiled, "Well sort of-I'd say they act more like boys and I act more like a boy then a girl anyways." She chuckled shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, "So I guess it's a house of eight boys." She added on the end which brought grins to the faces of Shinpachi and Harada.

Their conversation was interrupted abruptly when Heisuke then opened the door sighing, "I managed to find a spare one lying around... I hope you don't mind the smell though." He apologised taking one last sniff of the old and used futon and trying not to twist his head away from the smell.

He trotted over to Haru and passed it to her, she held it and stared at it with a confused look on her face this was her first time actually holding one of these, she puzzled to herself as she fiddled with the bundle in her hands turning it over and over, "I just lay it out right?" she muttered to herself as she finally figured out how to unroll the bundle tossing it out before her. She stared down at it and then up to the three men staring at her, "Like that yeah?" she asked them, she stared back down at it, "It feels like I'm hiking or camping."

"I hope you like hiking or camping." Heisuke stated realising that she had a lot to adjust to if sleeping in a futon wasn't normal for her, he was curious now what she did in America if sleeping on a futon wasn't normal but decided he'd ask later.

Haru nodded her head, "Actually I do, my father's not home a lot so when he is we go on crazy adventures." She explained, she sat onto the futon with her legs crossed it was actually more comfortable than she thought it would be. Judging from it's musty smell and appearance it was worn out but would be just fine for her, just like the extra old sleeping bag we keep in the garage she told herself trying to make things seem closer to home.

"Really like what?" Heisuke asked as he sat down on his own futon wanting to know more about the stranger before him.

"Well we've gone mountain climbing and hiking, when I was younger we did these week long trail rides with our horses. My dad was also really into hunting when I was a kid, we don't go any more though but we still fish." She explained as those happy memories came to mind, her father tried very hard to make special memories to make up for the time he couldn't be at home, "So I really like camping and hiking."

"It seems like you have a lot of free time." Harada mentioned, his interest was now drawn into Haru's way of life, he couldn't think of having that much time to go off and do things just for fun.

Haru paused to think about it, "I guess you're right, summer break is two months long, so I mean I've got a lot of free time then. But when school's on I'm really busy, when I get home I usually eat and then go to sleep." She explained thinking of all the extracurricular activities she gets herself into, she was just the kind of person that always had to be doing something.

Heisuke chuckled, "Sounds like us… we get up work, eat and sleep." He was already beginning to feel acquainted with the odd foreigner.

"Come on weren't you the one who said it's time to be getting to sleep?" Shinpachi complained to Heisuke now feeling tired and irritable all the prattle making him even sleepier.

Heisuke stuttered to find a response, "Y-yeah but now I'm interested in talking." He answered honestly blushing slightly he had gotten really excited to hear about what Haru had to say.

"If that's the case it can wait until later-even if Haru doesn't join us she's still stuck here and you get to talk to her all you want." Shinpachi stated yawning, "Now everyone shut up I want to get to bed." And with that flopped down on his own futon sifting about to get comfortable enough to sleep. The three who were still awake glanced around the table at each other.

Harada shrugged and flopped down as well, "C'mon you two we're going to need our sleep to figure out what we're going to do in the morning." He stated to them.

Heisuke smiled sheepishly at Haru, "Night" he whispered softly to her, she smiled back and nodded lying down. She shifted her futon back so it was against the wall and put her back along the wall, she watched as Heisuke put out the light and put himself down to sleep. She lay awake in the dark for a period of time, for how long she didn't know but she still felt on edge and couldn't let her guard down. However, she began to relax as she saw the men who had taken her were fully asleep and weren't waiting for her to become vulnerable. As her nerves calmed themselves her eyes began to droop and she felt sleep tugging her away, she didn't have any dreams.