Part VI -- Megumi's Fate

    Megumi awoke with a sigh.  As long as she didn't move, she knew she was fine, but memories of the previous day's disastrous training floated around her mind.  It was inevitable; she simply could not avoid getting up and starting the day.  The hardest part would be hiding her bruises from her friends.  She understood they would be concerned, but only Omasu and Kensan -- and Cho -- could know what had happened to her.  If any of the others found out, it would no doubt herald a disaster.  Especially that stubborn tori-atama...
    He was the last thing she wanted to think about now.  She looked around, saw no one looking at her since they were all still lying in bed and presumably asleep, and rose.  Nothing would have pleased her more than a long hot soak, but that was a luxury she could ill afford just then.  Even if she had the time, there was too much risk that someone would see the darkened bruises all over her arms and legs.
    Sometimes, life just wasn't fair.
    She managed to dress quickly and slipped out to help with breakfast.  She was surprised to find Aoshi already at the stove making miso soup; more often than not it was Okon or Omasu who rose early enough to start.  Then again, both those women had still been asleep when she'd arisen.  Suddenly she felt flustered.  The tall, silent man sill managed to throw her off by his very manner, though the strain had eased considerably once the mess Shishio had made was cleaned up.  He still brooded a little too much for her tastes, and the way he never spoke unless it was absolutely necessary bothered her immensely.  Granted, silence could be golden but too much of it was just plain unnerving.  Even Kenshin had mentioned to her how inhuman it was when Aoshi remained quiet and unmoving for hours at a time, while meditating.  Now, coming into the kitchen, it occurred to her that she'd never even realized he could cook.   It had just never come up.  It did make sense, though.  After all, as Oniwa Banshu no Okashira, the restaurant was also his.  He'd have to maintain it somehow.
   "Can I help with something?"  Moments had passed before she'd spoken, and he had known she was there though he hadn't turned around or acknowledged her.
    He shook his head.  "Thank you."
    "Of course," she said automatically.  She left the room, feeling somehow that something not very significant but very peculiar had just taken place.  She decided not to get preoccupied with it.
    "Oiy, Kitsune, what's for breakfast?"
    "Do you ever think of anything but your own stomach?"
    Sanosuke merely shrugged, blinking blearily and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
    "I shouldn't be surprised.  Aoshisan's making breakfast today, why don't you go bother him?" she sniped.  The last thing she wanted to do today was deal with Sanosuke.  It was bad enough that simple walking hurt so much.  She didn't need to deal with the strain the tori-atama put on her mind and emotions as well.  Especially with Cho's anticipated visit; though he hadn't said so directly, she fully expected he'd show up at the restaurant that day.  She was glad Omasu had told her to forget practice today, since between the preparations to return and the party Okina had planned, she knew she didn't have the endurance for it, emotionally if nothing else.  She'd be glad to get back to the ordinary, average emergencies at the clinic.  It was far easier to deal with someone else's broken  leg than to confront her own situation.  Especially without the added defense a hot soak could provide.
    "Aoshi cooks?"  Sano looked surprised, as though the notion of a man cooking (other than Kenshin of course) was a foreign one.
    "Just because you're completely inept at basic homemaking skills doesn't mean every other male on the planet is, Sanosuke!"
    "Oiy!  I'm not inept!  I just don't like it.  I could cook if I wanted to!"
    "Is that so?  I don't think chugging sake counts as cooking!"
    "Oiy!"
    "Maa, maa, Megumidono, Sano, what's going on out here?"  Kenshin emerged with a bewildered expression, looking more awake than his tall friend, though not by much.
    Shirojo and Yahiko trailed after him.  "Oiy, do you two have to wake up the whole neighborhood?"
    Fortunately for them all, Aoshi emerged with the soup pot and a raised eyebrow just then, defusing the situation in the most popular fashion imaginable.  Food might not answer most problems, but it could certainly help alleviate some.
    With a full stomach, even Sanosuke calmed down, though there was still more of an edge to his back-and-forth with the beautiful doctor than usual.  As the others drifted away, they were still trading dark looks and harsh words.  Megumi tossed one more flippant dig over her shoulder at him before going back inside to pack, and Sanosuke slunk sulkily toward his own possessions.
    "Daijoubu de gozaru ka, Sano?"  Kenshin eyed his friend with concern as the lean man sat dejectedly on his futon.
    "Eh," he replied noncommittally.
    "It has to do with Megumidono, doesn't it."  It was definitely not a question, though Kenshin didn't really expect an answer.
    "Why should I care about the kitsune?"  Sano snapped, glaring back at the redhead.  "She don't mean nothin' to me.  Why should I care where she disappears off to?  Comin' back hurt.  Weren't you with her or somethin'?"
