Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Feuding Hearts ❯ Stepping Over Puddles ( Chapter 13 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Hoshiko Saitou 
Sometimes warnings just need to be ignored.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Angst / Suspense / Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.02.2003 | Pages: 8 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 207 | Status: Completed
Sometimes warnings just need to be ignored.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Angst / Suspense / Romance / Drama / Comedy | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.02.2003 | Pages: 8 | Words: 5.7K | Visits: 207 | Status: Completed
Once again Siobhan woke up feeling refreshed. And then she remembered the night before. Needing proof she looked around the room. Sure enough Aoshi Shinomori was on the other futon. Siobhan silently leaned over to pick up her glasses. She stood up and quietly tiptoed over to his futon. She then realized something interesting. Aoshi was clad only in his pants. She thought that this was an interesting development. However looking down at his naked chest, Siobhan thought two things. ‘My God, those are amazing pectoral muscles!’ and then she fully noticed his scars ‘Wow. I want to kiss them and make them all better, but God they’re as sexy as the rest of him!’ Looking away from his chest was hard to do, but she finally did so, but that brought her to his face. “ Awww, he doesn’t look all broody when he sleeps.” She leaned down. “He looks…peaceful.” At the moment her fingers made contact with his cheek she brought her hand away. She was still leaning over him when a Kodachi suddenly flashed up from beside the futon. Siobhan automatically jumped back, however she was badly balanced and ended up landing on her back a few feet away. When she opened her eyes, she’d closed them on impact, there was, yet again, a Kodachi at her throat.
“We seem to keep ending up like this, and really, I don’t think I like it much,” Siobhan tried to bring some levity into the situation, as a Kodachi was put away once more.
“Sorry. Reflex.” Was all Aoshi said as he walked away to get his shirt.
“Yeah, scary ones.” Siobhan angrily muttered as she tried to straighten herself out.
“What?” He asked turning around.
“Nothing!” she said sweetly. A little too sweetly.
“We should start looking for your friends now. Is there anything that all of you would know? Anything you would all seek out if you got lost?”
“Kenshin!”
“What?”
“All of us would try to find Kenshin! He’s recognizable, we all know him, and probably the easiest to find!” Siobhan cried out joyfully as she figured it out.
“How do you know Himura?”
“Kenshin?”
“Yes, Kenshin Himura, the Battousai.”
“Dude! Bring me to your Battousai!”
“I do not own a Battousai,” Aoshi stated with a completely straight face.
Siobhan started laughing. “You know what I mean!”
***
"Soujiroooooooooooou!! I don't know how to put this on by myself!" Kyle whined, nearly in tears. She had been struggling to tie her obi for about 20 minutes now, but every attempt ended up looking like a big floppy mess on the floor after it fell around her feet. Hearing his name, Soujirou rushed in from outside.
"Alright..." he groaned, picking up the long garment and going behind her. "I'll see what I can do, buuuut, no guarantees. Hold this side."
"Sure. ...Um, I've been wondering...if you could show me the way to the dojo I mentioned yesterday."
"I think so. The Kamiya, where Mr. Himura is, right?" He had wrapped the obi around her waist and was working hard at actually tying it.
"Right."
"The innkeeper will be able to give me directions, so we'll talk with him and be on our way. ...There. Done," he said, taking her hands and guiding them over the surprisingly neat bow he had created. "How's that?"
"It's perfect," Kyle replied, hugging him tightly from behind.
And then they broke apart. Soujirou twitched as the whole thing undid itself and became yet another floppy mess on the floor.
***
Casey awoke with a yawn the next morning, reaching to the right for her glasses and coming in contact with something warn and rather solid.
“Congratulations,” she heard someone state sarcastically. “You’ve found my leg.”
She looked over and found she was, indeed, holding on to Hajime Saitou’s calf. She promptly let go and blushed furiously. ‘Must….not….molest….scary man….’
“You don’t watch me sleep or anything do you, cause that’d be a little creepy?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“No. Do you always grope people when you wake up, because that can be considered creepy as well?” Saitou recanted smugly.
“Heh, sorry. I was looking for my glasses. I usually put them to my right before I go to sleep but….oh no….”
“What?”
“You didn’t happen to find my glasses did you?” she asked, hoping he’d just forgotten to give them to her.
“It was pitch black when I found you, he explained. “What makes you think I saw anything that small. I didn’t even know to look for them.”
“I was afraid that was the answer,” she sighed. “Oh well, its not that big of a loss. I’ll live.”
