Part II

     Yahiko looked from Megumi to Kenshin, still a little thrown by Sano's behavior.  He'd always teased the older boy about Megumi, and vice versa, convinced they were secretly in love but couldn't admit it yet even to themselves.  But since that damned vacation, the others had all been overly sensitive and snappish.
     He wondered what it must be like to have to be so careful around water all the time.  On the other hand, if he was not in the mood to practice, all he had to do was douse Kaoru in cold water.  Could it really be that easy?  And why had the idea never occurred to him before, in the three weeks since their return?
     "Kensan, have you seen Kaoruchan?  I think I should tell her too."
     "She's still at the other dojo.  She said she'd be home later, since she wanted to pick up some things on the way home, 'before Sanosuke got his hands on the money,' she said."  Yahiko smirked as he told Megumi, and Kenshin smiled, knowing the younger woman was right.  The doctor agreed.
     "Well, you won't hear me arguing that," she laughed as she moved closer to the washtub, kneeling so she could speak to the rurouni without Yahiko overhearing.  Fortunately, he had gone back to washing the floors.  "Kensan, I hate to admit it but I'm worried about Sanosuke.  Yahiko's right, he has been acting strangely.  I don't think he's been able to adapt to the change."
     "Megumidono, it hasn't been easy for any of us."
     "I know, Kensan, but Sano doesn't seem himself at all lately.  He doesn't even tease back anymore."
     Kenshin looked thoughtful.  "Yes, he does seem to get upset more easily lately, but I'll talk to him if it will help."  He  pushed up his sleeves and dove back into the laundry.  "I'd like to finish this before the water cools off."
     "Thank you, Kensan.  May I help at all?"
 The rurouni smiled.  "I'd appreciate it," he said as she pushed up her sleeves and knelt next to him.
     "What a cute picture!"  It was hard to tell if Kaoru was being sarcastic as she closed the gate behind her several minutes later.  "Where has the lazy bum gone off to?"
     Kenshin and Megumi looked to the porch.  Yahiko had vanished, his job unfinished, and Sano was nowhere in sight.
     "Shirking work as usual, then?  I'll fix Yahiko, that's for sure!"  Kaoru grinned and took a deep breath.  "Yahiko-CHAN!" she screamed loudly.
     "Don't call me CHAN!" echoed back  from behind the dojo just before a red faced Yahiko charged up.
     Kaoru caught hold of him by his shirt and dragged him inside the building, not noticing the bucket he'd held behind his back.
     "Kaorudono, he's got --"
     Splash.
     "...Water..."  Kenshin looked down in relief; he had not been hit, nor had Megumi.
     As Yahiko had intended, however, the raccoon that emerged from Kaoru's clothes was drenched and quite irate.
     Sano had appeared behind Yahiko and seemed to find all this funny.
     Megumi leaned forward to Yahiko and whispered something in his ear.  The boy grinned and flung the remaining contents of the bucket on the former gangster.
     The next thing that Yahiko was aware of, an angry rooster was chasing him around the dojo, followed closely by a ribbon wearing raccoon as Megumi leaned on Kenshin, laughing delightedly while the red-haired rurouni tried not to laugh too hard himself.
     "Yare, yare..."
     "As long as it isn't us," Megumi gasped out, "we should be grateful."
     "Don't give them any ideas."  Kenshin looked panicky.  That's the last thing we need to happen!"  He pulled his shirt tighter around him in a gesture he had learned rapidly over the past month since his initial transformation.
     "What are you so worried about, Kensan?  At least you stay a person.  Besides. you make a very attractive woman, you know."  She winked at him.  "Why, if I were a man when you were a woman, I'd try AAAH!!"  Whatever she'd been about to say was cut off as a disgruntled looking Kenshin wrung out linens over her head, drenched with water which was no longer warm as he resumed hanging up the laundry.
     "Yip!!!"  The fox that poked its head out off Megumi's crumpled kimono looked no less happy than its counterparts.
     Yahiko, however, had seen and nearly fell down from laughing.  He was distracted enough that Sano caught up to him.  Unfortunately for Yahiko and Sanosuke both, the younger boy hadn't stopped running and tripped over Sanoske and went flying.
