Meiji Keikan Romantan

by misaki-toyodome

"Meiji Police Officer Romance" - a sequel to "The Courtship of Lady Tokio". Filling in the story of Saitou Hajime through the manga timeline. Introducing the Fujita family, with flashbacks to the first years of his marriage and his Shinsengumi days. History, politics, action, and old-fashioned Japanese romanticism! I tried my hand at a little Kenshin x Kaoru in the latest chapter.

2. Chapter 1 - A Police Officer & His Wife

Disclaimer: all character rights belong to Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha etc. This is a fictionalized account based in part on historical facts.

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MEIJI KEIKAN ROMANTAN

Chapter 1 – A Police Officer and His Capable Wife

* References to volume 8 & 9 of manga *

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= Meiji Year 11 (1878), mid-May – Numazu port, Shizuoka prefecture =

In all of Japan, there were few things as magnificent as the sight of the sun setting on Mount Fuji. As the ship set sail from the port of Numazu, the vision of flame and gold and purple shadow seared itself into Mishima Eiji's mind. The enormous, eternal mountain had dominated the landscape from his earliest memories, and all the way from Shingetsu-mura to Numazu, it seemed to Eiji as though the mountain god watched over him.

"On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from our house too." A tall, lean figure drew near behind him, and lit up a cigarette.

Eiji glanced at his new guardian – a lieutenant inspector of the Metropolitan Police and his late brother's superior – and turned his gaze back to the retreating view of the mountain. The seagulls cried to each other overhead as they made for their nighttime roosts.

"Don't worry. Tokio is a capable woman. She'll take good care of Eiji."

The words echoed in his mind. The discussion about his future had been brief and the decision to go had been made swiftly. The police officer had asked him whether he had any other family that he could rely on, and when the boy had answered in the negative, the man had informed Eiji that he was to accompany him to Tokyo. In any case, Eiji could not have stayed in the village, nor did he want to, after what he had just survived.

There had been little further conversation on the journey from the village to Numazu; what few words they had exchanged had been instructions rather than pleasantries.

"Do not refer to me as Saitou from now on. I know that's what they called me, but my name is Fujita Gorō."

"I trust you to be discreet about my household. Do not talk about us to others."

The way those points had been impressed upon him made it clear that it was a serious matter, and from what little he knew about his brother's work and his brother's superior, he at least understood that it was highly classified business. Mishima Eiichirō had always been aware that he could die in the line of duty, but at the end, he had died trying to protect his younger sibling.

As twilight extended its grasp on the heavens, Eiji kept his eyes on the coast and the twinkling lights of the town. He took a deep breath; the sea air filled his nostrils and lungs, and his heart filled anew with pain and regret.

"Don't cry in public, kid." Fujita exhaled the cigarette smoke slowly.

"I'm not crying." Eiji sounded hoarse, but it was true that he was not crying.

"We'll be in Tokyo by the morning. Get some rest tonight."

"In a while." Eiji did not budge, and his eyes began to strain, either from the toll of his emotions or from staring at the rapidly darkening coastline.

For another while, the two remained quietly on the deck, the tall man and the scrawny boy, but it was not entirely uncomfortable. As his cigarette burned shorter, Fujita broke the silence.

"You showed courage today. Never forget that."

Eiji eyed him warily, taken aback by the statement.

"But you stopped me from killing him," he uttered through gritted teeth.

"Ahou. I told you that revenge killing was outlawed in Meiji Year 6. But you still showed courage." A plume of smoke curled up into the air. "And do not forget what that man Himura told you either."

A sigh escaped from Eiji's lips. Fujita, it would appear, was trying to console the boy in his own way. However, Fujita was not a man to offer sweet words of solace.

"Himura-san, he is very strong." Eiji was still struggling to come to terms with the events of the past days as best he could. Strangely enough, he had not cried again since Himura Kenshin had beaten Senkaku. The grief he carried for his family was devastating but it also numbed him, and it remained tightly locked within his small body.

"He used to be stronger," Fujita answered shortly.

"My brother, he wasn't so strong." Eiji's voice dropped low, and Fujita narrowed his eyes at his words.

"He was strong enough." The ember of the cigarette glowed brightly in the gloom.

"You said he was a stupid man." The boy snapped, as he remembered with a jolt some of the first words he had heard from Fujita's mouth.

"He should have waited for me, that's true." It was difficult to make out Fujita's expression in the dimness, but his voice had lost its customary sardonic edge. "He decided to take matters into his own hands, when he should have trusted me." Eiji glared at the man, and he fought to control the impulse to lash out. "But he was strong enough," Fujita continued. "He was strong enough to escape from Senkaku, and save you."

At that, Eiji dropped the wrapped bundle that he had been carrying with such care. His brother's splintered sword clattered to the wooden deck; he scrambled to pick it up and wound the makeshift covers around the blade.

"I told you not to cry in public," Fujita said irritably.

"I told you, I'm not crying!" Eiji retorted hotly.

"And go get some rest. The ship arrives at dawn, and you'll have a full day tomorrow."

"Fujita-san," he clutched his brother's sword tightly to his chest. "Are you strong like Himura-san?"

"Hmph." Fujita snorted in faint amusement. "Why, do I look weaker than him?"

"So you are strong?" Eiji asked insistently, and Fujita studied him for a moment.

"I can tell you that we've fought a few times, and I've never lost," the man answered after a pause.

"So, can I trust you?" The boy's voice quivered. "Can I trust you to defeat Shishio, and get justice for my family and my village?"

Fujita dropped the dying butt of his cigarette to the deck, and ground it out with his heel.

"You can trust me." He held Eiji's gaze unwaveringly. "Now, for the last time, go get some rest."

Eiji nodded slowly, and took one last look at the land.

"On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from our house too."

Night had fallen, but the moon was rising, and he could make out the faint outline of Fuji in its silver light. He closed his eyes, and fancied that the mountain watched over him still. He was going far away, but he would be able to see the mountain, and look towards his old home. He prayed that the village would recover from its tragic past one day, and one day, he hoped to return with his head held high.

Fujita watched the small figure as he descended below deck. Children were resilient, he knew, but there were some scars that would never fade. The most he could do was to provide the boy with a place to heal, so that the wounds would not fester.

"Tokio is a capable woman. She'll take good care of Eiji."

The corners of his lips curved upward as he remembered the explosive impact that his words had had on the Battousai and the weasel girl. He had heard them when they had compared her to a Bodhisattva, and it had been difficult to keep a straight face. He knew better than anyone else just how capable his wife was, and while she might not actually be a divinity, he had absolute faith in her. Eiji would be in good hands, and in time, he would come to appreciate just how fortunate he was, in spite of his misfortune.

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= Following afternoon, Bunkyo ward, Tokyo =

All the stories and rumors that Eiji had heard about Tokyo had not prepared him for the enormous metropolis. There were large, western-style buildings built of brick, and shops selling all sorts of wares, and the streets swarmed with people wearing fashionable outfits. The boy was awestruck by one thing after another, but not a single soul paid any attention to him, going about their busy lives.

"Don't get lost because you're too busy gawping," Fujita warned gruffly, though he slowed his pace. He was mindful that his strides were longer and faster than the average person. "You'll have time for sightseeing another day."

"Fujita-san, there's a strange man in that rickshaw?!" Eiji could not contain his curiosity when he saw a man as tall as Fujita, with a ruddy complexion and straw-colored hair, heading towards them in one of the passenger carts.

"Don't stare with your mouth open, you look like a fool." However, Eiji was not the only one who stared at the strange character as the rickshaw passed by. "We're close to the University of Tokyo - he's probably a foreign teacher or professor there."

"University?" Eiji had heard that there were such institutions in Tokyo, but he had not had much schooling himself in the village. "So they really have foreign teachers?" It was his first time even seeing a foreigner.

"It's the age of 'Bunmei Kaika' after all. Apparently, we're being 'civilized and enlightened' by western influences." There was a trace of irony in Fujita's answer.

As Fujita walked on ahead, Eiji looked over his shoulder; the foreigner had dismounted at the rickshaw station at the crossroads. With the crowds of people and the dizzying amount traffic, against the backdrop of grand avenues and the din of city life, it was a scene far removed from his rural life in the Shizuoka countryside.

Eiji had only arrived in Tokyo that morning and had spent most of the day at the local police station. It was not the main police headquarters but nonetheless, the western-style structure struck him as quite impressive. He felt out of place as he was shown to a private office, where he was told to sit quietly as Fujita filed reports and filled out paperwork. Some senior officers, including the station chief, came to meet with Fujita and talk to the boy, asking them both some questions but nothing in much detail. It was obvious that Fujita was held in high esteem and that for the most part, his superiors trusted his judgment as it concerned his assignment.