“My thought exactly,” Saitou added. The funny part was, it WAS.
“Hajime,” she began, catching his attention, “When will I be able to walk again?”
“What did you just call me?”
They stared at each other with confused expression for a slight moment for Casey hesitantly went to answer. “Hajime?” she stated slowly as if she were asking a question. “I mean, that IS your name, right?”
Saitou nodded and waved his hand, dismissing the inquiry. At least it wasn’t anything that ended in -kun. “I’d say in about two weeks, but I’ll have broom-head send a doctor here this afternoon to check up on you,” he explained, getting to his feet. Until then, you should be fine here on your own for another day. If anything comes up on those friends of yours I’ll update you.”
She stared up at him for a second before blurting out, “Why are you doing this?”
Saitou cursed in his mind. He was just thinking that. What was this girl, some sort of fleeing mind-reader? “Why not?”
“Weeeeell, it’s gotta be costing you money to keep me here as well as taking up your tim-”
“It was a rhetorical question,” Saitou cut in.
“Well then, how bout we leave it at this? I owe ya one.”
***
“How long will it take to get to the Kamiya Dojo?” Siobhan asked. Aoshi had agreed to take her to the Dojo in the hope that Casey, Kyle and Alayna would have gotten there on their own.
“Three to four hours.”
“WHAT! I HAVE TO WALK FOR THREE TO FOUR HOURS! Ugh!”
Aoshi mumbled something.
“What?”
“I said ‘Spoiled princess, don’t they have walking in ‘The West’?” Aoshi insulted.
“First off, yes we have walking, but I don’t usually have to do it for such a long period of time without breaks. And second you are only half-right. I might be a princess, but I’m far from spoiled!” Siobhan said, spinning to face him and shaking her pointer finger at him.
“You’re a princess? Of what nation?” he demanded.
“Well, I’m not technically a ‘Princess.’ I’ve just always acted like one because my family calls me that constantly.” Siobhan explained.
“Well, Your Highness do you need a carriage?” he asked sarcastically.
“No I think I can walk like you common folk.” She returned, just as sarcastic.
They walked for a while until the silence once again started driving Siobhan nuts.
“Would you like to talk? I’m incredibly bored.” Siobhan finally asked.
“Are you? Isn’t that too bad.”
“Why are you so hostile?”
“I’m hostile?”
“Well, not hostile, so much as annoying.”
“I’m annoying?”
“Yes. And I bet you’re stubborn too.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You just seem like you would be. “
“Are you stubborn?”
“No. I’m ‘Determined’, there’s a difference.”
“I once knew a man named Shishio. His woman was Yumi. She was a whore, but you could also call her a courtesan.”
“Uh…I suppose. But what does that have to do with being determined or stubborn?”
“Yumi was a stubborn whore. You are a determined courtesan.”
“WHAT!? I do not sell my body to the night! Or any man!" Siobhan angrily yelled.
“Too bad.” Aoshi said under his breath.
“What?” Siobhan was still insulted and feeling snappish.
“Nothing.” He replied. ‘What am I thinking?’
Again they walked in silence for awhile. Then it started getting to Siobhan once more.
“You are a man of few words aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you find that amusing?”
“What?”
“Making fun of me.”
“How did I make fun of you? You commented on my personality.”
“Broody man.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You are so broody. You’ve always been.”
“That’s quite a change of subject, and what do you mean always?”
“Just what I said. Always.”
“You only met me yesterday.”
“Uh…I mean always since I’ve met you. There’s more than one type of always. It can be anything from a day, to years. To Forever even!” she explained philosophically.
“Forever can stretch both ways you know.’
“What do you mean by that?”
“Forever can be the past, or the future, it goes forward and backward. It continues both ways.”
“That was really deep. You must really be an intelligent man. Too bad you’re a cold bastard."
"That was cruel."
"Did I hurt your feelings?" she asked uncaringly.
"No."
Another long silence.
"Okay, I'm bored again. You may ask me a question. Choose well, or I may not answer."
"Fine. How DO you know the Battousai?"
"Uh...that's a LONG story,"
"It's a long walk."
"Not that long."
"Why don't you try?"
"Cause then you'll think I'm even crazier than you already do."
"I won't disagree with that."
"Hey! That was me- wait. You just agreed with me!"
"You speak as if we've never agreed on anything during our association."
"You speak as though you have a stick shoved up your ass. Do we agree on that? It'll make agreement number two!"
"Now who's being hostile?"
"Oh, me!" she announced in mock excitement. "That's agreement number two! Unless you’re in agreement about the stick. Then it's number three."