    "Oro?"  Kenshin thought fast.  If he told, he'd have more than one very good friend angry with him.  He decided to tell the truth.  "Hai.  Megumidono tripped.  She's all right." Well, it was the truth, in its own way.  She had tripped during her training."
    Sano clearly didn't believe it, but didn't seem to want to argue the point.  At least, not that point.
    "And you couldn't even catch her?  You, the great Battousai of the Ishin Shishi, known for your godlike speed, couldn't keep one woman from tripping and falling.  You can't tell me you don't want her in your arms, not you, not the way she throws herself at you!"
    "Oro?"  Kenshin was truly thrown for a loop.  Did Sano think he was having some sort of tryst with Megumi?  It occurred to the rurouni that his friend was acting insanely jealous.  He couldn't lie, either.  Megumi was beautiful, and would make any man a wonderful wife.  He had on occasion entertained thoughts of involvement with her, but his relationship with Kaoru was actually somewhat stable now, and the idea just didn't sit right.     Especially with the way Sanosuke was acting.
    Then the truth dawned at last.  It wasn't Kenshin that Sanosuke was jealous of so much...
    "If you're angry about her date with Chodono, why didn't you say something to her instead of taking it out on yourself?"  The "and on us" was left unsaid.
    Sagara Sanosuke growled something unflattering under his breath, but Kenshin could not be sure what it was.  He thought it was something about hair and brains of a broom, and stealing his woman by "sweeping her off her feet."
    "Tell her how you feel, Sano.  Fighting won't help anything."
    "She hates me."  Suddenly, the tall man slumped even further down, the rage gone as fast as it had seemed to come.  Dejection showed in every line of his body.  "I don't blame her.  I'm a fool."
    "No, Sano," Kenshin smiled ruefully.  "You're human."
    "That's even worse."  Though it sounded like a joke, the former gangster wasn't smiling.
    Kenshin sighed and went on packing.
    A similar discussion was taking place in the women's area, where Megumi seemed to be almost too meticulous in her packing methods.
    "If you hate him so much, why do you let him get to you?"  Kaoru looked at the doctor in genuine bewilderment.
    "Do I have a choice?  He's always around!  And the way he's been acting lately is atrocious.  Who does he think he is?  There's no reason I can't take care of myself and I don't need him to do it!  And why should he care who I date?  After all, it isn't as though he has a claim on me!  I'm a woman, not someone's property!"
    Kaoru blinked.  Okon came in just then, having heard Megumi's comments, with a curious look at the two women.  "Is everything okay?"
   "Hai, Megumisan's just a little annoyed with Sanosuke," Kaoru smiled weakly, looking embarrassed that they'd been overheard.
    "He deserves a --"
    "Maa, Maa, Megumisan, things will be all right, I promise," Okon smiled.  "Remember, he's a man.  Men can be such fools," she said with a sigh.
    "Too true," Kaoru nodded sagely.
    Megumi shot her a LOOK.  Kaoru was with Kensan.  If there was a fool in that relationship, Megumi was certain that the rurouni wasn't it.  Then again...
    "There are fools, and there are fools, and then there's the tori-atama," she groused.
    "Just remind yourself there are other chickens on the farm, Megumisan," Okon smirked.  That earned her a glare as well, but not so harsh.
    "And brooms in the closet, I suppose," she said after a moment.  All three women laughed.
    Misao stuck her head in.  "Megumisan, there's someone here to see you," she said with a wink.
    The pale woman rose smoothly, her features composed.  Smoothing her long hair away from her face, she followed Misao out to the main room where a familiar blond figure awaited her.
    "Megumisan," he smiled, then shot Misao a look until the younger woman left.  "How are you feeling?"
    "I'm all right, Chosan.  A little sore, but nothing that a little relaxation and stretching won't help."  She smiled up at him.
    Cho saw a familiar figure in the shadows of the doorway, did not acknowledge him.  "I'm glad to hear that.  Yesterday was quite a workout, ne?"
    "Hai.  I just hope I wasn't a disappointment," she said quietly, looking a little dejected.
    The tall man smiled back, lifted her chin with one hand to gaze into her eyes.  "You did well.  I enjoyed it very much.  I'm just sorry it hurt you."
    "Really, Chosan, I'm all right.  I liked it too," she said shyly.  "I just wish I was better."
    "With practice, my dear, you will no doubt be splendid in no time."  He winked, and they laughed.  Cho watched the shadows as the figure disappeared.
    "And it isn't nice to try and make Sanosuke so jealous," she smirked.   The former Juppon Gatana face faulted, thrown completely.  He could have SWORN she had Fox ears...
    "You knew he was there?"
    "Of course I did.  Did you think waving a stick around was all Omasusan taught me?"  She smiled again, and he thought he saw a long bushy tail waving...  "Besides, living with Kensan and the others you pick up a few tricks."  She blinked and then stepped in a little closer.  There were now two figures in the doorway.