"You know that what you were involved in is a top-secret affair, and a matter of national security. You cannot talk about it with anyone else."

The station chief had emphasized this to Eiji several times, and he had been made to swear to confidentiality. 'If only the police had been more reliable, then Shishio would never have been able to take over the village.' The thought bubbled up in his mind, but he forced himself to swallow his bitterness. Waiting for Fujita to finish his work, Eiji felt drained; he had not slept much on the boat journey, lying awake in the night and listening to the sounds of the ship as it made its way through the water. It was not until late in the afternoon, when the sun was already tilting west, that he was told it was time to leave.

Fujita made his way through the city mostly in silence, pointing out some landmarks now and then to the boy hurrying to keep up behind him.

"That's the Shinobazu Pond of Ueno - you should have heard of Ueno Park, where Kan'ei-ji Temple is. "

"That red gate down there is the entrance to the University of Tokyo."

"Up there is Ijin-zaka - it's called that because it's the hill where all the westerners who work around here live."

It was all a whirl to Eiji, as he soon lost his bearings in the maze of urban development. Gradually, the buildings became less commercial and more residential. Children played in the lanes, and the smell of home cooking wafted in the air. They carried on until they reached a quiet neighborhood, removed from the main roads, and here the houses were built back from the street, with stately gates and garden walls shielding the residents from plain view.

They rounded yet another corner, and Eiji stopped and gasped as a white blur came bounding towards them.

"Stand back a little," Fujita unconcernedly instructed his charge, and then called out to the rapidly advancing ball of movement. "Stop."

With a few sharp yips, a large, white dog skidded to a halt in front of the tall man, furiously wagging its tail and panting. Eiji watched in amazement as Fujita removed his white gloves and patted the dog firmly on its head and scratched its ears.

"Sit," Fujita commanded and the dog immediately obeyed. By way of explanation, he told Eiji, "This is Muku. She's our family dog. You'll greet her properly, and don't be nervous. If you're too frightened, she won't take well to you."

Eiji looked at Fujita uneasily. He was not used to dogs; the few in his village had been killed or taken by Shishio's men, and the stray dogs in the mountains were vicious. This dog was larger than any he had ever seen, with pointed ears and curled tail, and a thick, creamy coat of fur.

"She won't bite... at least not if you're with me." Fujita said with a hint of a smirk. "Don't show fear, and give her your hand to smell."

Eiji slowly extended his hand and Muku eagerly sniffed it. The dog looked up at the boy, then at her master, and seeing that her master nodded, she wagged her tail again.

"Now, shake." Muku lifted up her right paw at her master's command. She had been trained that this gesture indicated somebody who was to be permitted into their inner circle.

Eiji took her paw slowly, and she panted as though she was satisfied. He copied what he had seen Fujita do and reached to scratch her ears. They were extremely soft, and the dog pressed her head against his hand.

"I've never seen a dog like her before," Eiji said wonderingly.

"She's an Akita matagi dog, from the north. They make excellent guard dogs – she'll protect you with her life if she accepts you as a member of the family." Fujita began to walk again, his eyes fixed on his destination. "That's the house there."

There were a few, fairly large houses on the block, but only one did not have a name plaque on its gate. Instead, the gate and the garden walls were adorned with wisteria vines, carefully maintained for a striking effect. As Eiji hastened after Fujita, the apprehension that he had tried to quell so far on his journey began to well up in his chest. He had travelled a long way from the only home and life he knew, and the Fujitas were strangers. He had no idea what to expect once he entered those gates.

A handsome, cheerful-looking man was standing in the front garden, and greeted them as he saw them approach.

"Welcome back, Ani-ue! We knew you were coming when Muku ran out. I thought you were going to be gone for much longer."

"Something unexpected came up," Fujita said curtly. "Are you here for the day?"

"Well, seeing as it's the weekend," the man nodded, and then bowed to Eiji with a smile. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Something Unexpected." Fujita frowned at the man's attempt at humor.

"Eiji, this is Takagi Morinosuke, my younger brother-in-law and general nuisance. Morinosuke, this is Mishima Eiji, the younger brother of my late subordinate." Eiji bowed his head while Fujita made the introductions. An expression of sympathy passed over Morinosuke's face as he looked at Eiji, causing the boy to turn his face away.

A movement from the front door caught his attention and Eiji looked up as a woman stepped gracefully out of the house.

"Okaerinasai-mase, Danna-sama." She bowed and smiled tenderly at her husband, then addressed the boy who accompanied him. "And you must be Mishima Eiji-san. I received my husband's note this morning. My name is Tokio, Fujita's wife." To his dismay, Eiji found that he was momentarily tongue-tied in front of the most elegant lady he had ever met. His eyes darted from the woman to Fujita, and back to the woman. Sensing his discomfort, Tokio added warmly with a bow, "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu."

"Yoro-, yoroshiku onegai shimasu," Eiji managed to stammer out, and returned her bow.

"Eiji-san, I am so sorry for your loss, but you are most welcome in my home." Her voice was very kind, and tinged with sorrow.

A hard lump rose in Eiji's throat; she was the first person to offer him condolences since he had left the village. A part of him felt relieved that he would not have to explain the situation, that Fujita had taken care of it in advance. He looked up at the woman, and he began to tremble slightly under her gaze. Did he imagine it, or did he see a grief to match his own mirrored in her eyes? Tokio's next words released the dam of emotions that he was holding back.

"It's alright, this is a safe place. There's no more need to be scared." He felt as though an immense burden was being lifted off his shoulders.

He sniffed as his nose itched, and hot tears coursed down his cheeks. Then, a low wail issued from the pit of his stomach, and he was instinctively moving towards her, and soon he was sobbing against the woman's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, my dear," she murmured as she stroked his head, trying to soothe him.

His tears soaked into her kimono and his nose began to run. He pulled away, afraid of soiling her clothes, but instead of letting him go, she handed him a handkerchief and drew him back into her comforting arms. He was conscious of the fact that he was making a scene, but he could not stop himself. For all that he had tried his best to put on a brave front, Mishima Eiji was only a child, and he was desperately, terribly hurt and lonely. Morinosuke looked on with concern, glancing now and again at his brother-in-law, but Fujita simply watched impassively as his wife consoled the boy.

It was Muku that broke the tension. She had been agitated by Eiji's distress, and after a few minutes, unable to contain herself any longer, she jumped up on Eiji's shoulders and licked his ear. Eiji gave a yelp of surprise and began to laugh, as Tokio scolded the dog and made her sit back down.

"I'm sorry, I hope she didn't frighten you. Muku is worried about you, that's all." Tokio apologized for Muku's behavior.

"No, she didn't frighten me," Eiji hiccupped and ventured a small smile. He blew his nose into the handkerchief. "Ah…" He saw the wet stains on Tokio's shoulder and bowed his flushed face. "I'm sorry, about your kimono."

"It's alright, Eiji-san," Tokio chuckled softly. "We have a son, barely a year and a half old. I'm very familiar with tears and runny noses."

"Not to mention vomit and dirty nappies," Morinosuke chimed in.

"Well, I'm sorry," Eiji repeated in a chastened tone, turning redder as he saw that Fujita watched him. "I'm sorry for crying." He did not want the man to think less of him.

"Ahou," Fujita turned away from them. "It doesn't matter – we're not in public anymore." Eiji quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

"Danna-sama, your sword?" Tokio tilted her head in question, as she noticed that Fujita's hand was on the hilt of his weapon.

"There's a creep skulking in the bushes over there," he said in a cool voice.

"Hey!" A voice protested, and a man sidled out from around the corner of the house. "I resent that! I was just trying to be sensitive and avoid intruding on a private matter."

Eiji looked over Tokio's shoulder in astonishment. The man (around the same age as Morinoke, he guessed) was attired very flashily, and in western style clothes at that. He even wore a funny kind of hat on his head. Although Eiji knew that military and police officers dressed in uniforms, it was not until he came to Tokyo that he had seen people wearing suits.

"I told you before, fake foreigners are not welcome in my house." The younger man cowered under Fujita's glare. "What did you bring this time as an excuse to visit?"

"He brought me some beautiful roses," Tokio casually positioned herself between her husband and the modish man who had dared bring her gifts. "And he knows that he is welcome here at any time," she added, ignoring the black looks that her husband was throwing her way. "Eiji-san, this is a family friend of ours, Yamakawa Kenjirō-san. Kenjirō-san, this is Mishima Eiji-san, who will be staying with us for the foreseeable future."

Kenjirō and Eiji bowed awkwardly to each other. Eiji's head was spinning, from the fraught situation, his emotional outburst, and all the strangers he was meeting. It was all quite overwhelming.

