Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ As Time Goes By ❯ The Meiji Style Dating Game Part 2 ( Chapter 5 )

HONESTLY FOLKS, I NEVER THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO FINISH THIS DAMN CHAPTER....*SIGHS AND BANGS HEAD AGAINST WALL* This chapter would have been impossible without the following sponsors....

My husband - (Who is my inspiration when it comes to most of Sano's dialogue)

My sister - (Who is my real life Mara and one hell of an editor)

Midori, Firuze, Imbrium and all the wonderful people at live journal - (Who helped me through a serious case of writers block and gave me such super advice) THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

AS TIME GOES BY

Chapter 5 The Meiji Style Dating Game (Part Two)

"Clink." (There....that takes care of the dishes....) Kaoru thought wearily as she wiped her wet hands on a threadbare towel. A slight sigh escaped her lips...the soft exhalation wordlessly conveying what words never would. (Now I just need to put the rest of the food away, get Kenji tucked in for the night, finish my mending, write to Misao, unroll the futon....) Another sigh snuck out despite her best intentions. (....go over the ledger for the second year students, write up reminder notices for the third, darn Kenshin's tabi before his toes stick out.....) She rolled her head from side to side, trying to work out the tight knots in her neck and shoulders, grimacing slightly as the overworked muscles protested the action. She was tired....exhausted in fact....and had at least two, mabey three hours worth of chores to complete before she could even consider throwing herself on her futon and getting some well needed rest.

"Are you all right?"

She smiled at her husband's gently query and nodded, her mouth quirking up into a wry little smile. "Just out of practice. " Kaoru folded the damp dishtowel and placed it beside the stacked dishes. She looked down at the floor, inwardly groaning when she realized that it was littered with rice and who knows what else Kenji had managed to knock on it. (Great...make that four hours....) "You know how Mara is." (She has a hissy fit if she even sees me looking at a broom, let alone using one....) Normally her friend would have insisted on tackling most of the post meal work herself, grumbling about the need for Kaoru to take it easy. Tonight however, Mara was off to the Akabedo for dinner, an unwilling participant in Dr. Genzai's attempts at matchmaking. (Bless her heart....she's such a good sport to put up with the idiots he sends her way....)

"Yes, I do." Kenshin smiled tightly, unsure whether the remark was a subtle rebuke or simply the truth. (Perhaps it's a little of both....) "You're lucky to have such a wonderful friend." It was as honest an answer as he could manage without sounding peevish. (She buys most of our food, keeps this house spotless, and takes better care of you and Kenji than I ever will....) Mara had promised him that she wouldn't be a bother. What he hadn't counted on was her being indispensable. He had forgotten that their houseguest was going to be occupied for the night and had spent most of the evening talking with Sanosuke before the tall man had also disappeared, muttering some cryptic remark about...."babysitting the battle ax". (Goodness, that certainly doesn't sound pleasant....I hope he stays out of trouble....)

"So are you." Kaoru muttered under her breath, unwilling to bring up a topic that invariably ended up turning into an argument. ( I don't understand....the two of them have so much in common, they should be the best of friends....not awkward acquaintances....) From the beginning, Mara and Kenshin's relationship had been a study in extreme restraint and mutual distrust. (They remind me of two cranky tigers circling one another....) Mara was wary of Kenshin's temper and had the habit of treating her husband as though his mental state was less than stable. Kenshin was convinced that the tall woman was concealing her true identity and was two steps shy of being a potential threat to their family. (He thinks her chi is unnatural....She thinks he's a nutcase....) Kaoru snorted as she began picking up the scattered grains of rice.(And knowing my luck....they're both probably right....)

"Here....let me help." Kenshin knelt beside his wife and quietly started to sweep up the errant remains of dinner into his hand. (It's the least I can do after acting like such a twit...)

"You don't need to.." Kaoru began.

"But I want to." Kenshin finished quietly. "I want to help you...if you'd let me."

His hopeful, almost hesitant expression touched a tender spot in Kaoru's heart, the pain and uncertainly she heard in his voice nearly put her in tears. (Look at him.....even now, he's still afraid of getting too close....) Her hand fisted tightly into the fabric of her kimono. (...And I'm not helping matters any by being such a grump....)

Initially, the distance between them had been born of medical necessity. Mara had been explicit in warning her...and especially her husband... that another pregnancy so soon after her miscarriage would be nothing short of suicide, that her body (and especially her mind) were far too fragile to endure the inherent dangers that came with carrying and bearing a child. Then, whether it was due to her own hesitancy at being put in such a vulnerable position....or Kenshin's guilt at having been away when she needed him most, the utter lack of intimacy had continued, even after Mara had indicated that she was no longer in danger. (And so we've waited....and waited....and waited...) It had been nearly a year....an eternity of restraint and withdrawals that left her feeling like she was less than a wife....less than a woman. Kenshin, naturally had accepted the restrictions without a word of complaint, the rock iron strength of his mind overriding the objections of his body. He was caring and attentive, polite and reserved, did the laundry and cooked the meals.....(And acts as though the last thing he'd ever want from me is the thing I most want to give him....)

"Thank you. "Kaoru said quietly, torn between being thankful that Kenshin was helping clean up and disappointed that despite the two of them being alone for the first time in weeks, he still seemed disinterested. (Perhaps a little hint wouldn't be out of order....) "It certainly is quiet tonight." She looked over at her husband with a hopeful smile. "I can't remember the last time we had the house to ourselves."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Kenshin replied in what he hoped was a reasonably bland voice. (Please don't remind me....I'm having a hard enough time as is....) He took in a steadying lung full of air when his hand brushed up against Kaoru's kimono bound leg. (I want her so badly.....) He forced a placid expression and tried to ignore the white hot rush of desire that thrummed through his veins...the feeling twice as heady and far more dangerous than any opiate. (....I need her so badly....) It had been months since they'd laid as man and wife, a nightmarishly barren period of time that had consisted of him battling his libido, pretending that he was content with the occasional kiss and periodic snuggle, being forced to go on numerous moonlit walks and taking more cold baths than any man ever should. (I have no right to complain....) He glanced over at Kaoru's pale face and sighed, still seeing within her wan countenance the silent reminders of sickness and pain, still feeling within her, a chi that was riddled with the unhealed scars and fears that the loss of their child and his neglect had engraved on her soul. (She has suffered as a result of my selfishness....that's why I have to wait until she's ready....) Kenshin clenched his teeth and forced himself to focus on picking up grain after grain of rice. (...even if it kills me...)

(I don't understand !!!) Kaoru fought against the urge to throw herself atop her husband and smooch him until his lips fell off. (How can he be so.....) She took a quick peek at her spouse's serene smile and nearly screamed out of frustration. (CALM ?) It wasn't fair ! (First he touches my leg....then he scoots a little closer....) Her nostrils twitched as she picked up the faintest hint of laundry soap, a scent she had long associated with the man she loved. Kaoru froze as Kenshin's hand inched towards hers, her weariness replaced with fierce hope. (Oh, Please....)

