"Are you busy?" Megumi asked, cradling the phone against her ear.
"Not really. Kenshin and Jo-chan have some dinner thing later tonight..." Sano hesitated.
"I'm invited to that as well...But...it might be best if we just talk before then..." She glanced at the wall clock at the hospital. Mondays. "I get off in about two hours. You still want to meet at Kuhio Beach?"
"Sure."
"Five thirty?"
"I'll be there..."
"Hey," Sano greeted, sitting next to her on the bench.
She nodded at him before staring out at the wall of rocks several yards in the water. The barrier served as a fence for the beach, providing a safe swimming experience for children. They had loved to go to this beach. Locals and tourists alike were lounging on the sand. She had chosen a slightly secluded spot beneath the shade of a palm tree. Megumi had changed after work, wearing a white spaghetti strap tank top and a green pareo that knotted at her hip. Sano had worn a white T-shirt and black shorts.
"I'm really sorry," Sanosuke began. "I don't know what happened, but-"
"No, it's my fault," Megumi interrupted.
Sanosuke paused to look at her.
"You were right," Megumi admitted. She cleared her throat. "You were right. I...I've been living my life to please my father. Maybe I've been doing it all along...I don't know..." She couldn't fight the waver in her voice and the tears that came to her eyes. She'd been so wrong...in so many ways...
"Megumi..."
"Let me finish," she cut in. "I guess...I...I just wanted him to be proud of me...of my mom to be proud of me. After you left yesterday, I told my father to leave. I needed to be alone...I...I spent a while last night thinking about everything..."
"Megumi..."
"When you and I started dating...he always said that you weren't good enough for me. That there was no way you could financially support me...emotionally support me..."
"Well, he was right on both," Sanosuke said bitterly. "I couldn't. I didn't make enough money and I acted like a brat every time you were on call."
"He said that if you had really loved me...you would have stayed..."
Sanosuke swallowed. "I think...I think that's what really got to me...I...I hated it every time you went to the hospital. I hated the fact that you were a doctor. So if I hated that...did that mean I hated you? It drove me crazy thinking that I didn't love you..."
Sanosuke ran his fingers through his brown hair.
"And I haven't been in relationships since then. At least serious ones," Megumi continued. "Because of my father, because of you...I don't know...maybe both..." She wiped her lashes with her fingertips. "Father wouldn't approve...or I was afraid I'd meet someone who couldn't handle being with a doctor..."
"Well, you got steady hours now," Sano supplied.
"Or maybe I just don't want to get hurt again," Megumi shrugged.
"Fox-lady...how many have you seen since I left?"
"A couple." Megumi shrugged a shoulder. "They never last very long..."
"How many?"
"Five? Six? I don't remember..."
Sanosuke's jaw dropped. "That many?"
"I said they didn't last long," Megumi retorted.
"Right. Sorry."
"So..." Megumi fidgeted slightly, biting her lip. "I'm really sorry...about everything..."
"It's okay..." Sanosuke smiled wistfully and leaned forward, picking up a handful of sand and letting it trail through his fingers. "I thought about what you said...and you were right about a lot of things. Even if you say now that I'm right...You're right, too..." Sano admitted. "I always blamed your dad when maybe I shouldn't have. And I never did try to understand you. Not fully, anyway..." He dusted the sand off his fingers. "Hell, I'm sorry, fox-lady...for running out on you...and making you feel like you were your dad's doormat...I was acting like a jackass...I should have known better..."
"It's all right..."
"I understand what happened...I understood it a long time ago...but I wasn't willing to admit it, I guess." Sano shrugged. "So I came here...and I needed to tell you that..."
Megumi couldn't read the expression in his eyes. She and Sano were over. Ancient history. She knew that. He knew that...right?
"I have a whole new life in Virginia waiting for me," Sanosuke began quietly. "But I had to see you again..."
The sentence hung in the air. Megumi fought a wave of panic.
"Megumi-"
"Sano-"
"I'm getting married."
"This should be enough, right?" Kaoru stirred the pasta boiling on the stove.
Kenshin glanced over from slicing mango wedges on the kitchen counter. "I think so..."