"Actually, Fujita-san, I also brought you some Aizu soba!" Kenjirō eagerly sought to diffuse the man's ire. "We had a delivery of soba flour from Aizu yesterday, so my sister made a fresh batch today."

Fujita stared at the younger man coldly, but relented after a moment.

"We're having it for dinner?" He asked his wife.

"Yes, and I also made some kozuyu." At that, a shadow of a smile played on Fujita's lips.

"And he's not staying." It was not a question but an assertion.

"I told him that it would be better to have just family tonight," Tokio answered, with a regretful smile at her guest. "But would you care for some tea, Kenjirō-san?"

"Ah, thank you, Tokio-san, but I best be going now." Yamakawa Kenjirō recognized that at times, the better part of valor lay in retreat. "Eiji-kun, it was nice to meet you. Morinosuke, I'll see you later this week. Fujita-san," Kenjirō bowed deeply, "please take care." Muku barked shortly as Kenjirō turned to leave. "And you too, Muku." Eiji watched perplexedly as the man took off his hat with a flourish of his arm and gave the dog an odd sort of bow.

Fujita ignored the spectacle and made towards the entrance of the house as Tokio and Morinosuke waved farewell to Kenjirō. Morinosuke, seeing that Eiji was still staring after the departing figure, shrugged his shoulders as though to say, 'what do you make of that'.

"You wouldn't think it, but he's actually an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo." It was not much of an excuse for the odd behavior of his friend.

"An assistant professor?" He did not look like any teacher Eiji had ever seen. "That man? What does he teach?" He wondered whether the man worked alongside the foreigner he had seen earlier.

"Physics."

"What is that?" Eiji asked blankly.

"Frankly, I don't really know." Morinosuke chuckled. "Let's go inside – they're waiting for us."

Eiji turned towards the genkan, and he saw that Fujita had handed Tokio his sword and was taking off his shoes. 'These people', Eiji realized, 'must be from the samurai classes.' A samurai would remove his sword upon entering his house, and it was normally his wife's duty to set it away. The etiquette was ingrained from a young age, so much so that one could tell a born-samurai from an impostor by how naturally those actions were performed.

He ducked nervously inside the door.

"Please, come in." Tokio gently urged him forward. "And if I may, would you mind leaving your sword with me?"

Eiji blanched as a wave of unease washed over him. However, he saw Fujita look at him and nod brusquely, and when he looked back at Tokio, she smiled again at him in a way that calmed his anxiety. For the first time since he had taken it from his brother's grave, he let go of the sword.

"We will have to find a good sheathe for it," Tokio handled it with the utmost care. Eiji let out a sigh that he had not realized he was holding in. He took off his footwear and stepped up from the genkan into the house. "Muku, go around the back," she directed the dog. Morinosuke closed the door behind them.

"Would you like a bath first or food first?" Tokio inquired of her husband as they walked down the entrance hall.

"A bath. The boy should have one too." Fujita decided for them both, and Tokio nodded in acknowledgement.

"Morinosuke, could you mind Eiji-san for a few minutes? You can wait in the main room."

"Come on then Eiji-kun, down this way." Morinosuke smiled gently at the boy, and for the first time, Eiji thought that he looked like his sister. He heard Fujita asking his wife as they disappeared around a corner,

"Where's Tsutomu?"

"He hasn't woken from his afternoon nap yet – Morinosuke and Kenjirō-san were playing with him, and tired him out…." Tokio's voice grew fainter as they moved away.

It was a scene of simple domesticity, far removed from the recent horrors of Shingetsu-mura, and it caused a pang in Eiji's chest.

"We'll wait in here," Morinosuke said as he slid open a pair of screen doors.

The main room was spacious, and sparsely but tastefully decorated. He wondered if all the people in Tokyo had such nice homes. The screen doors facing the garden were opened, and a pleasant breeze danced through the flowers. Muku had heeded her mistress' command and was sitting patiently in front of the engawa.

"It's a nice house," Eiji felt the need to say something as Morinosuke directed him to sit on a cushion.

"Haha, I guess it is." Morinosuke knew how fastidious and particular Tokio was about her home. "Ani-ue is very tall, so they needed a place with high ceilings, although it's not as big as some other houses in the neighborhood." Eiji looked up and saw that the ceilings were much higher than a typical house.

Both of them were hesitant in how to act towards the other, and for a while, a silence persisted. Eiji was weary and wanted to rest, but felt too nervous to relax. Morinosuke wavered between striking up a pleasant conversation (which seemed inappropriate and insincere) and offering him sympathy (which might seem patronizing). They both looked out at the garden, trying to read the other, and watched as Muku snuffled around under the hydrangea bushes. A frog jumped out, startling Muku, and by some mischief of chance, then leapt on the dog's head, using it as a springboard to make its escape. The dog yipped indignantly and chased after it, eliciting peals of laughter from the onlookers. They smiled, and relaxed.

"Muku is a very nice dog," Eiji began to talk.

"She is - she's smart and she's a pretty one." Morinosuke seemed relieved to have found an unforced topic to talk about.

"Tokio-san is very pretty too," Eiji said with the candor of youth, although at the back of his mind, he realized that his thoughts were somewhat disjointed.

"Well, she's past thirty so I'm not sure 'pretty' is the word to use for a middle-aged woman," Morinosuke sounded doubtful.

"She looked at me very sadly though." He had been drawn to her sympathy, and opened up to her.

"Ah…." To Eiji's surprise, the same, sad expression appeared on Morinosuke's face. "She is sad for you, Eiji-kun, as am I." Eiji looked away. There was such genuine empathy in those eyes, as though Morinosuke understood exactly what he was feeling, and it bewildered him. "Did my brother-in-law tell you anything about us?"

"Just that Tokio-san would take care of me, and that I wasn't to talk about the family," Eiji mumbled, his eyes lowered to the floor.

"I see…." Morinosuke sighed deeply. "Eiji-kun, my sister and I are originally from Aizu." Eiji's breath caught in his throat. "Have you heard of it?" He nodded – even young children had been taught that the people of Aizu had resisted the Meiji Restoration and been branded as Imperial Enemies. "I'm sure you must have heard that we were terrible people, who rebelled against the Emperor, but that's not the truth. What is true is that we lost the war, and we lost our homeland and our family and everything we had." It dawned on Eiji that this man and his sister might have experienced things just as terrible as what he had lived through. "I don't know what exactly it is that you've been through, and I won't ask. It's against the rules for me to pry into Ani-ue's work, in any case. But I can tell you that we know a thing or two about loss and hardship."

Eiji chewed on his lip, uncertain of how to react. Morinosuke continued to smile gently at him.

"I know my brother-in-law is not the friendliest of men, but both he and my sister are truly good people, and I sincerely hope that they can help you with the burden of your grief."

Eiji bowed his head, and was thinking about how to reply when Tokio entered the room.

"Eiji-san, I can show you to your room now."

"Thank you, Morinosuke-san," Eiji said quietly as he got up.

Morinosuke and Tokio both smiled at him in the same way, Eiji thought.

"I'm afraid that I have to ask you to share a room with our son, Tsutomu, for tonight. He's a good sleeper and doesn't cry, so I hope you won't be disturbed. He's taking a nap in the front room but I will introduce you when he wakes up." Tokio showed him upstairs. Eiji merely nodded in reply; the night before on the ship was the first that he had ever spent away from home. She steered him into a room at one end of the house. "I only had time to prepare a few sets of clothes for the time being, but we can sort that out over the coming days. You can put away your things in here." She indicated a chest of drawers, and Eiji fumbled to untie the traveling pack that was looped over his shoulder. He had only brought with him very few, small keepsakes from his home, and he was now acutely conscious of how little he had to his name.

"If there's anything you need, or anything on your mind, please don't hesitate to tell me. This is your home too now." Tokio bowed formally.

Eiji set down his things clumsily and looked around the tidy room. Everything was so different here, and the bitter lump rose in his throat again.

"Um, Tokio-san," he tried to swallow the lump. "Where did you put my sword?"

Tokio tilted her head and regarded him thoughtfully.

"I placed it with the other swords in this house. Would you like to see it?"

"Yes, please." His voice cracked with emotion.

She led Eiji back downstairs to a room with a heavy, western style door. She turned the handle and pushed it open. The room was furnished with a large desk, and the walls were lined with shelves and cases and books, as well as several swords on their racks.

"This is the only room that is off-limits without either my husband or myself present," she said quietly but firmly. "My husband has a tendency to keep a few swords in the house, and bring home study materials every now and then, so I set up this room for him." Eiji could see his brother's sword had been given its own rack, on its own shelf. Despite the shattered blade, it was imbued with a certain dignity; Tokio had given it pride of place. He gazed at it for a while, feeling vulnerable without its comforting presence. Tokio, as though she read his mind, put her arm around his shoulder.