(Kaoru...) She was so close that it was intoxicating, so utterly desirable....her touch leaving him in pain and shaking with barely suppressed need. (Let me do this....) He swallowed reflexively as he reached out with his free hand and gently cupped her face, giving her plenty of opportunity to pull away....praying that she wouldn't. (I need to hold you...touch you....even if it's just for a moment....) The pads of his fingertips grazed Kaoru's jawbone, then hesitantly traced the outline of her full, rose tinted mouth. Kenshin groaned softly when his wife caught the tip of one finger and nipped gently...her smoldering expression igniting fires deep in his body, the heat burning away the shackles of guilt and melting his remaining resistance like frost at the coming of the summer sun. (Perhaps she wouldn't mind....)

"Dammit Kenshin, quit thinking and start kissing !" With a barely stifled growl, Kaoru grabbed her husband by this gi and yanked him against her, roughly covering his mouth with her own in a kiss that was almost ravenous, her tongue plunging into his mouth, the action imitating the act so long forbidden. (Gods above and below, a woman can only stand so much!)

(Oh...my!) It was the only coherent thought that Kenshin could come up with as his sweet little wife straddled him, then gave him a kiss that nearly blew his toenails right off. (Oh.... YES !) She was everywhere, her hands slipping underneath his gi, her lips trailing down to his collarbone, lightly nipping at the juncture between his neck and shoulder. His handful of rice went flying as he eagerly threw his arms around her, crushing her against him. It felt so damn good....holding her like this, tasting the warm sweetness of her tongue as it moved against his, the smell of her unbound hair falling about them both in a midnight curtain.

"Kenshin, you idiot..." Kaoru moaned as he arched up against her, his fingers tightening possessively against her hips. "Why didn't you tell me you wanted this ?"

"I thought..." Kenshin's voice was rough with passion. "I thought that you didn't want me to...." He threw his head back, gasping with pleasure at his wife's unspoken response."...that you weren't ready...." Kenshin looked up at her, his breathing becoming ragged. "It appears that I was mistaken." His pleasantly shocked smile was replaced with a lascivious grin as he quickly reversed positions, pinning Kaoru beneath him.

"As was I.." She grinned up at her husband, enjoying his uncharacteristic boldness. "What ever are we going to do to make things right?"

Kenshin pretended to consider the question (for about 2.3 nanoseconds) , then bent down and began kissing his wife in a way that left no doubt as to the brilliant solution he'd come up with. Long denied desires sang out to him, reminding him sharply that despite his mistakes and guilt, despite a lifetime of doing without, he was simply a man. (A man with needs....) He paused for a moment and simply held Kaoru tightly against his chest, beyond thankful that the Gods had seen fit to grace him with such a treasure. (....A man in love....) Kenshin's heart was pounding loudly in his ears, filling his blood with the heady song of desire. The melody was ancient...a mindless duet that interwove between kisses and whispers, a primal chorus that burned into the marrow of his body and sent his soul ablaze. The world around him melted from this heat, leaving behind the mere essentials...the desire to love and be loved....to find within the woman he adored the release he so desperately needed...the pleasure he so wanted to give. He groaned when Kaoru rocked her hips up against him, her unspoken ardor making him blind to the wide eyed little read head who poked his head into the kitchen, deaf to the sound of childish feet as they tiptoed towards him.

With a triumphant shout Himura Kenji pounced on his parents, thrilled to have caught his father unaware....delighted that his mother could turn such a pretty shade of red.

"Hi Daddy! Hi Mommy!" Kenji chirped, oblivious to the mayhem that his interruption had caused. "Can I play too?"

(Just breathe....that's it.....breathe....) Kenshin held perfectly still, his eyes scrunched painfully closed. (It's not the end of the world....) He cracked one eye open and looked down at his poor blushing wife. (Look at it this way....at least we still have our clothing on....) Somehow that particular thought only made things more....uncomfortable.

"Kenji." Kaoru said sweetly between tightly clenched teeth. "Why aren't you in bed ?" She glanced up at her mate and tried too keep her composure. (Why aren't WE in bed?)

"I was." Kenji beamed. "Then I heard something go bump.....then you said a naughty

word....and knocked Daddy over and jumped on him!" He leaned over at gave his red

faced mother a pat on her head. "I didn't know you knew how to wrestle!" He was impressed. "Did Sano teach you how ?"

"No." Kaoru smiled wickedly, hoping like hell her kimono wasn't too askew. "Your father did."

(Kaoru!) Kenshin clamped his hand over his wife's mouth before she said something that completely warped their precious little angel. (Good grief ! ) "Silly Mommy!" He plastered a wide smile across his face and tried to pretend he was standing up to his waist in ice water. "She's such a tease!"

Kenji laughed merrily. "I like it when Mommy teases you." He wrapped his chubby arms around his daddy, and gave him a fierce hug. "She makes you happy."

" She's not the only one." Kenshin said tenderly as he stood up, taking the time to help Kaoru to her feet and give her a thorough kiss. (I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you....)

There were times when being a part of a family was nothing less than a miracle. (This is one of those times...) Kaoru wiped her eyes with her sleeve and watched as Kenshin reached down and picked up their son in a protective embrace, a sight that only a year before, she would have never even dreamed of seeing. (This makes all the hardship...all the pain seem worthwhile....) Her heart sang at the sight of her child so contented.....of her husband so at peace. (Please let this last....Let us have this time together...to be the type of family we should be....)

"Daddy?" Kenji whispered as he nestled against his father's chest. "Do I make you happy?"

"What do you think?" Kenshin asked carefully as he gazed down into violet eyes that mirrored his own.

"Yes?" It nearly killed him, hearing such hope in one simple word...and such uncertainty. (Even now...he still doubts his place in my heart...) Kenshin gathered his little boy into his arms a placed a tender kiss on Kenji's forehead. (...I'm so sorry, Son....I promise I'll make it up to you....) "You mean the world to me."

"Really?" Kenji smiled up at his daddy and snuggled closer. (I'm glad....)

"Really." Kenshin whispered softly, as he made his way toward his son's bedroom.

Meanwhile, Over at the Akabedo

(I solemnly swear that this is the last time I will ever do this !!!) Mara cautiously peered into the brightly lit (and recently renovated) restaurant, hoping that she could catch a glimpse of her date before going inside. (Just in case....) With the wariness that comes from unpleasant experiences, she carefully scanned the room a second time, and found to her immense relief that there was no one who matched the rather enigmatic description of Dr. Genzai's friend. (I bet he got cold feet !) The thought made her grin like a fool. After tonight, she could finally declare victory against the butt pinching, half brained, undereducated, oversexed, knock kneed excuses for single men that Dr. Genzai kept throwing in her direction, and focus on the issues that were really important in her life. Mara stopped....and pursed her lips together. (Hmm...let's see....those "issues" would be work, work, work....and....Oh, yes! More WORK...) Her triumphant spirit sputtered slightly. (How pathetic....it doesn't matter what damn century I live in.....I'm still about as exciting as a petri dish full of streptococci...) Some things, she decided would never change.

(Not bad....not bad at all.....) Sanosuke couldn't help but stare at the tall doctor as she neurotically kept peeking into the front window, her western styled dress nicely accentuating the subtle curves of her body, the rich verdant color contrasting nicely against Mara's milky white skin, making her appear more like an elegant marble statue instead of a young, nervous widow. (Goes to show what I know about women....) In all honesty, he had half expected the mal-tempered physician to show up her usual mannish attire, her curly hair braided tightly against her skull in an effort to make her appear far more intimidating that she already was. (Not that she needs to work on that aspect of her personality....that woman could give Shinomori lessons on being unapproachable...)