    "I don't think we should be eavesdropping on them, Sano," Kenshin said nervously in the barest whisper.
    "Watch!" the former Sekihou Tai follower hissed.
    "I really don't--oro!"  Kenshin shut up after being elbowed in the ribs,  but Megumi and Cho were getting into their act which wasn't all an act.  Even Kenshin was in for a shock...
    "Chosan, what happened yesterday was very important to me.  I wanted to thank you for it again," she said, gazing up at him with dreamy eyes (and a wink on the side away from their spectators.)  She rested her hands lightly on his hips and leaned in towards him.
    This was too good to be true, he thought as he leaned in to kiss her back.  Electricity jolted through him as their lips met.  What started out as a theatrical trick quickly turned very real, and he pulled her to him even as her own arms slid around his waist.
    Kenshin's eyes nearly popped out of his head.  He didn't think yesterday's practice deserved a thank you like that.
    But Sano didn't know they were talking about self defense.  The words and gestures the couple kissing in front of him had implied something far more intimate than an exercise, and their clinch, well, clinched it.
    Cold rage filled him, eating him from the inside out.  He saw everything through a blood red haze, his vision tunneling to focus exclusively on the scene before him.  Kenshin had no time to stop him before Sagara Sanosuke, visibly glowing with battle aura, stormed into the room with all the subtlety and pleasantry of a tornado.
    "Let.  Go.  Of.  Her."  His voice ground out between his teeth, emotion coloring his voice to the deep, gravely sound of pure hatred.
    Megumi pulled back, wincing slightly as Cho accidentally pressed a bruise on her arm.  Sano didn't miss it though the expression was fleeting, and all sorts of wrong ideas flooded his head.  His focus narrowed in on the tall blond man.
    Without taking her arms from around him, she turned to the raging man with ice in her voice.
    "Who do you think you are," she said in a dangerously low voice.  "Who do you think you are to speak to me that way."  It was clearly not a question.  Each word pierced the air like a dagger of ice, cold enough to burn.  "And what do you think you're doing spying on me?"
    "Apparently you need looking after, or else who knows what sort of trouble you'll end up in," he growled.
    "And let me guess, you're just the man for the job."  Derision colored the word "man" even more than the rest of the sentence.
    "Better me than this broom-headed fucker!"
    "What's the matter, chicken, can't grow up enough to realize she ain't your woman?"  Cho finally spoke, his tone condescending.  His eyes met Kenshin's, and though his expression did not alter, they exchanged a silent understanding.  It would take some doing, but Cho had a plan, and it involved him giving up the woman he loved...  Not that anyone else was to know about it, but Kenshin understood that too.
    Kenshin's respect for the rough man increased immensely in that moment.  For him to even consider backing off in favor of his old rival for anything, much less a woman like Megumi, was an astounding concession.  Kenshin stepped out from the shadows of the doorway, unnoticed by Megumi and Sanosuke who were glaring at one another with a nearly tangible hostility.
    The instant communication took less time than it took Sanosuke to inhale sharply.  Cho had scored a hit.  "You shit, you don't know nothin'!  Get your fuckin' paws off her!"  The fact that her arms were around Cho seemed irrelevant to the furious man.  If she had not been in the way, Sano would have used his Futae no Kiwami on Cho from the start.  The afternoon sun chose that moment to break free from a cloud and cast a ray of light on the embracing couple, as though it were blessing their union.
    That did very little to improve Sano's mood.
    "You don't own me and you never will.  Deal with that, Sanosuke, because I will never have anything to do with you!  Just leave us alone."  Megumi rested her head on the Katanagari's chest.  "You know nothing about me, and you never will."
    "I know that you're the same cheap trash whore you were when we saved your worthless --"
    "Sano."  Kenshin's voice cut through as though it were his blade.  "Enough."  Indeed, the entire population of the Aoiya had come to see what the problem was, including some of the customers.  It was still too early for the lunch rush but the restaurant was never fully empty.  Aoshi stood farthest back, silently watching them all, but both Cho and Sano could feel his eyes burning into them with disgust at their behavior, and something else...
    "This is neither the time or the place.  We're leaving tomorrow for Tokyo.  Let Megumidono and Chodono have a moment's peace together.  Suman de gozaru, Megumidono, but he should know the truth."
    "What truth?"  Sano turned to glare at Kenshin.
    "If it will shut him up, Kensan."
    "What truth!?"
    "Go on, go on, nothing to see here," Omasu started shooing the customers back to their food, and her companions back to work.  Aoshi had vanished already, but the rest of the crowd seemed less inclined to disperse.  Slowly they left, and Kenshin dragged Sanosuke indelicately out of the room.