"You should not need to hold a blade to feel safe in this house. And we must find a proper sheathe for it."

Eiji looked up at the lady of the house, and nodded gravely.

"Thank you very much, Tokio-san." He imagined for an instant that his brother's spirit had accompanied him on this journey, to see him safely into this woman's hands.

She smiled approvingly at him. Just then, they heard Fujita's voice calling from the hall.

"The bathroom's free."

Tokio and Eiji looked at each other, and stepped out of the room. As Eiji turned, the figure in the corridor made him blink in confusion. Instead of Fujita, a small child was standing in front of them, with the unique bow-legged stance that toddlers had and a dogged expression on his face. Even in the dim light of the hall, Eiji could see the amber hue of the boy's bright eyes; there was no mistaking who the father was.

"Oh my, Tsutomu. Danna-sama, did you wake him up?" Tokio sounded amused, but she was carefully observing her son for signs of a tantrum.

"So what? He's not crying." The boy's father emerged suddenly from behind them, making them both jump a little.

"How selfish and irresponsible of you," Tokio shook her head at her husband, albeit with a twinkle in her eye. She knew that her husband had tried to startle her using their son as a distraction; his playfulness showed itself in some odd ways.

"Hmph. A son should greet his father when he comes home." Garbed in a yukata and with his hair not quite slicked back, Fujita Gorō seemed quite the different man. Eiji, who had been gawking at Tsutomu, now gawked at the parents.

"In that case, you should teach him how to greet guests also." Tokio reached out to Tsutomu, whose attention was riveted on Eiji. "Come, Tsutomu."

The small child shifted his focus from the stranger to his mother, and then to his father. With a look of fierce determination, he tottered quickly, a little unsteadily, towards them. Dodging his mother's hands, he flung himself against his father's leg.

"Well!" Tokio puckered her lips. "As soon as you come home, he pays no attention to his mother."

"Smart kid, he knows who brings home the pay." Fujita bent down to scoop up his son, and swung him up onto his shoulders. Tsutomu squealed in delight. "Tsutomu, this is Eiji. He'll be living here from now so play nice."

There was an oddly tense moment as Tsutomu and Eiji gauged each other. Eiji got the distinct impression that he was being judged (it did not help that the toddler was staring down at him from his new vantage point), but he was not about to let the infant gain the upper hand so easily. However, it was over in a matter of seconds as Tsutomu smiled gleefully at the older boy and smacked his father's head a few times.

"Stop that now," Fujita growled at his son, though he could not quite conceal the grin on his face. "Eiji, go take a bath before dinner." He began to walk towards the main room, Tsutomu still on his shoulders.

"This way, Eiji-san," Tokio ushered him along. "Aah! Mind his head-!" Tokio called out after her husband, who ducked at the last moment before entering the room, narrowly avoiding smacking his son's head against the beam. "Really! He does it just to make me nervous," she murmured half under her breath. She turned back to Eiji. "The bathroom is down the corridor, to the left. I've set out a change of clothes for you, and dinner will be served when you are done. Please, take your time."

Everything about the house was neat and clean, Eiji thought as he prepared to bathe. 'It's nice', he said to himself, 'to have a proper bathroom like this in your own house'. He gingerly tested the water temperature before throwing a bucket of hot water over himself. It was nice to be able to wash after a rough couple of days. On the other hand, it could not compare to the natural hot springs of Shingetsu-mura. That had been one thing that Senkaku had not been able to take away from the villagers. His heart wrenched in his chest, and he immersed his body into the tub, plunging his head under the surface. He remained submerged for as long as he could hold his breath. It was painful, he thought, to see this happy family. He knew that they had no intention of showing off, and that they had been most gracious to accept him into their home. However, the memories of his own parents and his own brother tore at his conscience. His cry was drowned in the water, a stream of bubbles escaping from his mouth. When he ran out of breath and came up for air, the water dripped down his face, down his chin, and back into the tub.

---

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when the Fujita family and their guests sat down to dinner. As exhausted as Eiji was, both physically and emotionally, the gurgling of his stomach when he smelled the food was proof that his body was still healthy and craved nourishment. Tokio chuckled as she placed his tray in front of him, his face red from the lingering heat of the bath and embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed, it's only natural." His mouth watered at the sight of the meal. "This soup is called 'kozuyu'. It's a traditional dish from my homeland, and it's full of nutritious things, but it's also light and easy on the stomach," Tokio explained courteously. "And you have the soba that we were talking about earlier. The fish is just mackerel stewed in miso, but oily fish is good for you when you're tired."

"Fujita-san really likes soba," Eiji declared as he remembered what the man had ordered for practically every meal on their journey together.

Morinosuke and Tokio both laughed at that.

"Ahou. What's so funny?" Fujita tsked and glowered at them.

Tokio shook her head mirthfully as she took her own place beside her husband. Tsutomu sat next to his mother; he had his own small tray with a small wooden spoon, which he was at the moment tapping against his forehead.

"Itadakimasu." The chorus went up, and their chopsticks began to move.

"Ane-ue, your kozuyu is delicious as always." Morinosuke savored the soup, which was to him and his older sister the taste of their childhood and happy memories. Tokio smiled at her brother as she helped her son with his food.

Eiji took a sip, and then a longer sip. He could taste the scallops, the mushrooms, the carrots, and everything else that had gone into it with such care. He felt very grateful to Tokio; she must have known that he could not have stomached anything too heavy or rich. The soup filled him but did not weigh him down. The soba was also easy to swallow and slightly fragrant, as fresh soba should be. Eiji noticed that the noodles on Fujita's tray were practically vanishing into thin air.

"Ani-ue, when will you be heading away again?" Eiji pricked up his ears at Morinosuke's question without stopping his chopsticks.

"I'm leaving first thing in the morning," came the short reply. "I'll be gone for a while."

"That's what he said three days ago," Tokio remarked. "Poor Kenjirō-san, he thought the coast was clear, but he ended up running aground."

"Tokio, those roses are stinking up the room. Throw them out."

"I think they're lovely, and you'll be gone again in the morning – I think I'll leave them as they are." Tokio smiled serenely at her husband. Eiji glanced at the peach-colored blooms that were exquisitely arranged in the tokonoma. He had to agree; they looked quite nice.

"Ani-ue, how do you like the sword?" Morinosuke interjected, changing the subject before they could start on Kenjirō's merits or lack thereof.

Fujita paused in his eating and looked at his brother-in-law.

"It's a good sword," he said with sincerity. "I'm glad to have it."

"That's a relief." He sounded happy, but there was a touch of wistfulness to Morinosuke's eyes. "Father would be glad."

Eiji looked from one man to the other, but asked no questions. His mind was too dulled to engage, and his senses too concentrated on the meal.

"Tokio," Fujita extended a hand holding a sake cup to Tokio.

"Just one flask tonight," she informed him, smoothly pouring him a drink.

Fujita looked at her as though to argue, and thought the better of it.

"Hey, am I to serve myself?" Morinosuke squinted at his flask. "Eiji-kun, can you help me out?" he asked the boy beside him.

Eiji swallowed the food he had in his mouth before taking the flask and obliging.

The rest of the meal passed in a similar, easygoing manner, with Morinosuke and Fujita both getting seconds. Eiji felt that he would have liked some more, but he was practically falling asleep after he had finished what was on his tray.

"Danna-sama brought back some 'first harvest' tea from Shizuoka." Tokio brought in the after-dinner tea, and she bowed gratefully to her husband. Eiji recalled that Fujita had stopped at a vendor before they had boarded the ship to Tokyo.

The smell of the tea made his mind lurch, and unbidden images of the tea fields around his home flashed before him. He was stricken, and for a few seconds, he felt dizzy. He had succeeded in putting thoughts of Shingetsu-mura out of his mind for a short while, but now the ache resumed.

"I'm sorry, may I be excused? I'm just so sleepy…." Eiji did not need to fake a yawn.

"Why, of course." Tokio looked at him with concern. "I'm sorry for keeping you up – you must be worn out. And Tsutomu needs to be put to bed too." The toddler had climbed onto his father's lap after he had eaten his fill (Tokio had tried to stop him, but Fujita had allowed it), and fallen asleep. "Please leave your tray, and let's get you to your room."

Inside the children's room, Tokio had already laid out the futons while Eiji was in the bath. He let out a long sigh as he crawled under the covers, watching Tokio as she tucked her son in. She then turned to Eiji, and made sure he was comfortable.