He could almost see Mara and Aoshi silently kneeling in some drafty old temple for weeks on end as they contemplated whatever it was that stuffy, uptight introverts thought about when they weren't being pissy. (Gods, wouldn't that be a treat...) Sano chuckled softly as he imagined Shinomori sipping his tea....at peace with the universe....oblivious to the fact that Misao was doing cartwheels in front of him in nothing more than her birthday suit. (What an idiot....he's so wrapped up in guilt that he's going to miss out on the best thing that life has to offer a person....)

Sanosuke peered through the leafy branches and sighed. (He's not the only one....) Like Shinomori, the pale woman standing below him was fighting a losing battle against a merciless adversary, an opponent that would never die, never admit defeat. He had seen this enemy at work as it reduced Kenshin to a wraithlike creature who had been content to rot away his life in the hellish back streets of Rakinumura rather than live without the woman he thought he had failed to protect. Megumi had also fallen prey to its manipulations, allowing her bright smile and tender heart to become brittle, her loving nature to wither from regret. (Like I have any room to talk....) He too, had lost far too many fights against this unseen menace, and even now...after nearly seven years still struggled to keep the bitterness at bay, to keep his half healed scars safely concealed beneath a stinking pile of selfish indifference.

(Still, it beats the hell outta getting my heart stomped on again....) He reflexively rubbed the back of his head, grimacing slightly at the painful memories. (I leaned my lesson after tangling with the Fox....Now I keep things nice and simple...)While he had no qualms whatsoever about visiting the pleasure quarter whenever the need arose, the couplings remained nothing more than a physical act to ease a physical urge, the nameless women easily forgotten in the aftermath of such emotionless encounters. (This way nobody gets hurt....) He ignored the quiet little protest in the back of his mind that whispered that since deciding to live this way, he had never felt so.....alone.

(I wonder what she'd think of such an arrangement?) Sano leaned as far forward as he dared and gazed down at the dark haired woman. (She'd probably chew me out for being an asshole.) He suspected that the stern doctor was decidedly old school when it came to such things, perfectly willing to deny herself the perks that came with a good tumble....and ready to condemn anyone who thought differently. (I'd bet good money she's not been with another man since her husband died...) The tree branch suddenly groaned from his weight, threatening to snap. (Oh...shit...) With a stifled oath, Sano threw himself back, wincing as the motion caused the oak tree to shed dozens of autumn tinted leaves down towards the earth...and on Mara's head...alerting her to the fact that something...or someone heavy was lurking right above her.

"What the hell?" Mara cocked her head to the side and listened carefully, her eyes narrowing with annoyance as the tree branch groaned a second time, prompting another bout of leaf shedding. (How utterly typical....Only I would choose to stand next to a tree that has some twisted little pervert up in it....) She glared up at the leafy canopy and wished that she had a sling shot handy. (I guess I should probably go inside before he decides to come down for a visit...) Blind dates were bad enough....tree hugging peeping toms were an entirely different matter. Mara carefully backed up away from the inhabited oak tree...and into the Akabedo, thankful for once that the place was jam packed with people.

(Whew....that was a close one !) Sano thought as he carefully climbed down from the tree that he'd been perched in, then slowly sauntered towards the entrance, determined to size up Dr. Genzai's friend, make sure that Mogensen would be all right, then get the hell out of this part of town before a SHE showed up. (Gods, wouldn't that be a damn awful ending to such a great day?) He carefully peered through the glass, watching as Mara spoke with Yahiko for a moment, her usually somber face lighting up when the younger man shook his head, prompting Sanosuke to guess that either her date hadn't shown up yet or had cancelled. His suspicions were confirmed when Yahiko escorted the woman to an empty table, then left her alone with a menu and a simmering cup of tea.

(Well that was easy!.....Looks like I'm off the hook for the rest of the evening...) With a self satisfied snort, Sano turned and started to stroll down the street, eager to find himself a nice game of dice, a couple of fools with plenty of money to loose and a warm bowl of sake.(Yup...things are definitely looking up....) He shoved his hands into his pant pockets and whistled a bright tune he'd picked up somewhere in the Appalachians. (I have a feeling that lady luck is on my side for a change....)

She wasn't.

"Yooo-Whooo!" Sano froze, his tanned face paling. "Look, Mr. Woo...it's our widdle rascal !"

There were very few things (let alone people) in the world that were capable of instilling terror into the heart of Sagara Sanosuke. Minomoto Sakura was one of them. With a painful groan, Sano covered his eyes, unwilling to look upon the heavily made up face of his greatest adversary, a bow be-dangled , broad hipped woman with big teeth and a mean streak a mile wide. (No matter how hard I try...she always ends up finding me !) In his life he had been hunted by police, gangsters, corrupt politicians, irate restaurant owners, landlords, several religious zealots who had been hellbent on showing him "the light", a handful of lawyers and a one eyed tiger with a penchant for nibbling on man flesh somewhere in the jungles of India. (At least the tiger would have shown me mercy....) Sano whimpered softly as the instrument of his destruction (and her dog) waddled happily towards him, eager on turning what had been a perfectly wonderful evening into a never ending estrogen filled nightmare. (This broad doesn't know the meaning of the word....)

With terror born speed, Sanosuke darted back towards the Akabedo entrance and looked around wildly for a garbage bin he could throw himself into, thus avoiding having to converse with Minomoto Sakura and the half-pig, half-wolverine that she daintily referred to as her dog. (The minx just doesn't know how to take a hint....most women would get the idea the moment the man starts running away like his life depended on it!) He groaned as he heard the unmistakable grunting sound that came from a certain ribbon festooned, morbidly obese brindle bulldog followed by an incredibly high pitched giggle that caused his teeth to ache, then promptly threw open the restaurant door and flung himself inside. (Gods above and below, please don't let her find me!)

"I can't believe this!" Mara shook her head in disgust and crumpled up another overpriced bid . (Do I have "Hello, I'm an idiot !" pasted across my forehead?) This was the fifth bid she had rejected this week because of the ridiculously high estimates. (I only want the roof on the clinic re-shingled....Not the whole damn building remodeled...) She muttered an explenitive and crammed the wadded up piece of paper into her pocket. (Those bastards know that I really need to get this fixed ...) A recent wind storm had wreaked havoc on the old, worn wooden shingling on the left side of the clinic, leaving several portions of the building bare to the elements. (...And don't know a thing about carpentry...) Repairing a perforated bowel was easy, figuring out the difference between a rafter and a joist was nearly impossible. Mara snorted in disgust and picked up her steaming cup of green tea, deeply inhaling the clean, refreshing scent before delicately sipping at the piping hot liquid. (I'll just have to think of something...)

"Pssst!" Mara nearly dropped her tea cup and quickly looked around, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets when she realized that the person making the noise was Sagara Sanosuke and that for some inexplicable reason, the tall man appeared to be nearly in tears and was hiding behind a large potted fern like his life depended on it. "Hey, Mogensen....would you mind doing me a little favor?"