"It's been a long time since we had a dinner like this... " Kaoru examined the noodles. She wasn't a great cook, but she could boil items. Usually Kenshin did the cooking. "Did Sano tell you where he went?"
"Nope." Kenshin popped a mango in his mouth. "His note said that he'd be back, though..."
"Okay."
Megumi's eyes rounded. "You're...getting married?"
Sano nodded proudly. She narrowed his eyes. "This isn't a shotgun wedding or anything, is it?"
He frowned. "No."
"You didn't...fool around with a superior's daughter or-"
"NO," Sano retorted. When he noticed several joggers look at him, he crossed his arms and lowered his voice. "Why is it so hard for you to believe I'm marrying someone because I want to?"
"Because it's you." "Thanks a lot," he grumbled.
A smile crept up her lips. "All right...so who...who is she?"
"Now you're making fun of me..." Sano threw up his hands.
"I'm sorry," Megumi bit her lip. "It's just that...I'm shocked...So...tell me about her."
Sanosuke leaned back. "Her name is Katherine Antonio...she's a nurse."
"Wow..." Megumi blew out a breath.
"What?"
"Nothing...just..." Megumi smiled, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "Someone actually had the patience to tame you."
"It's not like that," Sano argued.
"So you mean to tell me that you haven't stopped drinking with your buddies and singing karaoke?"
Sano sat up straight, dusting his hands off. "Kat loves to sing, and she left us on the street once because we all got so drunk. Ever since then, the guys watch their intake."
"She must be an angel," Megumi teased. "She'd have to be, to put up with you."
"Hey."
Megumi laughed. "So how did you meet?"
"Oh...in a fight. Well, I was at a bar and a couple civilians were picking on us Navy guys, so I beat a couple up, ended up getting my leg broken in the process...and she was working in the hospital at the time."
Nodding, Megumi quipped, "Not bad...strong he-man who got wounded routine..."
He grinned. "That was a year ago, I think the week after I came back from school."
"So when did you propose? And how?"
"I asked her to marry me about...three weeks ago..." Sano stared up at the sky in thought. "I took her to Disneyworld in Florida for the weekend and proposed on Pirates of the Caribbean."
"Pirates of the Caribbean?" Megumi retorted. "You're kidding, right?"
"I didn't have a ring at the time, but she screamed yes." A wicked glint in Sanosuke's eye caused Megumi to gasp.
Then she smacked his shoulder. "Sanosuke Sagara, you're so disgusting. I hope you two were alone on that ride...I can't believe-"
"Hey," Sano grasped her hand, "It's not like you're proper all the time!"
"But on a Disneyland ride?" Megumi wrinkled her nose as they dropped hands.
"Don't start," he warned.
Good idea. Still, she couldn't help but grin. She and Sanosuke had certainly been adventurous in their days. The passion of first love.
"Besides, after that, I took her to a nice dinner. When we got back to Virginia, I bought her a ring."
"That's great," Megumi piped up. "I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks. I'll send you, Kenshin, and Jo-chan invitations to the wedding as soon as we pick some out."
"You don't think that's awkward?" Megumi asked quietly.
"What is?"
Megumi rolled her eyes. "Inviting the ex-girlfriend to the wedding?"
"Nah. Kat's not the jealous type," Sanosuke responded. "She knows about you, too...and she knew that I'd see you when I came here."
"She's very trusting," Megumi murmured. "And she has every right to be. You're a good man, Sano...you'd never betray the woman you love."
He grinned. "Hey, want to see what she looks like?"
"Sure..."
He dug out his wallet and pulled out a small photo of them. He was sitting on a park bench, and Kat's arms were wrapped around his shoulders. Megumi studied the woman, whose wavy hair fell past her shoulders, her dark eyes lit with joy.
"You two look so happy," Megumi responded sincerely, handing it back to him.
"We are." Sano stared at the photo for several moments, smiling, before putting it away. "I learned a lot being with her...and...I felt bad about us...so I figured...before she and I get married, I should apologize to you."
"Less weight on the shoulders, right?"
"Right."
"I'm really glad, Sano. It looks like you've really grown up..."
"I like to think so..."
Their eyes met and held for several moments. Megumi quickly turned to look at the water.