"Our room is just down the hall. Try to sleep easy; there is nothing to fear. Muku guards the house well – don't be alarmed if you hear her walking around – and my husband is also here tonight. Nothing can harm you."

Eiji gave her a small nod before closing his eyes. For the past two years of his young life, he had lived in fear of Shishio and Senkaku, never knowing when his fragile existence might come to an end. He had barely slept in the last two days, haunted by the images of his dead family. He did not protest when he felt her cool hand on his forehead, and her other hand holding one of his small, thin hands. He surrendered to exhaustion, and in very little time, he sank into a deep slumber. He did not stir when she got up to leave the room. For the first time since she had met him, the young boy looked at peace, Tokio thought as she closed the door behind her.

---

When Tokio returned downstairs, Morinosuke and Fujita were sitting on the engawa with their tea. Morinosuke was discussing the aftermath of Ōkubo Toshimichi's assassination. It had been less than a week since that fateful day, and she was well aware that the incident had precipitated her husband's departure on his latest assignment. Fujita hardly said a word as he listened to the younger man talk about the Ishikawa shizoku who had been arrested as the perpetrators of the crime.

"They show no remorse for their actions – that they have severely jeopardized the country's standing out of their selfish grievances! And they dare claim to uphold the samurai spirit!" Morinosuke was a member of the public prosecutor's office, and he and his colleagues had been working around the clock that week. Both in his professional capacity, and as a son of the samurai class himself, he was venting with particular vehemence.

"Itō Hirobumi will be taking over as Home Minister now, I heard. I presumed it would be Iwakura Tomomi." Fujita did not rate either of them on par with the deceased man.

"Iwakura Tomomi is a formidable politician, but he has always preferred to work behind the scenes. And to be honest, I don't care for him at all - he reminds me of a toad." Tokio joined in, having discerned that her husband was trying to divert the conversation away from the actual murder. Fujita suppressed a smirk, silently commending his wife both for having perceived his mind and for her apt description. As a major instigator of the Meiji Restoration, and the very man who had brought the Meiji Emperor over to Satsuma's side, it was one of Tokio's few biases that she held against the man.

"He's the one who prevented us from going to war with Korea. He redeemed himself a little in my eyes," Morinosuke reasoned.

"Yes, but he failed to convince his old friend Saigou, and look where that got us." Tokio sniffed disdainfully. Saigou Takamori, one of the three great statesmen of the Meiji Restoration, had fallen out with Ōkubo over the Korean Issue, and the Seinan War had erupted as a result. Fujita shifted slightly at the memory; he had been shot in the line of action during that war, and he had lost another of his closest friends and comrades.

Morinosuke conceded his sister's point, and proceeded to bring the conversation back to the assassination, about how the police had tracked down the alleged killers and how the prosecutors were proceeding to build their case. However, the stone cold expression on Fujita's face indicated that he was touching on a work-sensitive topic for his brother-in-law, and so Morinosuke nonchalantly changed the subject. Instead, they talked about how ridiculous Kenjirō looked in his latest get-up, and a new American invention called a 'telephone' that was purported to allow people to talk to each other over distances. Fujita was interested in how it might be utilized for police work, although he was skeptical that such a thing actually existed. Morinosuke had heard from Kenjirō that the university might obtain a working model, and promised to let his brother-in-law know when it did. As much as Fujita feigned dislike of his friend, Morinosuke knew that in fact both husband and wife found his antics quite entertaining.

When Tokio offered him another cup of tea, Morinosuke realized that it was almost eight o'clock. The weekend was nearly over, and the following day was a Monday. Fujita had told them that he had to leave first thing in the morning, and although he would never mention it, no doubt that he was keen on spending some time alone with Tokio.

"Ah, it's getting late so I'm going to head home." Morinosuke decided to excuse himself tactfully. Normally, they would tell him he was welcome to stay longer, or even stay the night, but not tonight.

"Sarunosuke, tell that fool Kenjirō not to bring stupid gifts to my wife any more. It gives her strange ideas," Fujita told him irately.

Morinosuke and Tokio caught each other's eye behind his back and stifled a laugh. Fujita only used his old nickname for his brother-in-law when he was joking. While Fujita was away on assignment, Morinosuke would come by almost on a daily basis to make sure his sister and nephew were well, and when he was busy, another close friend would visit instead. Although Fujita did not make a fuss over the arrangement, he was grateful for their support.

"I told him that he was welcome to bring me as many nice things as he wanted. Those 'biscuits' that he brought the last time were very good."

"They were disgustingly sweet." Fujita snorted in annoyance. "They don't go well with sake."

"Ah, but they would go quite nicely with tea, don't you think? And thank you very much again for the tea. It is very delicious." Tokio looked up at her husband with a playful smile.

"Better than roses?" Fujita glared at her.

"Much more to my tastes," Tokio inclined her head.

"And I'm off, before this flirting gets more uncomfortable." Morinosuke coughed and stood up. "No, there's no need to see me out. I can lock up the gates behind me." He prevented them from getting up for his sake. "Ani-ue, take care of yourself please, and take care of Father's sword. Ane-ue, thank you for dinner - the kozuyu was excellent. I'll see you later this week."

Taking his leave, Morinosuke shut the door behind him. Muku ran around from the back to the front gate to see him off.

"He's right," Fujita stated after they heard the heavy clunk of the gates closing, "about your kozuyu." As always, he added to himself. Tokio blushed with pleasure. Even after four years of marriage, the simplest words of praise from her husband could cause her heart to flutter wildly. However, her reply was,

"You probably preferred Futaba-san's soba." One thing they had in common was that they both liked to tease each other.

"Ahou." He reached for a cigarette, and Tokio moved closer, lighting up a match for him.

"That's the last one for today, please." As she dropped the spent match into the ashtray, he caught her wrist and drew her into his arms.

They watched the smoke drift up into the night sky. It was a mild May night, and the streets about them were quiet. Further in the distance, they could hear the hum of the city, but looking out onto their garden, they built their own world around them. Blue irises bloomed in one corner, and a cat miaowed somewhere, causing Muku to prick up her ears and go investigate.

"About Eiji," he spoke after finishing his cigarette, "I couldn't just leave him there."

"Please, I am glad to do what I can to help." She laid her head against his chest.

"His brother was one of my better subordinates." Although others might think of Fujita as a callous, uncaring man, his wife knew that this was far from the truth. "And the boy showed an admirable courage." Not many ten year olds would have had the guts to face down Senkaku and Shishio under those circumstances.

"He seems a brave child. I am so sorry for his loss." She entwined her fingers through his. "May I ask what happened?"

Tokio understood him better than anyone else in the world, and she was the only one outside of the police force that he would discuss his work with. On occasion, her insight had proven invaluable to him. Of course, he never divulged the full details of his missions (that would unnecessarily increase the risks to her), but she needed to know enough to be aware of the dangers surrounding their lives.

He had departed only a few days ago, warning her to be extra cautious and telling her frankly that he had no idea when he would be done. She had been prepared, and had seen him off with a warm, confident smile and an unshakeable faith that he would return safely to her side. Nevertheless, there was no avoiding the fact that she still worried about him day and night. The recent series of assignments were the most dangerous that he had ever taken on; first with the investigation into Himura Battousai (that news had shaken her to the core), and now this Shishio Makoto, a megalomaniacal madman who threatened the very existence of the country. For all that she worried, she resolutely did her best not to give her husband cause for concern about her or their son. She would look after her own end, and would always provide a safe haven for him to come home to. She also had Muku; he had seen to it that theirs was one of the best trained dogs in the entire country. And they were not alone; her brother watched out for her, and their friends the Yamakawas too, and while he was still alive, Sagawa Kanbei had taken good care of them. Every day, police officers from the local precinct (who had been vetted by her husband) patrolled the neighborhood. Even her former mistress, Matsudaira Teru, had made it abundantly clear that Tokio and Tsutomu could seek refuge with her at any given time. (Fujita had bristled at the insinuation that Tokio might want to seek refuge from him, but Teru had a habit of needling her favorite attendant's husband. Tokio had laughed and even thanked the noblewoman for her consideration, much to her husband's annoyance.)

In a clinical manner, he narrated the events that had taken place at Shingetsu-mura. She listened, quietly horrified at the fresh details he provided – of how Eiji's brother had died shielding the boy, of how Eiji had found his parents and dug their graves himself, of how he had tried to kill the monstrous brute responsible for the death of his family. Her hands clenched in his grasp as he relayed the outcome of the match between Himura Battousai and Shishio Makoto's right-hand man.

"His sword broke?" She narrowed her eyes in consternation. The sakabatou had after all destroyed her husband's own trusty weapon. "So what will he do now?"