     Kenshin caught him, but being caught by surprise with insufficient leverage, he tripped  backwards (predictably) into the washtub.
     Now she had a ten year old boy in her lap, and he was looking at her shirt.  Her open shirt.
     She stood up, pulling it closed and arranging her wet black hair to cover as much of her front as possible.  Stepping out of the tub, Kenshin stormed inside, not looking back at her friends.
     Yahiko sat in the tub, looking nervously at the raccoon, the fox, and the rooster who were all standing around him and glaring.
     The sound of clanking pots gave him hope. "Hey, listen.  Kenshin's boiling water.  In a few minutes you'll all be back to yourselves?"  He tried shrinking into the tub and away from the other three.  Oh, if looks could kill...  "I'm in big trouble, aren't I."  Three animals nodded in vigorous unison.  Yahiko tried for a nervous laugh as he huddled closer inside the tub.  "Sano? Megumi?  Kaoru?  You know it was only a joke, right?"
     Three angry gazes didn't waver.  Three stubborn heads remained still.
     "I'd start praying if I were you."  Kenshin said as she reappeared in the doorway.  She gathered up Megumi's Kimono and Kaoru's ghi.  "I'll take these to your room, Kaorudono, so you can change back in there."  The raccoon and the fox nodded, not taking their eyes off the cowering boy.
     Sano's gaze did stray, and he watched the former hitokiri's motions with fascination.  It was as if he could forget that was Kenshin.  She was absolutely beautiful, a body that wouldn't quit and the moves of a dancer.  Long black hair fell past her waist and he could easily gave picked her up with one arm, but the X shaped scar on her cheek spoke of a strength that penetrated through flashing violet eyes.
     As soon as she was inside, however, the chicken rejoined the fox and the raccoon in staring down the nervous boy in the washtub. 
     "Oiy, Sanosuke, you wouldn't hurt a friend, right?  Who else is there to take your side against Kaoru's cooking!?
     "But she is doing so much better, isn't she, Sanosuke?  And such a wonderful sensei too!"  Yahiko swallowed.  "She's even kinda pretty!"
     The chicken looked vaguely thoughtful, and the raccoon was almost preening, but the fox was unmollified.  She growled low in her throat, glaring at the boy, definitely displeased.  Yahiko tried sinking into the tub even further, although he was already squinched up as far as he could go.
     "Megumisan, you saved my life the day we met!  You're the best doctor in the world!  You're not supposed to hurt anyone, right?  Doctors are suppose to.. HELP!!"  He gave up and prayed for intervention.  The fox, still looking unconvinced, had begun to leap for the boy when a body interposed itself.
     "Take it easy, Megumidono," Kenshin said as she caught the fox and cradled her to her own bosom.  Suddenly, she seemed quiet and looked up at the normally red-haired rurouni with big, sad fox eyes.  "Come on, lets get you changed."  She handed one of the kettles she carried to Yahiko.  "Go take Sano to get changed and save me some of that water.  I have another pot of water inside."  She smiled at Kaoru, who seemed to be having a fit of temper.  "I'm not about to carry you both at once with the hot water, Kaorudono.  I hope you don't mind following, or I'll come right back if you prefer."  Kenshin smiled art the raccoon as the fox nestled in closer to her chest and all but stuck her tongue out at Kaoru.
     Kenshin walked inside. Kaoru didn't follow.  She set Megumi down on a towel in the middle of the floor and picked up the hot kettle.  Holding it over her head, she turned away and closed her eyes as she poured half the contents out on the vixen and then himself, trying not to think about the naked and beautiful woman on the floor behind him.
     "I must apologize, Megumidono, for dousing you before."
     "Mmm, thank you, Kensan."  He heard her rise and step up behind him.  "It's all right.  Let me give you a hug."  Her arms were around the rurouni before she could blink
     "Oroo!!!"  She wasn't dressed yet!!  This was not good, this could not be good, it was too good and Kaoru would have a fit!  Yet a part of him wondered if it meant something else because his body was a woman's, too...  This was just too confusing.
     After an eternal moment, Megumi let go, and Kenshin heard the sounds of fabric sliding on skin.      "Kensan, could you help me with --"
     "I've got to get Kaorudono!"  Kenshin gave yo trying to look calm.  He smiled as he raced out of the room and came back seconds later with a smug, yet irked looking raccoon in his arms.  He tried to put her down on the towel but she was strong for such a seemingly small animal.