"Would it involve pruning or some other form of gardening?" Mara smirked. "It would appear that you are tangled behind some greenery."

"Ha, ha very funny." Sano murmured quietly, his eyes never leaving the front door. "Just look out the window and tell me if you can see a lady with a dog."

"Sure, no....problem." Mara carefully craned her neck back and looked out the front window, then whistled and shook her head pityingly. "Damn....that is one ugly animal!"

"Yeah and the dog's not much to look at either." Sano muttered darkly behind the curtain of ferns.

"Now where did my handsome prince run off to?" Mara jerked her head up as the woman in question came charging through the door, bedecked in what had to be the butt ugliest, cleavage revealing, low cut, high hemmed scarlet dress that Mara had ever seen. Sitting awkwardly in her hamhock sized hands was a growling bulldog who was wearing a matching red ribbon around his fleshy neck and seemed to be suffering from a rather nasty sinus infection by the amounts of snot coming from it's pugged nose. (No wonder Sagara's hiding....Sweet Jefferson Davis, the woman could be a linebacker for the Steelers...and that dog....ugh!)

"Darling, I know you're hiding somewhere....really, your playfulness is just too cute to resist." Minomoto Sakura loudly giggled, the shrill tones accompanied by a menacing growl form her drool covered dog. "Perhaps my brave widdle emperor will have to sniff the naughty boy out...what do you think my widdle cuddly ball of love....should we see where our darling man was run off to?" A rather ferocious bark was followed by another round of giggling. "Come out, come out where ever you are!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but dogs aren't allowed inside this establishment!" Yahiko protested as the burly woman brushed past him like he weighed no more than a bucket of rice, barely avoiding a well placed nip on the arm from the incredibly gaseous beast she was holding. "I must insist that you take that....that...thing outside immediately!"

"Oh you are such a sweet boy!" Minomoto cooed as she turned around and pinched Yahiko on the cheek, oblivious to the nearly murderous rage that flickered across the young man's features. "Don't you think so Mr. Woo? Isn't this the cutest widdle waiter that you've ever seen?" She giggled as the slobbering canine planted an unbelievably sloppy lick across her mouth, causing the aforementioned waiter to make a gagging noise, then storm off before he gave in to the nearly uncontrollable impulse to smack the drool covered woman in the face with the working end of a cast iron wok. "Oh, too bad...I was hoping that the widdle angel would help me find out where our favorite chew toy is hiding."

Sanosuke groaned as the woman's shrill voice lanced through his head, her sticky sweet tone promising all sorts of untold anguish and at least several hours of mind numbing conversation about the joys of breeding and raising bugeyed, snaggle toothed canines. (This is karma coming back to bite me in the ass for all those meals I mooched off Tae....) He banged his head against the wall, then froze when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps and held his breath, praying simultaneously to several gods and six minor deities that the current bane of his existence would either be roasted alive or simply pass by his precarious hiding place. Sano screwed his eyes shut as the ferns in front softly rustled....then slowly parted (That's it....see if I ever try praying again...)

"Sagara?" Sanosuke hesitantly opened one eye, then sagged bonelessly against the wall, relieved beyond measure to see two large grey eyes framed by long, coal black lashes, a pert nose and the prettiest mouth he'd seen this side of the Pacific. (Just kidding...thanks for the help!)

"Mogensen, you don't know how happy I am to see you!"

"Thrilled to hear it." Mara snapped as she yanked the startled man out from behind the ferns and started dragging him towards the back of the restaurant, glancing over her shoulder every three seconds. "Now let's see if we can find you a place to hide before your girlfriend sucks your face off."

"Keep talking like that and I'm liable to puke all over that pretty dress of yours." Sano muttered as he stumbled along behind her, still trying to decide what was more surprising...the fact that he'd managed to give Minomoto the slip....or that Mara Mogensen was responsible for his escape.

"Listen pal, now's not the time to be threatening to blow chunks." Mara hissed as she shoved Sano behind another potted fern. "You're in enough trouble as is." She peered around the corner at Sanosuke's rouge covered pursuer and shook her head. "I don't suppose you tried telling her you weren't interested?"

"Do you actually think I enjoy being chased all over Tokyo by Attila the Hound and her four legged shit machine?" Sano shot Mara a look that spoke volumes.

"Point taken." Mara tapped her chin thoughtfully, considering several escape options and whether or not she actually had the time and was willing to entangle herself in them. (I've got to get back to work and finish those morbidity reports for the latest round of dysentery, not to mention find a way to keep the animals from messing up my medical supplies until I can get that damn roof fixed ....) That morning, she had been shocked to discover a mother racoon and her offspring nestled in the linen bandages that she'd spent a weekend sterilizing. (I've never come so close to wearing fur in my entire life...) Mara rolled her eyes, and turned towards Sagara, her gaze settling on his darkly tanned hands. (Hold the phone....) She suddenly recalled seeing those hands holding a hammer and a bag of nails after Kenji had broken the hinges on the bath house door. A brilliant idea born from extreme necessity instantly blossomed. (Hmm, let me think....Kenshin mentioned something about Sagara being pretty decent at fixing stuff up....that could prove useful...) She glanced over at the tall man (who looked like a condemned prisoner on his way to the gallows) and smiled in what only could be described as a predatory manner. (Yes, he should do just fine...It's a damn shame that I can't just ask him for help) She gnawed her bottom lip for a moment and wished that she didn't have to resort to underhanded behavior to get what she wanted. Unfortunately the man kneeling beside her wasn't the type to simply agree to performing manual labor simply for the hell of it, especially for a woman he couldn't stand. (I'm doing it for the clinic....and the well being of my patients...) Happily buoyed up with justification, Mara took a deep breath, donned her mental hip waders, and reluctantly sloshed into the moss covered lake of female flirtation. (It's fishing time...)

"Boy, I bet you've had a rough time keeping away from her."

Sano nodded sadly and fought against the urge to sniffle. "It's been just awful."

"I can imagine." Mara nodded sympathetically (That's it....cast out the line....) "You certainly don't deserve to go through this tonight."

"You're right." Sano agreed whole heartedly. " I don't." He glanced over at the slender woman and smiled, thankful that she understood what he was going through. (Perhaps she's not so bad after all....)

"Of course not !" Mara plastered on a syrupy smile. "That's why I'm going to help you get away from her." (Dangle the bait...)

"Really?" Sano wondered, his warm brown eyes becoming slightly wary. "You'd do that for me?" (Okay, what the hell is going on here ?) Something was definitely up. (For one thing...the battle ax is smiling....And for some reason...she's smiling at me...) Yes, something was definitely afoot. (Ya, know...if I wasn't so damn good looking, I'd almost think that Mogensen was trying to pull a fast one on me....) His cocky grin broadened. (Who knows?....Mabey the chick is coming to her senses....I am pretty irresistible...)

Mara fluttered her eyelashes demurely. "How could I resist helping such a nice, strong man?"

(Dammit...now I KNOW she's up to something!) Sano inwardly groaned as a particularly high pitched "Yooo-Whooo!" floated down the narrow hallway. (Gods, talk about being between a dog and hard place!) Sano looked at Mara and made his decision. (Well, whatever she has in mind, it's better than dodging the drool princess for the rest of the night...)