She had been incredulous at first when her husband had informed her that the 'Hitokiri Battousai', who had been the scourge of the Bakufu, was now living the life of a 'rurouni' and had taken a vow never to kill again. For reasons of her past, Tokio had strong, conflicted feelings about Himura Kenshin. Yet, the more she reflected on his decision, the easier it had been to reconcile her personal impressions of the man with the terror that he had inspired. She recalled a fleeting moment from a long time ago, a memory of snow and scarlet.

"You should never have joined the Ishin-shishi as an assassin. You care too much and you think too deeply."

Her husband, though, was less accepting of Himura Kenshin's current existence.

"I told him that his power as a 'rurouni' was useless against Shishio Makoto. That bout made it starkly clear that he needs to regain the strength he had as the 'Hitokiri Battousai'." Saitou was doubtful that Himura would be able to find another sakabatou in the near future, and it would have to be a superior sword at that.

"But that might not do him any good..." Tokio spoke pensively. "If he is sincere in his convictions, trying to force him to revert to his former self will do more harm than good. A sword that wavers is a sword that fails, and he already stands on a precarious brink." She could only imagine how incredibly difficult it was to fight against a deadly opponent, holding back just enough so as not to kill while avoiding being killed himself. His recent duel with her husband was proof enough of that; at the end, he had been serious when he said he would kill his former enemy. "What he lacks in himself to stand fast cannot be as obvious as mere killing intent..." If Himura Kenshin were to fall, the dangers to her husband would increase manifold. "A reluctant heart will betray itself, and those around it."

"Hmph. You're a mouthy woman." He pinched her cheek lightly and she made a face as she tried to pull away.

"Forgive me, I know I'm simply pointing out the obvious," she rubbed her cheek as he let go, but the truth was, he always took her opinion into account.

"Well, you're not wrong." He almost seemed to sigh. "But I just don't believe that people can change so easily..."

The man formerly known as Saitou Hajime closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Tokio was staring at him intently, as though her deep, dark gaze could penetrate to the depths of his soul. He smirked at her, and his lips lightly caressed hers.

"Are you worried about me?" He asked as he broke the kiss.

"I always worry about you, Hajime-sama." She only called him 'Hajime' when they were alone. "But more than that, I believe in you." Even after all these years, he found her utterly beguiling when she smiled at him like that.

"It's not a bad feeling, to be worried about and missed by you," he jested.

"Which is why, I suppose, you insist on gallivanting around the country." She sighed resignedly. "And no more cigarettes." She tried to grab the pack from his hand as he reached to take another one out.

"This will be the last one," he caught both her hands in one of his and touched his forehead against hers. Inwardly, Tokio berated herself for giving in so easily, but she could never find it within herself to refuse her husband when he looked at her like that. 'It's those amber eyes,' she yielded ruefully.

In honesty, if it were allowed, if it were possible, he would return home every night to her and their son. He could easily have entrusted Eiji to another agent to bring to Tokyo, but instead had taken the responsibility upon himself. It was in part due to his desire for privacy (the less people who knew about his family affairs, the better), and it was in part due to the fact that he felt it was his duty to make sure matters were dealt with properly, out of respect both for his deceased subordinate and for his wife. However, another, irrefutable reason was that since he had figured that it would take another while for Himura to reach Kyoto, he had decided that he could afford the time to spend with his family.

"The Battousai and the weasel girl were shocked to find out I was married." He knew that she would find it amusing.

"Fu-fu," she chuckled. "You teased them on purpose, didn't you?" He could have not told them where he was taking Eiji, but she knew that he had not been able to resist having some fun at their expense.

"I told them that you were a capable woman." Coming from him, it was the highest of accolades, and the color rose charmingly to his wife's cheeks. "They said that you must be a Bodhisattva to put up with me."

At that, she hid her mouth behind her sleeve as she laughed.

"How well they must know you!" she nudged him. Her husband had a knack for rousing people's antipathy, and she had been on occasion the subject of unsolicited sympathy for being married to him.

"Ahou. If you actually were a Bodhisattva, you'd help me get rid of my earthly desires, not inspire them." He pressed her closer to him with a wicked grin, expecting her to withdraw bashfully.

"And where would the fun be in that, Hajime-sama? I quite enjoy your earthly desires..." Instead, she laughed again and taunted him back, and he almost choked on his cigarette.

He was glad to be home – a peaceful interlude in the midst of turbulence. It was just one more day, but that day meant so much to them all – to him, his wife, his son, and to the orphan boy that needed comfort and care. It was just one more night, but it reaffirmed his existence, his commitment, and his reason for fighting as hard as he could to maintain the peacefulness of their lives. He would have to leave again in a few hours, but those hours would be spent with the woman who loved him, and whose love sustained him throughout all his dark battles.

---

Eiji awoke in a dreadful sweat in the middle of the night. His heart pounded painfully in his chest and he felt paralyzed with fear as his eyes darted around the unfamiliar room. For a moment, he believed that he was still being pursued by Senkaku, with his brother shielding him from those awful blades. The sweat on his brow and his palms made him feel like he was slick with blood. Although it only took a few seconds to remember where he was, the sheer dread of those moments trapped him in his nightmare. He looked around, and he could barely make out the small body sleeping in the futon next to his. He managed to bring his breathing under control, but he could not stop his tears. He missed his family, and he would never see them again. Even living under the dreadful rule of Shishio and Senkaku, his parents had tried to protect him, and they at least had been together. His brother had been away for several years, but when he had realized what was happening to the village, he had assured them that his superior was on the case, and that he was the best man in all of Japan for the job. But things had gone terribly wrong, and Fujita Gorō, or Saitou, or whoever he really was, he had come too late.

He seized up as he heard a shuffling outside the door. He remained still as he heard the scrabble of nails on the wooden boards, and then something pushed open the screen. 'Ah, Muku,' he squirmed as he felt the dog licking his cheek. He covered his face with his hands as he giggled quietly, and she lay down next to him. He wondered at this animal – it was the second time she had tried to comfort him when he was crying. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and began to stroke her fur. She was very soft, and she was warm, and she was a reassuring presence in the darkness of the night. She licked his hand now and again, as though encouraging him to continue petting her, and the terror of his dreams released their grip.

"This is a safe place."

Tokio had reassured him, and he did not doubt it. A man like Fujita would never leave his home unprotected. It had been a revelation coming here, and he pondered his situation. His initial image of his guardian had changed over the course of one day. Fujita Gorō was not a 'nice' man, not in the way Himura Kenshin had been, but Fujita Gorō must be a good man. It had been difficult to picture his family life while they had traveled, since he appeared so taciturn and grim, but here in his own home, he was a husband and father like any other. Fujita Gorō must be a good man, if a woman like Tokio was happy with him. Eiji trusted Tokio intuitively; there was a serenity about her that calmed him, and she had a gentle, stabilizing influence on those around her. Even though she treated her husband with due deference, he could tell that she was the one who kept this household strong. Not to mention, she was quite possibly the loveliest woman he had ever seen. And then, there was Muku, who was diligently protecting her house and her pack. The dog intrigued him immensely, and she had already won a place in his heart. This was a safe, warm place, and he could prevail against his demons here.

He began to feel his eyelids drooping, and he wrapped his arms around the dog's neck. In time, he was breathing softly again, having relapsed into a dreamless sleep.

---

The next time Eiji awoke, Muku was scampering up and out of his arms. He rubbed his eyes blearily; the faint light seeping in from the window screens indicated that it was just around dawn. He glanced at the sleeping face of Tsutomu, and grinned when he saw the puddle of drool on his pillow. Eiji got up as quietly as he could, and went out after the dog. As he reached the top of the stairs, he froze as he realized that he was not the only one who was awake. Peering down to the genkan, he could see that Fujita was putting on his shoes. When he stood back up, Tokio handed him his sword, and he clipped it to his belt. They remained still, looking at each other for a long moment, and then Tokio wound her arms around him and nestled her head against his chest. Eiji inhaled sharply, as he watched Fujita tilt her chin up, and press his lips to her forehead. He felt mortified that he had intruded on their privacy, but just as he was about to sneak away, Fujita called out,

"It's bad manners to be creeping around, peeking at people." Eiji almost leapt out of his skin. "At least have the decency to cover your eyes."

Tokio hastily pulled away from her husband, her face a bright crimson to match Eiji's.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to – I was looking for Muku…." Eiji's voice trailed off as he saw the dog, wagging her tail gleefully beside her mistress.

"Well, it's alright," Tokio reassured him, recovering her composure. "Would you like to come downstairs to see him off?"

"Yes," Eiji answered politely, although to be honest, he wished that he could crawl back to his bed in shame. He kept his gaze firmly on his feet as he went down the stairs. "Um, well, please take care." He was afraid to meet Fujita's eyes.