"I...I had a good time when we were together," she said softly. "Even if it was short...and we had a lot of problems...After...After hearing this...it feels like I just lost a part of myself..."
"Megumi..." Sano carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.
"But maybe I lost a part of myself when you left two years ago...I don't know..."
"If it means anything..." he began quietly, "I really did lo-"
"You don't have to tell me how you felt back then," she responded gently. She gave him a smile. "I'm actually jealous...Happiness like yours is pretty rare..."
He smiled back. "You'll find yours someday..."
"Now you sound romantic. She must be something." Megumi glanced at her watch. "The Himuras are waiting for us at their place...and I want to hear all about her during the ride over..."
He helped her to her feet, and they began walking towards the parking lot where her Lexus stood. He had apparently taken the bus.
"So...where should I start...?"
"Uh-oh," she murmured, pulling up to the curb of Kenshin and Kaoru's apartment complex.
"What's wrong?" Sano asked.
Megumi tore her eyes away from the Acura Legend and turned off the engine. "Nothing, don't worry."
"Okay, I'm worried now..."
"I...just remembered something...later...that's all."
They climbed out of the car and after she locked her doors, they began the walk to the apartment.
He opened the door with the spare key the couple had apparently given him. "I'm home...brought someone with me!"
Megumi couldn't help but notice the shock on the faces of two who sat at the table. She was surprised, as well. The Himuras' two guests were the last people she expected to see. She knew they knew her hosts, but she didn't expect to run into them now, of all times...
Kaoru looked as antsy as a girl at her first dance. Misao couldn't help but stare with a dropped jaw. And her guardian...when the shock wore off, his eyes narrowed a fraction before turning back to his meal.
"Oh, hey, you guys also brought guests," Sano trailed into the kitchen dining area, Megumi slowly following.
Kenshin recovered first. "Sano...This is Misao Makimachi..." The teenager waved and smiled. "...her guardian, Aoshi Shinomori..." The man nodded his head in greeting. "This is the friend I was telling you about, Sanosuke Sagara."
Sanosuke shook their hands before sitting down next to Kaoru. The table was a circle, making the seating arrangement a bit awkward. Megumi sat between Sanosuke and Aoshi.
After eating a bit, Sanosuke spoke up, "So...are you guys neighbors or...?"
Megumi cleared her throat.
"Actually, Aoshi used to work with Himura," Misao piped up.
"Really?"
"Yeah...The Himuras are like my second family..." the girl continued. "They were really cool to Aoshi and me when he and I first moved here. Kaoru and I go shopping sometimes and stuff. She's like a big sister..." Misao ate a bit before speaking, "I lived with Aoshi in Washington D.C. before he was stationed here."
Sanosuke's eyes widened. "Stationed...Wait...you're Navy?" At the man's nod, he grinned. "Same here."
"Join the Navy, see the world," Aoshi muttered wryly.
"Exactly."
Silence. Aoshi gently nudged Misao with his elbow. "Didn't you have something to ask the doctor?"
Megumi looked up in curiosity.
"Oh yeah!" Misao grinned. "Is that discount for hula lessons still okay? I'd really like to learn..."
Megumi glanced at Aoshi, who nodded slightly. Then she smiled at the teenager. "Of course...she'd love to have you."
"You mean Aunt Yuki's halau?" Sanosuke spoke up.
"That's correct," Megumi said. How embarrassing. He spoke of her aunt in such a familiar tone.
"Aunt Yuki's a cool teacher. Megumi dragged me one time to take one lesson. I was sore for two days...hula works the legs..." Sanosuke laughed. "Wait...how do you guys know each other?"
"Oh...Misao is my patient," Megumi supplied. "And of course...they know Kenshin and Kaoru..."
"Navy community...small world, isn't it?" Kenshin chuckled.
"Have you already eaten, Megumi?" Kaoru asked.
"No..."
Wordlessly, Aoshi handed Megumi a bowl of rice. That's when she realized her plate was empty.
"Thank you," she murmured before serving herself.
"So!" Kaoru smiled. "How was the offi...home..." Her smiled faded and she coughed.
"Is something wrong?" Aoshi asked.