"Besides, I know that if I was in trouble, you'd do whatever you could to help me out." (And reel the sucker in...)

"That's true. I would." Sanosuke nodded in resignation, anticipating the sweet smell of freedom, knowing that it was likely to come at a very steep price. With a heavy sigh, he shoved his hands in his pockets and awaited his hard won liberation.

(That was way too easy.....I wonder if he knows that I'm pulling a fast one on him...)Mara glanced over at the suddenly subdued man, her doubts quickly dissolving as she took in the dull slightly glazed over expression on his face. (Good grief, what am I thinking....Sagara couldn't find his way out of a wet paper bag if his life depended on it...) She shook her head, took her newly acquired handy man by the hand and marched into the kitchen.

Back at the Dojo

"Honestly Son, it's a wonder that you can get to sleep at night." Kenshin smiled as he excavated another treasure (a half eaten apple) from his son's rumbled bed. So far, he had found two pinwheels (one broken), a well worn stuffed animal, three special rocks and an oddly shaped blue painted sword that Kenji insisted on calling a "light saber" (He's addicted to those stories that Mara tells him....) He ran his hands over the toy free futon, then turned to Kenji and ruffled the boy's hair. "Looks like I found all the surprises."

"Nope." Kenji rocked back on his heels, enjoying the game. "You missed one." He covered his mouth and tried not to laugh at his fathers surprised expression.

"Are you sure?" Kenshin carefully felt around the bedding, half praying that he wouldn't find the moldering remains of a long dead lizard hiding amongst the bed covers (Knowing Kenji....I wouldn't be a bit surprised...)

"Yup." Kenji nodded, his violet eyes becoming round with anticipation as his daddy got closer to the hiding place. "It's my favorite !" He shrieked with glee when his father pulled out the well hidden toy. "You found it!" Kenji bounded over to his daddy. "Do you know how to use one?"

"Where did you get this?" Kenshin gasped as the color bled out of his face. (I...don't...understand.....) He looked over at his son then back down to the toy lying in the palm of his hand.

"Um...I..." Kenji bit his lip nervously, aware that for some reason his father was upset. "Well...she gave it to me."

"Who gave it you?" Kenshin caught his Kenji by the arm, his voice becoming stern. "This is important Kenji!" (Gods, this can't be!) He looked back down at the faded paint and fought down the urge to vomit.

(What did I do wrong?) Kenji's lower lip trembled. (Where's Mommy?) He craned his head towards his parent's bedroom, hoping that his mother would come back out and make everything better. "The pretty lady did."

"The pretty lady?" Kenshin whispered, trying desperately to keep his composure. "Do you mean Mara?"

"No." Kenji shook his head, becoming more nervous. He tried to pull away from his father, confused as to why he was clenching the small wooden top so tightly and looked so upset. "The lady was pretty....like Mommy." A small whimper escaped. "Please don't be mad at me." Kenji blinked rapidly, fighting against the urge to cry. "You can have it if you want."

"I'm not mad at you Kenji." Kenshin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Just a little confused." He carefully pulled his son to him, whispering soft assurances...trying to calm the five year old....and himself. (There has to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this....) Kenshin looked down at the faded wooden top. It was remarkably plain and slightly singed on one side, as though it had been exposed to flame. He carefully held up the top, turning it slightly to the side...looking for...and finding the engraved kanji of his name that he himself had carved into the only toy he'd ever owned. (This cannot be....I left it in our home to burn...I left it with....her....)

"Daddy?" Kenji peered up at his father. "Are you sure you're not grumpy?"

"I'm sure." Kenshin forced a calm smile. "This is a very nice top. Would you mind telling me about the pretty lady that gave it to you?"

"Okay..." Kenji nervously picked at a loose seam on his pant leg. "She gave to me the night that Mommy was sick......"

Five Months Earlier

"Kenji! I need your help." Kenji hesitated when his father motioned that he come closer. "I need you to talk to Mommy and help keep this compress on her head." Kenji nodded and knelt down by the futon. "I need to go and get a doctor. I'm sorry that I have to leave you alone, but I need to hurry. Promise me that you won't leave your mother's side!"

"I would never leave Mommy alone!" Kenji looked over at his mother, and in spite of his brave words, started to sob. "She will be alright, won't she Daddy?" He winced as his father tousled his hair , then quickly ran out of the room, leaving him alone with his sick mother. (She's sick because you came back....) A tear escaped and ran down his cheek. (And now she's going to die....) He had overheard the hushed whispers between his father and the doctor earlier that morning and knew that something terrible called Typhoid was hurting his mommy.

"Ken...shin....." Kaoru moaned painfully, her thin, cracked hands plucking at the blood spattered blanket. "No.....don't....." Fever bright eyes looked vacantly around the room. "Don't....leave....me!" Tossing her head from side to side, she called out for her husband over and over again, oblivious to Kenji's distress.

"Momma?" He whispered as he tried to keep the cloth from falling off her head. "Please Momma, don't be sick." His voice broke. "I need you to get better." He was scared. "Please...." The room was too dark for his liking, the feeble light from a single candle creating scary shadows that haunted the corners and walls. Kenji hesitantly brushed back a damp lock of hair from his mother's face, wincing at how hot her skin was and how pale.

"It hurts...." Kaoru groaned...then suddenly started twitching strangely, opening and closing her mouth like she couldn't breathe. Kenji instinctively grabbed her soiled yukata and tried to jerk her towards him.

"Mommy!" He screamed when Kaoru began to vomit up blood tinged bile. (Oh...no!) He frantically tried to wipe the stuff away from her face, then gagged from the offensive smell and texture and had to pull away before he threw up. (I don't know what to do!) Kenji yelled loudly that he needed help, praying that his father or Yahiko would hear him. (I don't know how to help her!) Kaoru screamed again, her cries punctuated by another round of vomiting that left the right side of her bed covered in vomit and Kenji in tears. "Somebody...please help!" He covered his eyes and sobbed raggedly, unable to bear seeing his mother in such terrible pain. "Please.."

"Shhh...It's all right." Kenji yelped when a hand settled on his shoulder. "A doctor will

be here shortly." He looked up and gasped.

"Who are you?"

A slender woman smiled and knelt beside him, pausing to gently wipe away the traces of blood and tears on his face. "I'm a friend." She took off her purple shawl and dipped it in the water basin then carefully began to clean up his mother, taking no heed that the fabric was becoming impossibly stained. "I thought that you might like some company until the doctor arrives."

"Mommy's sick." Kenji sniffed miserably. "She keeps barfing and I don't like it a bit."

"Of course you don't." The pretty woman nodded and continued her ministrations. "No one likes to see someone they love in pain." Her dark eyes shimmered. "Especially when they don't deserve it." She took Kaoru's hand in her own and whispered something softly to the sick woman. Kenji gasped with delight when his mother stopped struggling and simply fell asleep, the faintest hint of a smile gracing her pale lips as she rested quietly. For several minutes neither he nor the strange woman spoke, finding an easy sort of companionship during their vigil. Occasionally he would glance up the black haired woman, trying to figure out what such a pretty lady was doing sitting beside him in the middle of the night.

