Sanosuke stared up the full moon shining bright above. ‘Still got a long way to go...”
All of sudden, hands lifted and grabbed onto his face. “JOU – CHAAAAN!!? YA ME RO~!!” he cried, unable to see and tripping.
He landed on his stomach, his face in the ground. ‘Teme Kenshin!’ he growled to himself, ‘You should be doing this shit! Not me! I’d rather fight those bastards!!’
“IT HURTS!!!” Kaoru screamed in his ear, “KENSHIN!! I NEED YOU!!!!”
Kenji knelt by the fallen fighter, sobbing, “Daddy’s all by himself… we gotta go back!!” he cried, pulling at Sanosuke’s sleeve, “We can’t leave him there! Please!!”
Sanosuke lifted his soiled face and sighed. He was surrounded by pain and tears, but he couldn’t seem to get up. If he were able to, he would just start running and not turn back. ‘Run away… that’s what I’d do if it were something like this. If it were a battle or a rumble, no way I’d quit… why then is this any different?’ He eased himself up slowly, still under Kaoru’s wailing form, staring towards the crying boy. ‘What am I afraid of?’
“Daddy…” Kenji cried into his hands, “Please don’t die! Please!!!”
“Your dad ain’t gonna die.” Sanosuke uttered, putting his arm around his shoulders, “Kenshin’s the best swordsman. He won’t be defeated easily. Besides, why would he want to die when he’s got such a great son like you?”
“Honto?”
“Aa. So don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” He then got up, dusting himself off, “Well, then, we better get going. It looks like your mom is going to explode any moment. …Hm?” He lifted his head to see a light coming towards them. A carriage came and stopped next to them.
The door opened. “Need a lift?” Sayo asked, coming out, Megumi close behind, “Oh! Kaoru-san! What happened?!”
“Kaoru-chan’s in labor.” Megumi uttered, looking her over, “Get her inside now. We better bring her to the house right away. I have everything we’ll need set up. And Sanosuke…”
“I’m going to Kenshin.” he replied, crossing his arms, “Like hell I’m going to just let him do this on his own!”
Sayo stepped forward, “Is Shouzo there? Where Kenshin-san is?” Sanosuke just stared at her concerned face. “Please tell me. Is he in danger?”
“Let’s just say when the night is through, he’ll most likely be killed or behind bars.” he mumbled, cracking his knuckles, “But he’ll just be mangled when I’m done with him.”
Megumi moved between the two, breaking the icy tension, “Enough chatter! Kaoru-chan’s going to have this baby soon and I’m going to need all the help I can get! The both of you are going with me to the house to deliver this baby!”
Sayo’s face drained of color. “D-deliver a baby?! Demo… I… I don’t know anything about…!”
“You got to learn somewhere!”
“Oi! What about Kenshin!?” Sanosuke exclaimed, “Don’t you give a damn about what happens to him!?”
Megumi’s eyes glinted in the moonlight. “Ken-san specifically told us to take care of his family and that’s what I’m going to do. So are you going to help me or what?”
* * *
The carriage flew like the wind and arrived at the dojo in no time. Sanosuke and Megumi carried Kaoru towards the house, while Sayo straggled behind with Kenji. “Where do I put her?” Sanosuke asked, stilling holding onto the panting pregnant girl as Megumi scrambled to the cover the futon with sheets. “Ready yet?”
“Will you hold on?!” she snapped, “The baby is coming, but it isn’t coming this very second! We still got time to do this right!”
‘Do this right?’ he thought, watching her prepare the bedding, ‘From the beginning nothing was right. She was the Opium lady who poisoned my friend and the scheming fox flirting with Kenshin. Still I… I couldn’t help…”
“Sanosuke?” Megumi had gotten up and taken hold of the other side of the patient, “Let’s put her down now. Slowly, okay?” As soon as Kaoru was resting on her back, she closed her eyes and started whimpering for her husband, “She really needs her Ken-san, ne?”
