Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Birth of the Wolf ❯ Chapter 5

Part 5

(About one year later. saitos about 23)

The blood was staining his hands, his arms. His gi was soaked with the red liquid. But it wasn't his blood. It was the blood of...a woman. He looked down and saw her thick raven hair in a pool at his feet. The horrible blood that stained him came from the fount at the base of her severed head. A slow numbness spread over him.

Then he saw the woman's face.

And screamed.

Saito sat bolt upright, awakened by his own scream. He quickly looked to his left and breathed a huge sigh of relief as he saw Tokio, head intact. She was looking at him strangely.

"Hajime? Another nightmare? You've been having them a lot lately," she said concernedly.

"I know. This one was...worse than all the others," Saito said, and shivered. He pulled Tokio close.

"Feeling a little frisky are we?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. Saito grinned and ducked under the covers, pulling her down with him. She let out a startled "eep!"

(A month later)

Saito leaned down and gave Tokio a kiss on the cheek. "I have some business to take care of, little bird. I'll be back by sundown."

"Do you want me to save dinner for you?"

"Hmmm...what are you making?"

"Kake soba. It's easy to keep warm."

Saito's eyes perked up. "Yes, please save some. Actually, I might even be back for dinner...Anyways, see you later!"

Tokio waved goodbye to her husband and set about doing chores.

The sun was going down, but Saito still wasn't home yet. Tokio kept a pan of soba on the fire and waited patiently. Just then, she heard the door open and close.

"Hajime, I'm back here! Your soba's getting cold!" she shouted.

Suddenly, a giant man appeared in front of her. He was not Saito. She screeched in surprise, but then reacted quickly by trying to run into the house. However, the man caught her trailing ponytail and pulled. Tokio struggled for a moment before realizing that the man was not going to let go anytime soon. She reached into her kimono and pulled out the dagger that was always hidden in its folds. She cut off the tail. Tokio ran into the house, looking for any weapon better than the dagger. She ran into the kitcher, where there were numerous knives and other sharp objects, but nothing of real use. Tokio heard the man coming up behind her and ran further into the room. The man pulled a sword and advanced on the trapped woman.

Saito's carriage pulled up to the house. Surprised that Tokio wasn't outside waiting for him, he went to the still smoking cooking fire. He was even more surprised (and a little angry) to see that his soba was burned beyond edibility.

Then he noticed that the front door to the house was open and started to get worried.

As Saito walked carefully up to the house, he put his foot on something that didn't crunch like dirt. He looked down and saw that he was standing in a pool of black hair. His nightmare of so long ago came back to him in startling clarity.

Now that he was thoroughly spooked, Saito threw caution to the wind and ran into the house. At the sound of a loud crash, he headed into the kitchen and saw Tokio standing over an unconcious large man. She was holding an iron skillet.

Upon Saito's appearance, Tokio immediately burst into tears.

"Shhhhh, Tokio, it's all right. I'm here now. He won't hurt you. I'm here. Shhh."

"I burned your supper!" she sobbed.

(4 months later)

Tokio was leaning over the cooking fire. She had soba, tofu, and fried fish. She also had a surprise for her husband.

~Speaking of which,~ she thought, as she heard Saito come in.

"Oh-ho! Something smells good!" he said, and walked up to her.

She wrinkled her nose at him. "It won't be ready for at least another half hour, so why don't you go wash up? Or, better yet, take a bath!"

Saito frowned and stuck his head under his arm. He recoiled and Tokio laughed.

"Told you! 'Jime! Is that blood?" she asked, pointing to a suspicious red spot on his sleeve.

"Yeah."

"From where?"

"Working."

"Are you hurt? Let me look at you."

"Tokio I'm fine. It's not even my blood," Saito said, snatching his arm away from his wife.

"Not your blood? Whose is it then?"

"Tokio..."

"You're an assassin, aren't you? Did Okita talk you into this?"

"No. I decided on my own. It's no different from when I was in the Shinsen-gumi during the Revolution."

"But you're not in the Shinsen-gumi, and this is not the Revolution! What can I say that will make you stop?"

"Nothing. Tokio, let it be," Saito said, then frowned. "How did you figure I was an assassin?"

"Late nights, secrecy. And you still carry your sword around. Never mind that this is the Meiji era. I've seen Okita floating about, too. Hajime, please--"

"No, Tokio! Just let it go!" he snapped.

"Hajime..." Tokio shook her head, then drew herself up to her full height (which was about up to Saito's shoulder) and locked his golden eyes with her black ones.

"I'm pregnant."

Saito's eyes widened. "You're what!?"

"I went to the doctor yesterday to confirm it. I had been suspecting for some time now...The baby's due in four months. What are you going to do? Leave the child fatherless? You have to stop killing, 'Jime!" she pleaded.

Saito sat down heavily in the nearest chair. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Tokio began to doubt telling him. "You're not angry are you?"

"Absolutely not! Tokio, after my next job tomorrow night, I will retire from the business. With this last job, I should have enough money to be able to be with you for the rest of the pregnancy. All right?"

Tokio threw her arms around his neck. He chuckled, and hugged her tightly.