"Are you and Mommy friends?" He ventured when his curiosity finally got the better of him.

"I'm sure we would be." The woman smiled warmly at him. "You mother and I never had the chance to meet each other."

"Oh." Kenji pondered the enigmatic statement for a second. "Do you know my Daddy ?"

"I do." She looked down at him with a tender expression. "He is very dear to me."

"Daddy left to go look for a doctor." Kenji mumbled quietly. "He said that I needed to stay here and take care of Mommy." He looked over at his mother and clenched his fists. (He always leaves....)

"I know." The woman whispered as she pulled back the blood stained sheets and rested her thin hand on Kaoru's lower abdomen, shaking her head sadly for some reason. After several seconds, she sighed and carefully covered the smaller woman up, her face contorting with palpable grief. "He is still looking for answers Kenji."

"Answers?" Kenji scooted closer to the pretty lady. "I don't understand."

She tenderly kissed his forehead, replacing his fear with contentment, his anger with peace. "You're father is a good man who loves you both very much." Kenji gasped as he looked into her bottomless black eyes, seeing within the darkness an image of his father kneeling in the middle of the road and weeping. "Unfortunately, he has misplaced his priorities ." She frowned slightly....then tilted her head as though she was listening to something. "Ah....it appears that she has arrived safely."

"She?" Kenji frowned. "Who's she?"

"The doctor I sent." The woman winked at Kenji. "She's a very nice lady who is going to help take care of your family for a little while." With a secretive smile, the woman pulled a wooden top out from an unseen pocket and handed it to the wide eyed boy. "Here. This belongs to your father." She stood up and carefully draped her shawl (which was now perfectly dry and free from blood stains) around her. "Why don't you keep it until he's ready to have it back."

"How will I know?" Kenji asked curiously. "Daddy and I don't ever play games with each other."

"Don't worry." Her whisper was as soft as a daydream. "You will."

Two and a Half Miles South of the Akabedo

"C'mon....." Sano said coaxingly. "Quit being so damn stubborn and tell where you learned to do that little trick." He flashed his most disarming smile at Mara, determined to weasel the information out of the reluctant woman.

"Fine." Mara rolled her eyes and let out a long suffering sigh. "My father taught me."

Sanosuke waited for a few seconds, hoping for more information...then tried again. "No kidding? What was he...some sort of burglar or something?"

"No." He caught a faint hint of a smile flit across her pale face. "He was a policeman....one of New York's finest."

"So your old man was a cop who taught you the finer points of lock picking." For some reason, the irony made sense. "And what about your mom? Was she the one who taught you to swear and play poker?"

Mara's smile faded immediately, leaving behind a slightly sad...wistful expression. "I never knew my mother. She died right after I was born."

"Oh...um, sorry about that." Sano inwardly winced. (Way to brighten up the

atmosphere...) "So...is that why your dad named you Mara?"

"Huh?"

"Your name." Sano prompted. "Doesn't Mara mean "bitter sorrow" or something?"

(Now, how in the hell does he know that?) "I guess." Mara shrugged and kicked a stray pebble. (This guy might not be as dumb as I thought....) "My parents were originally planning on calling me Augustine."

Sanosuke laughed and shook his head. "I like Mara much better."

A slight blush crept up Mara's cheeks. "So do I."

"Ya know, I met a woman named Augustine when I was stuck in Paris. She was about as attractive as the working end of an outhouse but had a voice like an angel." He smiled as a mental refrain danced through his mind. "Gods, she was amazing! One aria and she had the entire audience in tears."

"What did she sing?" Mara asked, her eyes lighting up with interest.

Sano grinned. "Which time? I saved every franc I could get my dirty hands on just to get to listen to her. Still, if you're pushing for a favorite aria, I'd have to go with L'amour est un eiseau rebelle."

"You like Bizet?" Mara clasped her hands together eagerly.

"I like Beethoven better." Sano shrugged sheepishly. "Unfortunately, the only German words I know are insults and types of beer."

"That's okay." Mara laughed. "I lived in Germany and that's enough to get you through the day." (And well into the night...)

"No kidding?" Sano quirked up an eyebrow. "You speak German?"

"Of course. Mara replied. "And I take it you speak French?".

"Oui!"

(I'll be damned....This guy is definitely not the idiot I took him for....) Mara pursed her lips together. (Wait a second.....) She glanced back over at Sanosuke, noticing for the first time that the ex-gangster seemed to be a dead ringer for Dr. Genzai's "perfect gentleman". (He fits it perfectly...except for that part about speaking English....hmm...It's time to test a theory....)

"SON OF A BITCH !" Mara shouted in English.

"Now that's a little harsh!" Sanosuke groused (also in English). "Just cause you're not too keen on French speaking Japanese men it doesn't give you the right to get all bitchy on me!" He was about to launch into a tirade on narrow minded female physicians, then suddenly reconsidered when the target of his righteous indignation spat our a remarkably profane curse and viciously kicked the metal lamp post.

"Easy there tiger !" Sano paused as the much maligned lamp recieved another kick. "Why don't you tell me what's wrong before you break your toe?"

Mara paused mid kick and pointed an accusing finger at the now seriously confused man. "IT'S YOU!"

"Me?" (Now what did I do?!?)

"YOU'RE THE ONE!"

"Huh? What one? Who me?" Sano pointed to himself. "Dammit woman, you're making no sense!"

"You're the one Genzai has been trying to set me up with!" Mara backed away from Sanosuke like he was dressed in a radioactive leisure suit. (I'm going to kill him....Oh!....That sneaky little sake drinking geriatric matchmaker has really done it this time!)

"That's impossible!" Sano protested, his face paling. (He wouldn't dare....Would he?)

"Think about it...who do you know that is tall, well traveled, single, speaks English and doesn't smell like sour tofu? (At least most of the time...)

"You might have a point there."

"The only thing that threw me off was that whole bit about you being remarkably intelligent."

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean? Sanosuke snapped.

"Never mind." Mara waved his protest aside. "Would you do me a little favor?"

"Well, technically I do owe you one for getting me away from Minomoto." Sano folded his arms and leaned against the slightly dented lamp post. "What do you have in mind?"

"Revenge." Her smile sent shivers down his spine. "Meet me at the clinic tomorrow morning."

Halfway down the Himura's Hallway

(Where in the hell is he?) Kaoru thought as she stomped down the hallway, her emotions fluctuating somewhere between arousal and anger. (Honestly, how long does it take to put a five year old to bed?) She paused at Kenji's doorway and listened carefully. (That's strange....Either they both fell asleep....) Her mouth thinned out when she realized that the front entrance to the house was slightly ajar. Kaoru carefully tiptoed to the door and peeked outside. "Kenshin?"

He was sitting on the front porch with his back to her. "Kenshin?" She repeated in a soft voice. "Are you all right?" Her heart lurched when she detected a slight trembling in her husband's shoulders. (What on earth is going on....) She sat down beside him and hesitantly placed her hand on his knee. "Darling, what's wrong?"

"I...I...don't understand." His voice was no more than a raspy whisper. "It's just not possible?"

"What isn't possible?"