He nodded, the two of them kneeling down to her, “Aa, Their love is that strong.”
“I wonder… if someday someone will love me that strongly.” Megumi almost whispered.
Sanosuke lifted his eyes to her thoughtful face, then down to Kaoru. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to go call the others for more help, so don’t have the baby yet.” She simply responded with a cry of pain and claws on his arm. “YOW! YAMERO!!!”
* * *
Kenshin was running, holding a wounded man by the arm, “It’s okay, Shouzo-dono, I’ll get you out of here… eto…” He paused to see that more yakuza had arrived, “But for now, please stay here de gozaru.” he noted, placing the struggling man against a tree, then lifting up his shinai, “Come.”
“What is this?!” one fighter laughed as they rushed him. In one circular movement, they all went flying in separate directions. “Waaaai!”
Kenshin wiped the sweat off his brow and looked around at the fallen fighters. He then smiled towards Shouzo, “To protect my family, I’m willing to push myself, demo I can’t protect them if I lose myself. Even if they’re safe, if I give up who I am, it wouldn’t be fair to them.”
“Himura-san…” Shouzo uttered, “I’ve done terrible things.”
“To admit them is the hardest thing. If you succeed in that, surely someone will forgive you. What’s more is that you forgive yourself. Now let’s…” They stopped to look ahead. On top of the bank were rows of men with swords. Kenshin felt a lump in his throat, ‘Kenji… Kaoru… I…’
* * *
“PUSH!!” Megumi yelled, “Come on! You can do it!!” Kaoru’s face strained, her eyes closing tight as she gave it her best. Sayo and Sanosuke were at her sides, holding her down and giving her support while Megumi monitored the *erhem* progress. “PUSH!! We’re getting there!!”
Sayo sighed, “With all this pushing, I’m getting a headache. And it looks like it really hurts for Kaoru-san. Isn’t there another way to get the baby out?”
Megumi held up a scalpel. “There’s this way, but it’ll be way too messy and I don’t think you can stomach it.” Everyone shook their heads. “Kaoru-chan’s doing fine. It might take a couple hours at the least.”
“A couple hours of this?!” Sanosuke cried, staring down at Kaoru, “Usou! How in the hell can women do this?!” Suddenly, she grabbed hold of his hand, crushing every little bone in it, “Aaaaaa!!!!!”
“KENSHIIIIN!!!!” Kaoru screamed, the pain unbearable.
Sayo gasped, and backed away for the door, “Sou na… there’s no way I can do something like this! That’s it, I better become a nun!”
Megumi shook her head, still waving the scalpel, “That’s not a good excuse! Motherhood is said to be one of the best things in the world, that and the annual buffet at the Asakusa dessert shop.” A meaningful pause. “My point is you just can’t give up without trying.”
Sanosuke nodded and smiled towards them, “Aa, you can’t get the fear get to ya! You must face it with all the courage you got, otherwise… you’ll be running for the rest of your life.”
Megumi walloped him on the head. “Stop taking the words right out of my mouth! I’m the one who’s explaining to her! Sayo-san, like I was saying – you can’t run away from problems. You have to face them otherwise you wouldn’t be able to face yourself.”
“I understand.” Sayo uttered, “Arigatou.”
The moment was shattered by more screaming. Kaoru had snagged Sanosuke by the collar and was shaking him. “W-why is she messing with me?!” he wailed along with her.
Megumi crossed her arms, “Because you’re the only male in the room. Surely, your whole gender has to pay for what you’ve done!”
“DEMO! Kenshin’s the one who…!!” He was cut off as his face went slamming into the floor. His eyes swirls, he could only mutter, “Oro…”
“Sanosuke!” Sayo cried, rushing to him. She then looked over to Megumi. “Surely, Kenshin-san is on his way? I mean, he and Shouzo should have gotten away by now, right??”
Megumi bit her lip. “How should I know?”