"Eiji, look up when you're talking to someone." Fujita said sternly. Eiji reluctantly did so, and was surprised to see that the man seemed amused rather than angry. "Do your best to settle in here. Listen to what Tokio says, and you'll be fine. She's strict, but she'll take good care of you."

"Yes sir," Eiji replied more confidently this time.

"Muku, you know what you have to do," the man gave the dog a quick scratch around the ears, and pulled on his gloves.

He saw that Tokio had picked up her hiuchi-gane and firestone, ready to perform kiribi. She saw him frown, and she smiled - it was part of a ritual now, wherein he would pretend to disdain the superstition, and she would respond that it was not the superstition but the thought that counted.

"Come home safe," her voice was low but very clear.

"Ah..." He nodded at his wife. "Ittekuru."

"Itterasshaimase, Danna-sama." When she smiled at her husband, Fujita Tokio was definitely a very pretty lady, Eiji thought, no matter how old she was.

She deftly struck the sparks from the stone as he opened the door, an age-old ritual to ward off evil for those leaving on dangerous work.

"Ah! Don't forget your hat!" She picked it up from where he had left it on the entrance shelf and hurried after him.

"I don't need it," he called back, leaving it in her hands.

She remained by the door as she watched him walk down the front path. The fingers gripping his hat belied the composed expression on her face. Muku accompanied him as far as the gate, then barked once after him and ran back to the house. The police officer raised his hand in one last greeting as he disappeared from view. Tokio did not move for a few moments more, letting out an almost silent sigh as she came back inside.

"Good morning, Eiji-san," she greeted the boy properly now.

"Good morning, Tokio-san." She smiled at him, and he relaxed. Even if Fujita said that his wife was strict, she was also very kind.

"Did you sleep well?" She searched his face for signs of fatigue.

"I woke up once because of a bad dream," Eiji told her honestly, "but then Muku came in and I fell back asleep."

Tokio chuckled softly.

"She's a good dog, isn't she?" Eiji nodded in reply. "It's a little early, but breakfast is ready. Why don't you go change and wash your face, and then join me in the kitchen."

Breakfast was a simple affair: rice, miso soup, some pickles and leftover fish from the previous night. They ate quietly, and Tokio seemed pleased that Eiji finished all of his food. She knew from personal experience the physical toll that grieving could take, and she was relieved that at least the boy had a healthy appetite. Children were resilient, she reminded herself, and she would do the best she could to assist his recovery.

As they cleared up, Tokio asked Eiji if he would mind helping her with the morning chores.

"I'm used to morning chores," Eiji offered helpfully. In a farming community, there was no such thing as a day of rest.

"In the afternoon, I want to take your brother's sword to the smith, to see whether there is anything that can be done for it. And we should also go to the temple to arrange a ceremony for your family."

Eiji looked at her with a worried expression.

"Tokio-san, I'm sorry, I don't have any money, so I don't think I can do that…."

Tokio looked into his eyes and said softly,

"My husband made sure that you would receive compensation from the government for your brother's work, so you needn't worry about money. In any case, it's the least I could do, to make sure that proper prayers are offered for your parents and brother."

There had been no way to perform a funeral for the Mishimas in Shingetsu-mura, and it had troubled Eiji. Again, he felt as though Tokio had lifted a burden off his shoulders.

"Thank you very much," he bowed with profound gratitude.

"You're most welcome," she bowed in return.

"Tokio-san, may I ask…." Eiji hesitated for a moment, but plucked up the nerve to continue. "Who are you, and who is Fujita-san?" They were an unusual couple, unlike anybody else he knew, and they had unusual guests, and an unusual dog, and everything about them struck him as extraordinary.

"Did my husband tell you anything?" She tilted her head and looked at him inquisitively.

"No, not really. I know that for some reason, other people call him Saitou, and Morinosuke-san told me yesterday that you were from Aizu."

She did not answer him straight away, weighing his question in her mind. Wordlessly, she washed the dishes and handed them to him to dry. By the time they finished, Eiji was feeling remorseful for his prying. He watched as Tokio prepared some tea, but instead of serving them, she set the cups on a tray. She also placed on it a small vase with a single rose that had decorated the kitchen table.

"Come with me, Eiji-san." Tokio motioned for him to follow, and he saw that they were heading to the front room.

Eiji observed as she knelt gracefully before the family altar. She carefully placed the tea and the vase in front of the spirit tablets. The tablets must be for her deceased family, he guessed correctly. She lit the candles, then some incense, and she put her hands together in prayer and bowed. Eiji knelt behind her and bowed his head out of respect also.

"Eiji-san," Tokio spoke after a while, "what do you know of Aizu, and the Shinsengumi?"

"Not very much." Eiji furrowed his brow. "Just that they lost the Boshin War."

Tokio turned around and faced him. She looked at him so wistfully, and it resonated within his heart.

"Well, that's true. I hope you won't mind listening to an old story, Eiji-san…." She drew a breath and began her tale. "Over fifteen years ago, the Aizu-han were charged under the Tokugawa Shogunate with the protection of law and order in Kyoto. We were chosen because our lord, Matsudaira Katamori, shared a deep, mutual respect with Emperor Komei, and because the Tokugawa knew just how loyal and dedicated the people of Aizu were to their duty."

"So how come you ended up being Imperial Enemies?" Eiji asked without any malice, but he noticed that Tokio winced.

"Because we lost in the political battle, and then we lost the war." Tokio paused, her eyes downcast. "History is written by the victors, you see, and the victors need villains. In reality, we were all merely trying to do our best for the country." She raised her head proudly. Eiji nodded; although he did not understand what the 'political battle' was, he grasped what she was saying.

"My father was an Oo-metsuke-yaku under the Aizu-kou. He used to have an estate worth three hundred koku. I also worked at the court as a scribe." Eiji's jaw dropped - although he had already guessed that she was a samurai woman, he had not imagined that she was so highborn. He sat up straighter, and gave her the most formal bow he could manage. "Please, be at ease," she chuckled as she realized how nervous he had just become. "I am merely the simple housewife of a police officer now."

"Does Fujita-san know?" He asked bemusedly. He could not fathom why a lady like her was married to a regular civil servant, no matter how her circumstances had changed.

"Well, yes." The corners of her lips twitched; she was enjoying Eiji's interest in her story. "I am going to tell you a family secret that must not go beyond these walls." Eiji nodded to show that he understood. "My husband was formerly known as Saitou Hajime, the Third Captain of the Shinsengumi." Eiji's jaw dropped open again. The Shinsengumi's reputation was infamous, as the fiercest, strongest group of swordsmen who had fought during the Bakumatsu, and he knew that they had been the Ishin-Shishi's arch-nemeses. "The Shinsengumi worked under the authority of Aizu in Kyoto, to protect the city. They fought for Aizu during the Boshin War, and my husband stayed with my people even after our defeat. The people of Aizu consider him a war hero, but he left that name behind on the battlefield." A shadow flickered over Tokio's face.

'It must be a very sad memory,' Eiji thought. She pursed her lips briefly before continuing.

"Eiji-san, we were powerless after the war, and we lived in poverty. No food, no homes, no money. The Meiji Government would not allow us to bury our war dead, so we tried to do it in secret. Those who were caught were sentenced to death themselves." She stopped as she saw the look of horror on the young boy's face. There was no need to go into it in such detail, she chastised herself, but at least now he knew that he was not the only one who had had to dig makeshift graves for those he loved. "Everything was taken away from us, and we were exiled to the far north, where nothing grew in the barren soil, and the winters were very long and harsh." He now knew that he was not the only one who had been forced from his home with nothing to his name. He was not alone in his suffering.

"Did you… Did you ever want to take revenge?" Eiji asked in a weak voice. He felt the rage swelling up again as he thought about Senkaku.

"Eiji-san, do you know why my husband stopped you from killing that man?" Tokio looked sorrowfully at the young boy who had experienced too much and had so much yet to learn.

"He said it was because it would interfere with his work, and because it was against the law." That was what Fujita had told him.

"But that is not all, is it?" Eiji flushed, remembering Himura's words. "When you take another person's life, you take away everything that person has ever had, was ever going to have, all the bonds and ties they ever forged – and you take all of that burden upon yourself. One must be very strong and have a will of iron to bear that immense weight. No matter that that life might have belonged to the worst kind of criminal, the burden could end up crushing oneself. Nobody would have benefited from you soiling your hands, and you would still suffer for it."

"Fujita-san, has he killed people?" Eiji mumbled his question, feeling unsettled.