    Megumi rested her head on Cho's chest once more.  "Chosan...  I am truly sorry."  She sighed softly.  "None of this should have happened."
    "Yes, Megumisan.  It should have.  Everything has a purpose."
    "Now you're sounding like your friend.  Anjo?"
    "Anji."  Since she mentioned it, Cho realized he did rather sound like the former priest.  "He's a wise man.  The chicken could have learned a lot more than just Futae no Kiwami from him."
    "It's a shame he didn't," she replied softly.  "Cho?"
    "Eh?"
    "Cho, I don't want to leave you yet.  I know we were kidding before, the way we made it sound, but it wasn't all in jest or for show."  She looked up at him again, her eyes full of trepidation and something else.  It would be almost too easy to fall in love with him, she thought.  He wasn't attractive by most people's standards but he stood out for his own special uniqueness, and in her eyes he was well on the way to becoming very sexy.
    She did NOT have a bad boy complex.
    She couldn't control the smile that broke out as the thought crossed her mind, and Cho smiled back.  "What is it?"
    "Just something I was thinking about."  She shook her head.
    "Tell me."
    "No."
    "Please?"
    "I'm not telling."
    "Pretty please?"  He nuzzled her face gently, teasing her with eye contact.
    "Well," she let the word trail off.
    "Come on," he said against her lips.  Smiling, she kissed him lightly, and their verbal by-play fell by the wayside.
    Kenshin's grip on Sanosuke's arm was uncomfortably tight as he led the taller man from the room.  As they walked, he said nothing to interrupt the diatribe that the younger man spat forth venomously against Cho, Megumi, Kenshin and life in general.  At last they found a quiet corner and Kenshin faced his friend without releasing his hold.
    "Enough, Sano.  I was there yesterday, and Megumidono was talking about training."
    "Training?  For what?  Her new profession as a prostitute?"  He was still furious, though he did manage to keep his voice down.  Somewhat.
    Kenshin took a deep breath.  "Self defense training.  Omasudono was teaching Megumidono at her own request how to defend herself.  She felt too dependent on us."
    "You're serious about this.  SHE'S serious about it.  What the fuck was she thinkin'?  We ain't good enough to fight for her?"
    "That's what she's upset about.  She doesn't always want someone fighting on her behalf."  This was almost easier than he expected, though not easy by far.  Kenshin sighed again.
    "And what the fuck does that jackass have to do with it then?"
    "Chodono and Megumidono had a lunch date, and he ended up helping yesterday.  Omasudono was trying to train Megumidono to fight multiple opponents.  I've been helping too.  I didn't say anything," he raised a hand to cut Sanosuke off, "because Megumidono wanted to keep her training quiet.  She didn't want something like this to happen."
    "She could have told ME."
    "Sano," Kenshin's eyes were sympathetic, "you're the last person she wanted to know about this."
    That threw the former Sekihou Tai member for a loop.  "Ano?"
    "Just like you hate to admit weakness in front of her, she hates to admit it in front of you.  Megumidono does care about you, Sano.  She just doesn't know how to deal with you sometimes.  It isn't always easy," he smiled ruefully up at his friend.
    "Oiy, Kenshin, she meant that, didn't she."
    "I'm afraid so, Sano.  She's very upset with you right now.  That doesn't mean she won't change her mind later, but you have to take a different approach.  Constantly picking fights isn't the way to win her.  She wants to be needed in spite of her medical abilities, not because of them."
    The tall ex-gangster looked at the former hitokiri as understanding dawned slowly, yet he seemed even more confused.  "So I should stop having her look at my hand?"  He'd made a habit out of using his double hit technique, the Futae no Kiwami, as often as possible in order to keep himself under the doctor's care.
    "Well, it would be nice if you'd finally just let it heal," Kenshin said drily.  "But don't just shrug it off.  There are better ways to show you care."
    "Like you're such an expert?  How long did it take you to get around to giving jouchan a sign?"
    "Not as long as it's taking you," Kenshin replied easily.
    "Itai, Kenshin, that hurt," Sano said with a reproachful look.  His friend merely smiled sweetly.  "So you're sayin' I should give her flowers or somethin'?" he asked roughly.
    Kenshin nodded.  "Flowers are usually a good idea, or if there's something she's been saying she wanted, something pretty, you might get that for her."
    Sano thought it over.  "Yeah, I guess you're right."  He sighed.  "But what about the broomhead?"
    "Well, considering we're going back home tomorrow, I don't think you really do have that much to worry about.  It probably won't last very long," he said guardedly.
    "If you say so."  Sanosuke looked down.  "Something pretty, huh?"
    The redhead nodded, relieved that the worst seemed to be over.
    "Oiy Kenshin, could I borrow some money?"
    "Orororo...."  Then again.