"No, no!" Kaoru denied. "How was everyone's day so far?"
"I have a test coming up," Misao said. "I hate US History, it's so boring! Why do we have to memorize years? It's not like it MEANS anything..."
Small talk continued at the table. Megumi stayed quiet as Kenshin, Kaoru, Misao, and Sanosuke talked and talked. She peeked at Aoshi from beneath her lashes to see that he had an attentive expression on his face, in spite of his lack of contribution to the conversation. Or maybe he was good at faking attentiveness.
After dinner, Megumi began to gather all the plates.
"I'll wash the dishes..."
"It's okay, you don't-"
"Kaoru, I insist."
After everyone assisted in putting the food away to play a game of gin rummy, Megumi began her task. She set one plate in the sink rack to dry, only surprised to see Aoshi Shinomori pick it up, clean towel in hand. She had set another plate aside before speaking.
"Are you still on vacation?"
"Today was my first day back."
"I'm surprised you're not in uniform."
"I got off work early." He wiped the plate dry before putting it in the cupboard.
"Oh." Megumi sighed. "It's funny seeing him again," she said quietly, turning to look at Aoshi.
He arched a brow.
"Sano and I used to date," she hastily explained.
"I know." He glanced over his shoulder to see that the others seemed absorbed in their card game, talking and laughing.
Her eyes widened. Then she laughed softly. "Well...you certainly do your homework...When did you know? Just before we went to lunch or when you first met me?"
"Before then," he answered simply.
Megumi sighed. "Figures."
"I understand he's engaged."
"I know. I'm happy for him," Megumi replied.
"Really?"
At his look, she shook her head. "First you think I'm a drug dealer...now you think I'm a homewrecker...Do you always see the worst in people?"
"It comes with being an intelligence officer."
"What? Not trusting people?"
"Trust has to be earned."
"Wrong. Trust is a gift." She had to restrain herself from putting a plate on the rack too hard. "I'm surprised Misao never picked up that quality from you."
"She's a teenager," Aoshi responded quietly. "She has yet to experience what real life is like."
"It must be pretty lonely to be you..."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You say trust has to be earned. This coming from a man who can't even stay in a relationship for too long..."
"Seems as if I'm not the only one who's done my homework..." Aoshi muttered.
Megumi turned back to her chore.
"This coming from a woman who has been with...eleven...men within the last two years since her former lover left for Virginia..." he echoed. "I can't even count the women I've been out with on one hand..."
She grit her teeth. "Because you probably bored them to death within ten seconds of meeting them..." Megumi viciously turned the water off.
He set his jaw and closed the cupboard as Megumi left the kitchen.
"I'm going out for some air," she announced, heading towards the front door.
When Aoshi emerged from the kitchen, he found four faces looking at him curiously.
"What?"
"You guys never stop, do you?" Misao complained. Then she gasped and covered her mouth once Sano glanced at her.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Aoshi headed towards the balcony.
Sanosuke glanced outside to see Aoshi looking down at the grass and winding hills that formed the center of the apartment complex. Misao had gone off to ask Megumi for some information about the hula school. After passing out the cards, he stuck a toothpick in his mouth.
"Not a friendly guy, is he?" Sano asked quietly.
Kenshin and Kaoru glanced at each other.
"You could say that..." Kaoru said.
"Hmph." Sano narrowed his eyes. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Kenshin asked.
"That look."
"What look?" Kaoru blinked.
"That 'You two know something I don't' look."
"Just that...what you said...I thought the same thing when I met Aoshi," Kaoru responded.
"Oh." Sano examined his cards before dropping one.
"Misao and Aoshi are so different," Kaoru spoke up, smiling. "It was the first thing I noticed. Misao's such a teenager, so lively...and Aoshi seems so...serious."
"At least that's the impression he gives off," Kenshin added, tossing a card down.
"Do you remember after they first moved here...Misao was having women troubles...Aoshi didn't know what to do..." Kaoru giggled behind her fan of cards.
Kenshin smiled. "And you laughed at him!"
"I couldn't help it! Misao was what...fourteen? She matured later than most girls..."
"You even described to him in detail what products to buy!"