"This." She looked down at a small wooden top that was lying in Kenshin's upturned palm. "This isn't possible." He looked into his wife's blue eyes, seeing that they were wide with worry. "Kaoru, I left this...I left it with her..." He choked back a sob and shook his head. "I couldn't bear to take it with me...not after what happened that day." Kenshin covered his face with his hands and groaned. "Not after what I did...." Long suppressed memories surged up within him...the scent of snow laden pine trees....a fluttering purple shawl that impeded his vision....the heartrending sounds of steel cutting into innocent flesh....his heart shattering as her lifeblood spilled out onto the soft powdery snow. (Tomoe....)

Kaoru instinctively embraced her husband. "It's all right..."

"No." Kenshin shook his head . "It's not." He looked down at the wooden toy and willed it to speak, to reveal the designs and motives behind its sudden reappearance into his life. (All I have to go on are the fanciful tales of an imaginative five year old and the half truths from a woman who has done nothing but help my family while hiding her true intentions ...) A more fanciful man would perhaps have leapt over the abyss of logic, seeing within both implausible stories a common thread and theme. "Someone is trying to send us...." He frowned and shoved the top into his pocket. ".....no....to send me a message."

Kaoru smiled softly and stood, taking her somber husband by the hand. "And what would that message be?" (And why won't you tell me what's wrong?) She led him gently away from the darkness of the night and unspoken fears that still plagued his mind, bringing him back to the light of his home and the safety of her heart. (Oh, love...even now, after all this time...after all we've been through.....) Her grip on Kenshin's hand tightened. (....you still insist on hiding your pain from me....)

"I don't know." Kenshin paused at the threshold of his home, his thin frame fragmented by the flickering warmth of candlelight and the chilly evening gloom. (But I intend to find out...) He looked over at his beautiful wife, then shifted his gaze downward till it lingered on their tightly intertwined hands. In the space of a heartbeat, his half healed grief and unspoken fears drifted away like harbor fog, leaving behind the simpler desires and wishes of his well worn heart. (Eventually.....) Without a backwards glance, Kenshin stepped forward with Kaoru by his side.

Early The Next Morning

"And a lovey good morning to you!" Dr. Genzai tipped his cap and smiled as a young mother and her child passed him on their way to the market. It was a beautiful Autumn day...the brightly colored leaves were at their best, there was a slight tang of coolness in the air, and he could detect the whispered scent of wood smoke threading it's way down the crowded streets of downtown Tokyo. (A lovely morning to you all...)

Things were going well for him. His heart felt wonderful (for a blessed change) Ayame and Suzume were the pictures of grace and refinement (except when they weren't), and he had even found a brilliant new hiding place to stash his sake in (in a box underneath the bedpans). Yes, things were going very well....very well indeed.

(I wonder how things went last night....) He smiled serenely as he imagined Sano and Mara sitting side by side at the Akabedo as they shamelessly flirted with one and other. He could almost see the tender look in Mara's eyes as Sanosuke poured her some tea, her normally pale face aglow. (I'm sure they both had a delightful time...) Dr. Genzai sighed wistfully as he searched for his keys, his creative little mind coming up with one sugar coated scenario after another. (How could they not....)Most people considered Sagara Sanosuke nothing more than an unemployed ex gangster with a impulse control problem. Mara's track record when it came to dealing with men had up to this point been nothing less than a complete and utter disaster. He wiped a sentimental tear from his eye. (...they're perfect for each other...)

"Ah...here we are." Smiling brightly and still daydreaming, he fished out his keys from his satchel and began to unlock the clinic door...only to find that it was already open. (How delightful....Mara must already be here....) Dr. Genzai rubbed his hands together with gossipy anticipation. (I can't wait to hear the details...) His black eyes sparkled wickedly. (...and then share them with everyone else...) This was the thing that matchmakers longed for...the dirt of dating...the nitty gritty angst ridden secrets that everybody wanted to know about and nobody wanted to confess. (These are the things that make an old man's life worth living...) There was a triumphant lilt to his step as he pushed open the clinic door...took three steps....and promptly tripped over Mara's unlaced boots.

(What in the name of the Gods is going on ?) He gingerly picked up the leather soled foot ware with the tips of his fingers, then gasped when his eyes fixed on another pair of shoes that were lying haphazardly near a large potted geranium. They were decidedly male and disconcertingly familiar. (And why are Sanosuke's shoes in my clinic ?) A panicky prickle of concern flitted though his old bones, alerting him to the fact that by the looks of things, Sagara's worn shoes were the least of his concern...(Oh my hell...)

With a groan, Dr. Genzai tottered over to what appeared to be a pair of women's stockings that were draped over a chair. (There has to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this....this...occurrence.....) His heart plunged down into his knees when he followed the discarded clothing trail towards Mara's office. (Sure there is.....) Things quickly went from bad to worse for the now nearly hysterical matchmaker when he passed a pile of petticoats and a faded white jacket that boldly proclaimed the owner's wickedness. (....I just don't want to think about it....) Black eyes narrowed angrily at the thought of his innocent partner succumbing to the worldly charms of a certain ex-fighter for hire. (How dare he take advantage of such a delicate, fragile woman ?) He gasped and picked up what looked like one of those "brassieres" that western women insisted on wearing. (And how dare she let him do it so easily?)

(What am I going to do?) Dr. Genzai covered his mouth as he stared down at Mara's lace fringed pantaloons that were wantonly lying on top of a pair of Sano's trousers. (What am I going to tell the others?) He pressed his ear to the closed door and listened carefully for any sounds within. (I can't tell them...if word of this indiscretion gets out, my impeccable record will be forever tarnished...) His mouth went dry. (I'll be ruined...the laughingstock of the Tokyo matchmaking community....) This wouldn't do. (As Mara's duly self appointed husband finder, it is my duty to confront her seducer....force Sagara to marry her and hope to high heaven that there won't be any "additions" as a result of this catastrophe!)

With a heavy heart and a guilt stricken countenance, Dr. Genzai slid open the door and peered inside, hoping that perhaps he would find Sano and Mara chastely looking over his second rate collection of haiku, dreading that he'd find them making poetry rather than reading it. (It's just not fair!) He blinked stupidly as he took in the unrolled futon behind his partner's desk....(All I was trying to do was find her a husband! )....then nearly had an aneurysm when he realized that there were two blanket covered bodies that were still lying on it. (Gods and demons! He didn't even have the decency to take her to a hotel!) Dr. Genzai gripped his cane and tiptoed closer, determined to clobber the young (and cheap) womanizer over the head. (That scoundrel's gone too far this time!) White bushy eyebrows quivered with fatherly rage, horrified that he had been so incorrect in his appraisal of Sanosuke's character. (And to think I was going to give him permission to hold her hand!) Taking another deep breath, Dr. Genzai mastered his righteous anger, closed his eyes just in case there were any uncovered unmentionable female parts. (By damn , there had better not be any!) and lifted up the blanket.....

"I love the sounds of screaming in the morning..." Mara leaned contentedly against the roof, savoring the apoplectic cries that were drifting up from the clinic. "It sounds like victory."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Sano blanched as another round of swearing erupted from below. "I mean, the man does have a heart condition...."