“But Kaoru-san nor Sanosuke can go on like this… someone might get hurt!” She paused. “But at least we have a doctor around…”
“Well, actually…” the fox chuckled, “I’ve been waiting a while to see the tanuki kick the tori atama around…”
“MEGUMI-SAN!”
Just then, the door flew open. Kenshin, blood dripping down his arm stumbled into the room. “K-Kaoru!” he gasped, falling to his knees beside her. She let Sanosuke go and was quiet as he took her hand, “I’m here with you. Everything will be okay.”
“Kenshin… you’re injured!”
“Daijoubu. It didn’t hit any vital parts. I’ll live. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” he coaxed her, stroking back her hair. It was almost as if she had forgotten that she was going to have a baby. Kenshin’s presence had calmed her and given her strength. “We can do this… I know it!”
“Kenshin…” she uttered, filled with new determination, “All right. I’ll do my best.”
Megumi crossed her arms. “Finally! Some cooperation! Still, take care of that wound also, Ken-san…” He nodded, going to get bandages, but making sure he wasn’t far from his wife. “Yosshi! Shall we finish this?”
* * *
And so the delivering took place. With everyone’s encouragement and efforts… a baby girl was born. Kenshin held the girl in his arms, smiling tiredly, “Beautiful… just like her mother.”
“Are you sure?” Kaoru sighed, resting her head back. He nodded and pressed a kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes, resting for the moment.
Just then Kenji walked into the room. He stared directly at Kenshin. “Daddy!! You’re alive!!” he cried, running to him, and clinging to his arm. “I was so worried!”
“Suman.” Kenshin uttered, “I’m okay. I didn’t mean to scare you…” He then patted him on the head, “Kenji, meet your little sister…”
Kenji frowned a little, “But I was hoping for a little brother. I know, ‘next time’ right?” Everyone in the room face-faulted, “Oro??”
Sanosuke slapped Kenshin on the back. “You heard the kid! Better get to work!”
Megumi smacked them both. “BAKA!” sheyelled, “Let the girl recover first!!”
Kaoru’s eyes were widened. “K-Kenshin, perhaps we should listen to Megumi-san. I mean this ‘family planning’ stuff isn’t such a bad idea…”
He rubbed his head nervously, “But Kaoru… I can’t help it… I mean… don’t you want any more children?”
“Of course I do! Demo Kenshin, it hurts like hell!” she stammered, “Perhaps we should, you know, take it easy for a while… like Megumi-san said, ‘let me recover first’.”
He smiled and took her her hand, nodding. Sanosuke then popped up. “All ya gotta do is make Kenshin sleep in the woodshed every so often. That way he can’t…”
Megumi smacked him again, while Sayo went to cover Kenji’s ears, “Oro, what is everyone talking about?”
Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged looks. “Do you think it’s time?” Kaoru uttered.
“Aa. I think so.” Kenshin replied, turning to his son, “Kenji, it’s time for you to learn about… eto… the birds and the bees… de gozaru yo.”
Sayo got up and signaled the other two to follow her. They went towards the door, listening to her hushed instructions. “Better to leave them alone to… uh, discuss this…” She turned to Megumi, “You look tired, Megumi-san. Why don’t you take a bath?”
“That’s a good idea. I think I will.” she replied, strolling over to the closet to get some towels.
Sayo looked after her. “She’s amazing… the way she handled the situation. Don’t you think so, Sanosuke?” He didn’t reply, staring at the floor. “Well, I’ll go make some tea for everyone. It’s late…”
He simply nodded, turning towards the room, watching the family for a little bit. He didn’t know why, but a strange feeling was burning inside, a feeling of envy and joy. ‘This feeling again… is it because this is something I don’t have? But why can’t someone like me have this?’ He crossed his arms and frowned. ‘But why can’t someone like me have this?’
At that moment, Kenshin lifted his head and smiled at him, then got up with Kenji. “Sano,” he said, walking towards him, “Kaoru wants to talk to you. Go on ahead. We’ll be right out here.”