     "Oro?  Kaorudono, don't you want to change back?"  The raccoon nodded.  "Then you have to let go."  The raccoon shook her head.
     "Well, I'm not changing you back with him in the room.  He didn't look at me and he certainly won't look at you."  Megumi was somehow fully dressed and as impeccably groomed as always in spite of Kenshin's panic at her request for help.
     Kenshin finally extricated himself from the raccoon's grasp and left the room in another near panic.  Megumi picked up the pot and gently poured its contents over Kaoru.  "We may not always agree, Kaoruchan, but that doesn't mean we can't treat each other well," she said as the younger woman looked at her oddly.  "I know how uncomfortable it is, you know.  Besides, I need your help."
     "My help?"  Kaoru slipped her shirt on and looked at Megumi, her confusion evident.
     "We've got to get the brat, and get him good."  Megumi got that look in her eyes, the one that screamed how sweet revenge could taste.  "We might get Sano and even Kensan in on it, but we must get revenge on Yahiko."  She looked intently at the doorway.  "Especially since this whole thing is his fault for causing all that trouble at the Springs."
     Kaoru blinked.  "He really didn't cause all that much trouble."
     "If not for him, none of us would be where we are right now.  We wouldn't have to cringe every time we saw cold water.  We could go to the beach.  We could -- well, remember when we visited Genzaisensei's sister?"  Megumi winked, pretending not to feel the flush on her own cheeks.  "Kensan did look awfully delicious wearing that look of determination, ne?"
     Kaoru looked like she was not sure if she should hurt the other woman or go along with it as she finished dressing.  Her own face reddened.  "We're getting off of the topic.  The point is revenge on Yahiko, isn't it?
     Sanosuke appeared in the doorway.  "I'm all for it.  Kenshin's making that brat hang the laundry right now but I'll bet even he would agree!"
     "Now that we're agreed, how shall we go about it?"  Megumi looked thoughtful.
     It felt a little ridiculous, the idea of four (assuming Kenshin agreed) grown up people (mostly) plotting revenge against a ten year old boy.  It wasn't an easy task either, and luck seemed far away until they were distracted by the sounds of a new voice in the yard.  All three emerged to investigate.
     "... for Fuurinkan High School.  Is that near here?"
     "I'm afraid I've never heard of it," Kenshin answered the stranger, dressed oddly in yellow and black.  "Are you sure it's in Tokyo?"
     The boy -- about Kaoru's age -- looked ready to scream.  "Yes."  He blinked.  "I think.  Are you sure this is Tokyo?"
     "Are you nuts, kid?  Kenshin don't lie, and I think he'd know where he lives."  Sano looked casual, but his friends could tell he was alert.  His eyes were narrowed and the fish bone he chewed jumped frantically.
     The boy looked back, just as ready to fight as Sano.
     "Take it easy, Sano.  He's a stranger here, and this is my dojo."  Kaoru's voice was soft but the warning is clear.
     "You know, Kaoru, he's kind of cute.  You two might look well together, hmm?"  Megumi smiled in an aside and Sano could have sworn she had fox ears, water or no.  He kept glaring.
     "Easy, easy.  There's no need to fight."  Kenshin turned to the boy at the gate.  "I'm Himura Kenshin.  This is Kaorudono's dojo."
     The named party stepped forward.  "I'm the leader of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu.  Welcome to my home."  She smiled.  "The loudmouth over there is Sagara Sanosuke, and this is Takani Megumi.  She's a doctor.  Can we help you at all?"
     The guy was staring at her.  Kaoru prayed he wasn't thinking what she thought he was thinking.
     "I'm Hibiki Ryouga.  I'm from Tokyo, but...  Can I use your phone?"
     Blank stares greeted his query.  Ryouga scratched his head.  "Ummm..  What day is it?
     "Monday."
     "Monday what?"
     "May 15, Meiji 11."
     "Mei...ji... Umm...  Wasn't that in the 1800s?"
     "It IS the 1800s, kid."  Sano looked at Ryouga just in time to watch him blink twice before he fell over in a dead faint.