"Yes…." Tokio sighed. "And when he stands before the judgment of Enma, I will be at his side to defend his soul." She bowed her head. Her husband's ruthlessness as it pertained to his work was not without good reason, and she had accepted it many years ago. They both shared the strength of his convictions, and he would never tolerate leaving loose ends that could come back and threaten his family's hard-won peace. "That is why I pray every day for the peaceful rest of those departed, for his safety, and for my own peace of mind. It is why we must try to live each day as best as we can, so that we must not be ashamed."

"I…. I feel guilty, Tokio-san." Eiji confessed in a breathless whisper. "I feel guilty that my brother died protecting me, and that my parents died because of us. Why didn't I die with them?" His voice trailed off into a whisper, and he bowed his head, trying to hide the tears that spilled.

Tokio placed a hand on his shoulder, and bade him look at her.

"Eiji-san, my husband and I, we have lost so many people who were most dear to us over the years. And yet, we dare to be happy now. Our happiness is built on all the sacrifices that they had to make, and we will not dishonor them by wasting away in regret. Those people whom we truly cared for, and who truly cared for us – there is not a single one who would begrudge us the right to live well, now that we have survived. Do you think your parents and brother are any different?"

"Himura-san said the same thing…." Eiji wiped his eyes, and did not see the fleeting misgiving on Tokio's face at the mention of that name.

"We can only pray that they rest in peace, and that they will watch over us," she said in a soft voice. "Give yourself time to mourn, and carry yourself gently. But remember, while we live, we all have the right to happiness." Tokio handed him a handkerchief from her sleeve, and Eiji blew his nose. "Now, shall we have some tea, and get on with our day?"

Eiji returned her smile and nodded. Just then, they heard the energetic cries of a young child, and Muku barked. Tsutomu had woken up. They both hurried upstairs, and as Tokio changed her son out of his nightclothes, Eiji folded up the futons and tidied them away. When he opened up the window screens as directed, the view took his breath away. Far off in the distance, beyond the sprawling tapestry of the city, an unmistakeable, familiar sight rose above the horizon. Tokio glanced up to see what he was looking at.

"It's not bad, is it? On clear days, you can see Mount Fuji."

Eiji nodded wordlessly, feeling a little surer of his new place in the world. His wounds would not heal in one day, but they would gradually heal every day. He looked back towards the mountain, to where his old home lay, to where the graves of his family were - and he was grateful to be alive.

---

The man formerly known as Saitou Hajime grimaced at the report in his hand. Professional interrogators had been working on Senkaku over the weekend, but so far had little to show for their efforts. It had nothing to do with Senkaku's resistance – the brute was a coward at heart and they had barely applied the screws before he started blabbing – but rather that Shishio Makoto had not trusted his henchman with any crucial details of his operations beyond Shingetsu-mura. It seemed that he would have to capture one of the so-called Juppongatana in order to find out the crux of Shishio's plans for domination.

He lit up a cigarette and contemplated his next move. The Battousai should be arriving in Kyoto over the next few days, with the Makimachi girl. He glanced at the report on her; he had been somewhat surprised when he discovered that she was one of the last remnants of the Kyoto Oniwabanshuu, but it cleared up a few questions. Government spies were tracking their movements, and it seemed that for now, Shishio's minions were laying low.

'So he really does intend to wait for us in Kyoto.' He mulled it over as he took a long drag of the tobacco. There were so many memories in that city – difficult, important memories – and though he was not one to dwell on idle daydreams, he mused about what it would be like if his old comrades were still alive. Like it had been back then, all those years ago, the first objective of his current assignment was to protect Kyoto from the terrorists that threatened the country's foundations. Back then, history had not been on their side, but he did not consider it a failure of their mission. He inhaled sharply. Now, more than ever in his career, his success could determine the future course of the nation. Absentmindedly, he fingered the inner pocket of his jacket, where he kept his cigarette box. Tucked away inside was an omamori that Tokio had given him, onto which she had embroidered the Shinsengumi symbol, 'Makoto'. He had scoffed at her sentimentality when she had presented it to him during the first days of their marriage, but in actuality, when he was in uniform, it was always on his person.

He had made her a promise to always return to her side, and he had made a promise on the graves of his fallen comrades that he would continue to uphold their justice of 'Aku Soku Zan'. He had also made a promise to a grief-stricken boy that he would defeat Shishio Makoto. He would keep his word, even if it that entailed partnering with his one-time deadliest foe. Stubbing out his cigarette into the ashtray, he recommenced making arrangements for his operations in Kyoto. For all the dangers that this mission posed to him, he did not deny that he thrilled at the prospect of battle. With Himura Battousai, and Shishio Makoto, it was promising to be a most interesting case, and he did not deny that he was enjoying himself.

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Author's Notes: 2012 Ruroken Renaissance! Spread the Love!

Please see tumblr site for pictures and historical/cultural notes: details on profile page
I beg your pardon as I went a little bit overboard with the research (again). Because of the length of the footnotes, I have posted the historical/cultural annotations accompanied by photos to tumblr. There are photos of Numazu and Mount Fuji, police stations, Akita dogs, kozuyu, Tokyo University and more. Eeni's doujinshi of "The Courtship of Lady Tokio" is also featured there: Chapter 2 is now up! And I am always happy to take questions if I've failed to address them.

Readers might think it's an odd place in the manga timeline to begin this story, but I thought it would be interesting to introduce the Fujita family from a kind of 'everyman' point of view - Eiji was the perfect character to do so. I've often wondered what his life might be like after Shingetsu-mura; surely he must have been traumatized (see Watsuki's character notes in volume 9). Taking in a foster child is a huge responsibility, but I have no doubt that Tokio is up to the task.

I do intend to address the pertinent events of Saitou's life from the end of my previous work to Meiji 11, including his participation in the Boshin War, the birth of Tsutomu, the initial assignment of his Kyoto mission (so many gaps to be filled, such as where did he get his new sword after his broke in the fight against Kenshin) etc - as well as include flashbacks to his Shinsengumi years. I ask readers to bear with me - there are a few teasers in this chapter that I would like to expand upon later.

I fervently hope that people enjoyed the portrayal of the Fujita family. Saitou in a yukata with his hair wet and slightly mussy? Waking up Tsutomu from his nap, risking a tantrum? Giving his son a shoulder ride? Does Saitou not like to wear his police officer's hat because it pushes his hair into his eyes? It was completely self-indulgent of me to include those, I admit. Also, I felt so sorry for Kenshin that his son Kenji didn't seem to like him very much. Hence, Tsutomu adores his father (children tend to like tall people who can pick them up and put them on their shoulders, yes?).

As always, I would be most grateful for any comments or criticisms: I get so excited when people tell me they are fans of Saitou x Tokio too. Thank you very much in advance for your kind consideration and your patience! I look forward to hearing from you!

Timeline: I calculated around the key date, "May 14th" - which fell on a Tuesday in 1878 - and came up with the following. It took Kenshin 3 days to reach Numazu/Shingetsu-mura. So, presuming that the events of Shingetsu-mura took place either on a Friday or Saturday, I thought Saitou should arrive back in Tokyo on the Sunday. Saitou was still stalking around Tokyo two days after Kenshin departed for Kyoto (running into Sano and Yahiko, Megumi and Aoshi etc), and the only way he could have gotten to Shingetsu-mura that fast was to take a ship. It stands to reason that he would take a ship back to Tokyo.

Japanese Phrases:

Bunmei Kaika: Readers may have come across this term in RK, but it literally means 'civilization and enlightenment', and denoted the westernization of Japan after the Meiji Restoration. See notes on tumblr for more details.

Danna-sama: literally means 'master', 'man of the house, 'patron', 'boss'. It's the most likely way that Tokio would have addressed her husband, given her social class and the times. There are other instances of it being used in the manga: Saitou refers to his boss Kawaji as 'danna' for example.

Okaerinasai-mase: Formal version of 'okaerinasai', which has no equivalent English phrase but translates closest to 'welcome home'.

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu: another phrase with no equivalent English phrase, but means roughly 'I will be in your care', or 'please look after this'. Standard greeting when meeting somebody for the first time, especially somebody you'll be working/living with, or when you are asking somebody to do something on your behalf.

Ittekuru: less formal version of 'ittekimasu' (somehow I couldn't picture Saitou using 'keigo' or formal speech to his wife), which translates roughly to 'I'm going now'. It's only good manners to say this to members of your household before heading out to work, to school, on a journey, an errand etc.

Itterasshai-mase: Formal version of 'itterasshai', said in reply to 'ittekimasu', how you would see off a member of your household.

Ani-ue, Ane-ue: Formal terms for 'older brother' and 'older sister' back in the day. It's considered archaic now. 'Sarunosuke' effectively means 'Monkey Boy', and is Saitou's nickname for Morinosuke from CLT.

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