"Oh, he'll be fine." Mara said reassuringly as a torrent of profanity laden curses gently drifted through the breeze. "If that man can down two bottles of sake a week without keeling over, he can handle one little practical joke."

"You call this little?" Sano raised his eyebrows questioningly. So far, Mara's "little" lesson in dating empathy had resulted in the two of them making provocative clothing paths through the clinic, plumping pillows and blankets to resemble two sleeping bodies (the heads of which he had helpfully painted to resemble himself and his co-conspirator), covering their feather filled counterparts with a blanket, then climbing on top of the clinic roof and awaiting the arrival of their mutual matchmaking adversary. "Remind me to never piss you off."

"Only if you promise to stay away from the calligraphy brushes." Mara laughed and smoothed out the wrinkles on her ink stained skirt.

"Now don't give me that." Sano protested, pretending to be hurt. "You got a real kick outta the artwork I did."

"The obscene gesture you painted was a nice touch."

"What can I say?" He winked. "I'm a talented man."

"And a humble one as well."

"Cut me some slack Mogensen." Sano laughed and leaned back on his elbows. "Everybody has to have at least one major character flaw."

"Oh really?" Mara grinned. "And what, pray tell is mine?"

"Now that's a tough one. " Sano's gaze swept quickly over at the sculpted landscape of Mara's face, noticing how the sharp planes and angles of her jaw and cheekbones contrasted sharply against the lushness of her mouth and the attractive, foreign shape of her wide set eyes. He'd never seen the reserved physician like this, relaxed and almost carefree...her normally pale features aglow with laughter, her dark eyes sparkling. (Gods, she really is an attractive woman...) Sano's gaze fell to her rosy upturned mouth. (Especially when she smiles....) "Until last night, I would have said that it was your pissy attitude."

"And now?" Mara asked quietly, her calm voice belying the rapid pace of her heart.

Sanosuke regarded her for a long moment, then turned away and fixed his focus on some loose shingles that had fallen to the ground below. "As long as you keep smiling like that, I'd say you're pretty damn close to perfect."

"Quit teasing me." Mara's face erupted with rosy color.

"Who said I was teasing?" Sano looked over at her, his expression becoming unusually serious. "Honestly Mogensen, you've got everything going for ya....you're smart, a terrific doctor, and when you let your guard down and let yourself be happy, you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever met."

"Please...don't say that." Mara brought her knees up to her chest, struggling to keep her tattered emotions from completely unraveling. (I can't deal with this....not now....not ever again...)

"Why not?" Sano leaned closer. "It's the truth." His eyes widened when the disciplined woman turned three shades of scarlet, sputtered something unintelligible and turned away. (I don't believe it.....she's shy!) For some reason he found the discovery to be an endearing one. (Gods, how long has it been since I was around a modest woman...) "C'mon babe, surely I'm not the first man to say something like that to you."

"No. You're the second." Mara risked a glance over at her companion and tried keep her composure. "My husband was the only other person who's ever told me I was pretty." She inwardly cursed when she felt another round of blushing commence, and wondered whether jumping down from the roof and running for dear life was an option.

"You still miss him, don't you." Sano's voice was surprisingly tender.

Mara nodded and tried to keep the threatening tears at bay. "Everybody keeps telling me that I need to get over it....that I need to move on...." She tilted her head up and stared straight into the sun. "But I don't know how."

"There are some people you just don't get over." Sanosuke smiled sadly when the woman nodded, seeing within her heartbroken countenance a sharp reminder of the pain he felt when he'd lost Megumi. "Believe me, I know."

He scratched the back of his head then winked at Mara, determined to brighten the somber mood. "Tell ya what, the next person that tries to give you that load of crap....you just send them to me....." Her eyes widened as he cracked his knuckles menacingly. "I'll make damn sure they have a proper attitude adjustment."

"You'd do that for me?" Mara whispered, unaware that she was echoing Sano's comment from the night before.

"Yeah." Sano grinned roguishly. "On two conditions."

Mara quirked up a thin eyebrow. "Name them." (Dammit, I knew there was a catch....Oh, well...I deserve it after the way I tried to manipulate him....)

"First of all, I want you to knock off the honorifics and shit." Sano rolled his eyes. "I'm no gentleman and never will be."

(You're more of a gentleman than you'll ever know...) Mara nodded. "And the second?" "You have to take me out to dinner after I fix this damn roof." He pointed to a couple of sections that were shingle free. "I don't think that your patients would like getting rained on." Sano held out his hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

Mara hesitated for a second. "Only if you let me pay you for the work...." She looked away for a second, then took a deep breath. "...and you quit calling me Mogensen."

Sano laughed and grabbed the woman's smaller hand in his own, sealing the deal.

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Coming up in the next chapter......

Kenshin blinked and looked down at Kaoru. (That scream didn't come from my wife.....) He shook his head, trying to clear the passion induced haze that was permeating his mind, making normally sharp senses dull with pleasure. The sound of a woman screaming filtered through the bedroom again, the tone desperate. Kaoru sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest. (Oh no!......What have I done?) The angry, masculine rumble that followed only confirmed her fear. (Mara!) She looked up at her husband with a horrified expression. (He's snapped!)

Kenshin stood up and threw his yukata on, hoping that he had enough time to try and save his wife's friend before she met...well, whatever fate the ex-gangster had in store for her (I can't believe that he would harm her!) His eyes narrowed as the screaming began again, this time there was a frantic, hysterical edge to it.

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I don't own Kenshin. (But there are times that I wish I did.....*drools*) Please don't sue!

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THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED....PLEASE KEEP IT UP.....

Benjamindover - Your review was one of the nicest that I have ever recieved. Thank you!

Me - I'm glad that you liked the characterization.

Kenshin_Chibi - I'm glad that your sister and you are enjoying this story. I hope that you enjoyed the Tomoe section in this chapter.

Madoushi-Clef - What did you think of Minomoto Sakura?

Midori - *hugs* Thank you for all the reviews. You are an inspiration!

Ice Angel - *high fives* Thanks for the wonderful reviews. You are a super writer and a wonderful person.

Stoneiris - What can I say to my real life Mara? You are and will always be my best friend. I love you!

Le-Chan - Do Sano and Mara get together? Will Kenshin ever get himself right with his family? *winks* Keep on reading .....

Camila -Thanks for the review (I put in some extra K and K just for you!)

Shadowfox - Both Kenshin and Kaoru would be upset if they found out that Dr. Genzai was trying to get Sano and Mara together. (But for entirely different reasons....)As for whether or not Sano learned to improve his defenses... the answer is yes. (In some of the upcoming chapters there will be some serious fight scenes where he'll get to show off a bit....Hang on....)

MadMelma - She does and will. *laughs wickedly*

Imbrium - I know...Kenshin and Mara should bond....but they won't for a long time. Both of them are naturally cautious and their first encounter was ....slightly less than stellar. Thanks for the super review and the wonderful stories that you write.

Hana Himura - I'm so glad you liked the story.

Marstanuki - Yes, Megumi and Mara will eventually meet each other (THEY WILL NOT GET ALONG....)

PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE, WHAT I CAN IMPROVE ON AND WHAT YOU THINK.....

IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME....

LOVE AND THANKS...MightyMightyMunson