“Eh?” Sanosuke mumbled, walking inside and closing the door behind him, “Jou-chan, what is it?”
“I… uh, wanted to apologize.” she stammered, the baby in her arms, “You were there helping me and I treated you badly…”
“Oh, don’t mention it.” he replied sitting at her side, “Kenshin asked me to fill in for him, and that’s what I did. And my hand ain’t broken and the bruises will go away. What matters is that you and the baby are okay.”
“Would you like to hold her?” Kaoru asked suddenly.
“EH?! ME?!” he cried. She nodded, handling him the fragile form. He cradled it close to his chest, completely swept away. “Yakuso! This is amazing! She’s so little!!”
She smiled, “You know, I’m glad everyone was here to cheer me on.”
“Now, Megumi was the one who did all the work. If it wasn't for her, we'd all be lost...”
“Sanosuke,” Kaoru tapped him on the shoulder, “You still feel the same way about Megumi-san, don’t you?” He held his breath, trying to concentrate on the baby’s face. “I know you do… and I know Megumi-san still feels the same way about you. She’s been waiting for you to come back all these years.”
“Honto?”
Kaoru nodded. “Uhn. When she heard you left, she was devastated. She wrote me letters, asking if I heard anything about you. Then the letters stopped. At first I thought she had given up, but then, when I saw her face when she saw you…”
Sanosuke handed the baby back to her. “I think I get your point, Jou-chan. I know what I gotta do.”
“Baka, then why are you just sitting there? Go to her now!” she told him. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he pulled himself up and ran out of the room.
* * *
Sanosuke couldn’t remember much after all the screaming and the hitting that followed when he entered the bathhouse. “YOU MORON!!” Megumi yelled, grabbing towels, one to cover herself and the other to strangle him with.
“URG!!! ME GU MIIIII!!!” he cried, passing out. When he woke, he was in a room, lying on a futon. “Eh? Megumi?!” Kenji was sitting at his side, putting bandages all over his head. He sat up and broke away from the child, going outside. “Where’s Megumi?!”
Sayo and Kenshin stopped drinking tea and looked over at him. “Eh?”
“Oh, nevermind! I think I screwed up again!” he sighed, covering his eyes, “Yakuso! I don’t think she’ll talk to me ever now!! Dammit!!”
But then Megumi came out of a room in a yukata, her hair still slightly wet, “Hmp! Tori Atama, I don’t know what you were thinking, but you owe me an explanation!”
“I know, gomendesai!” he uttered, bowing his head, “I just wanted to talk to you! I finally had the courage... so I couldn’t wait!”
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
Sayo and Kenshin exchanged glances. “Ano…I think I hear Kaoru-san calling. Let’s go, ne, Kenshin-san.” Sayo said as Kenshin dragged along a confused Kenji. They disappeared into around the corner, leaving the two alone.
Megumi crossed her arms, aware of something fishy going on. “All right, spit it out, Sanosuke!”
His face turned red. “Well… you see… I usually do things without thinking right?” She nodded. “Like that time when the cops were after me, the only option I saw was to run away. I didn’t think about the people I was leaving behind… not until they were gone from me. I wanted to see you all so badly!”
“We wanted to see you too, Sanosuke.” she replied, “I thought for sure you’d never return.”
“But I did… and I had to.” He lifted his hand to her face, “To see you again.”
“Sanosuke…?” She paused, and then socked him in the stomach. “Why didn’t you say this before?!” she cried, tears running down her cheeks, as she covered her face into his chest, “Sanosuke, your words make me so happy!”
He buried his face into her hair, the pain from the punch non-existent. “I’m so glad.” he uttered, pulling her to him, closing his eyes. ‘Megumi, arigatou… because I’ve never been this happy as I am right now. As long as you’re with me, this feeling will stay. Please stay, stay forever…’
FIN