"Then he told me to buy them and he'll pay me back because he didn't want to humiliate himself at the store...!" Kaoru dissolved into a fit of giggles. "Misao told me later that after he picked up the box from me, he just gave it to her and told her to figure out how to use them by herself."
Kenshin smiled and glanced outside. "They've been through a lot, those two..."
"Well, when I called Misao to invite her over, we talked and she said that Aoshi isn't as strict on school as he used to be. He isn't asking her every day anymore...Isn't he on vacation?" Kaoru drew a card from the pile.
"He just got back to work today..."
"What does he do?" Sano asked, examining the dropped pile of cards.
"He's an intelligence officer," Kaoru said absentmindedly.
Sano's head lifted. "What?"
"I said-"
"I heard what you said," Sano interrupted. He glanced outside again. "So he went with Megumi to the ball..."
Kenshin and Kaoru blinked.
"She...She didn't tell you..."
"She just told me she went with some intelligence officer. And when you told me she went to the ball, I figured out that it was someone you knew, so..." Sano grinned mischieviously. "This is too funny..."
"Sano..."
"I think I need some air..." Sano winked at Kaoru.
"Sano..."
"Hey, Megumi's already invited to the wedding, she's going to meet Kat and probably give her all the crap she has on me. When's the next time I'm going to be in Hawaii? I might as well be nice and warn him about her..."
"Speaking of Katherine...she called while you were out," Kenshin piped up.
"I'll call her tomorrow..."
"Sano..."
"It's midnight back home! You think she'll be happy I called?"
Once outside, he peered over the balcony railing to see that Aoshi was watching Megumi and Misao practice basic hula hand movements.
"She's got one helluva temper," Sano spoke up. "You sure you want her as your kid's doctor?"
"Misao seems to trust her medical expertise," Aoshi responded coolly.
"Well, I would, too..."
Aoshi braced his forearms on the railing, observing the dance movement below.
"She's teaching her hula kahiko," Sano said, watching.
"And the hand gestures?"
"Well...right now they don't mean anything...but with song...they could mean something. Ocean, sky..."
"I see."
He sure wasn't a talkative guy. An idea came to him. "At first, hula seems easy to understand...but the more you learn, you see the basics kinda hide what it's really like. And it gets more complicated...but you actually like it that way." Sano grinned. "Make sense?"
Aoshi studied him for a moment before turning to watch the women again. "I think so..."
"Thanks for picking me up and giving me a ride, fox-lady," Sanosuke said as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
Megumi glanced at the airport terminal before smiling at him. "It's no trouble..."
"I felt kinda rude for interrupting Kenshin and Jo-chan's anniversary..."
"It's all right." Megumi blew out a breath and smiled. "Well...Here we are..."
"Yeah..." Sanosuke turned to her and gave her his charming grin. It had accelerated her heart a long time ago. Now...camaraderie hovered between them. They were able to let go of the past and look to the future. "It was good to see you again..."
"Likewise. Don't forget to let us know how you're doing..."
"I will." Sano grabbed his bag with his right hand. Then, to her surprise, he placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a brief hug. "You take care all right? And about Shinomori..."
Megumi's eyes rounded.
"What? Jo-chan told me after you washed dishes that night...He doesn't really seem your type, fox-lady...seems a little too cold...but if anyone could make that guy melt, it'd be you." Sanosuke grinned mischieviously. "I always did and I was already hot for you..."
"Sanosuke!"
He laughed.
"You really don't want me to give Kat all the dirt I have on you..." Megumi warned.
"Yikes..."
"Besides," Megumi added. "I only went with him so my father would leave me alone. And it worked. And even if I was interested...not that I am...he really sees no good qualities in me. Who'd want to be with someone who thinks the worst about you?"
He smiled. "So what if he thinks you're all bad? Who needs a good girl, anyway?"
Megumi smacked him. "Get out of here!"
"Thanks again, fox-lady." He exited the car, laughing.
He waved before disappearing into the terminal.
A/N: Congrats Lady A on the guess! Okay, I'm pretty sure all you Sano-Meg fans have hired hitmen by now...Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed writing Sano/Meg interaction. They're a great pair, but I'm happy with the way things are now. ^_^