"Is this the way you always treat those who help you?"
"No, just you. You're special."
"I feel so honored," he responded sarcastically. And yet another annoying string of silence.
"You know I really can't think of a single thing we've ever agreed on."
"Really?" Aoshi asked, feigning interest. "I can."
"What then?"
"Are you disagreeing with me about our agreeing?"
"Ow...my brain. You hurt my head."
“Its comments like that that make me think that you’re simple-minded.”
“You really know how to charm a lady, now don’t you?”
“I don’t know. Do you find me charming?” Aoshi asked, a slight smile on his face.
“Well, you really haven’t-wait, are you smiling? That’s a first! Does it make your face hurt?” Siobhan broke off after noticing. ‘Wow, I don’t ever remember Aoshi smiling!”
“No, it doesn’t hurt.” Aoshi said annoyed, his smile disappearing.
“Then you should do it more often. It looks nice.” She said, saddened that the smile she spoke of was gone.
“Do you like it when I smile?’
“I’m not answering, you’re just fishing for compliments!”
“I’m not doing anything. They seem to be jumping out of the water on their own.”
“Oh yeah? Well, I hope the fish hit you with their complimentary tails!” Siobhan shot back. ‘Why can’t I stop these dumb comments!’
Neither knew how to follow that up. And once again they were plunged into silence. A silence that lasted about five minutes before Siobhan decided she had to break it.
“How much longer do you think we have to go?”
“About two hours, if I’m lucky.’
“What do you mean ‘If You’re lucky’?”
“If I’m lucky then I’ll only have to listen to you for two more hours."
“Jerk! That’s so mean! Maybe I don’t want to be around you for two more hours!”
“I’ll leave you anytime you ask. The dojo isn’t that hard to find.”
“You aren’t getting off that easy! You said you’d take me there. That means right to the door, if you think you’re getting out of it, you’ve got another thing coming!”
“Not so anxious to get rid of me then?”
“Bite me.” Siobhan automatically retorted.
“Anytime.”
“WHAT! Did you just offer to bite me?” She’d never had anyone respond like that.
“No. Of course not. You are mistaken.”
“No way! You said ‘anytime’!”
“You must have misheard me.”
“Oh no, I heard you right.”
“We are dropping this subject.”
“Nope, not unless you have something just as entertaining.”
Siobhan should have seen it coming. Aoshi’s way of dropping a conversation was to just stop speaking. For her the silence was torture. She yet again gave up.
“Wanna talk again for a while? It helps pass the time.”
“I don’t really have a choice now do I? You will continue speaking whether I want to or not.”
“You’ve got that right! So, what can we talk about?”
“I don’t care.”
“Fine then. How about…um… why did you decide to help me?”
“Two reasons. I have nothing better to do. Second, I’ve done a lot of things that I need to make up for.”
“So I’m some twisted form of penance?”
“Do you know what that word means?”
“Don’t mock me. Of course I know what that word means. Me not know what a word means? HA! That’s funny. I have a large vocabulary.”
“Do you want some sort of prize?”
“Yes, actually I would.”
“Now you’re being childish again.”
“I know.” Siobhan smiled. “I was trying to ease the tension in the air.”
“What tension?”
“Silence puts me on edge. There’s a lot of silence here.”
“So you’re nervous?”
“No. I’m on edge. Haven’t we done this before?”
“Fine. We’ll change the subject. I’ve got a question for you.”
“Alright, ask me then.”
“You wanted to know why I’m helping you. Why are you accepting my help?”
“You offered it.”
“But, I offered it, then I attacked you.”
“You thought I was some one else, not that I enjoyed almost being sliced to ribbons, but I can forgive your mistake. Plus, you apologized.”
“But how can you trust me not to do it again? How do you know that I am taking you to the dojo? I could be taking you anywhere? How can you trust me so easily?” Aoshi asked her, stopping in the middle of the deserted path. He’d been wondering this for a while. Why DID this strange girl seem to trust him completely? HE wouldn’t have trusted himself, how could she? She didn’t seem naive or stupid, as much as he teased her.
Siobhan had stopped also, and was staring at him. She stepped forward so that they were only a few inches apart. Her hands moved up to hold his face on both sides. She looked into his eyes as if she were searching for something, but already knew that she would find it. Finally she spoke.
“I trust you. You’re an honorable man, whether you know it or not. I can see it your eyes. You won’t hurt me.” She released him and stepped back, “And that was a compliment, as I don’t trust easily.”
She turned around and started walking again. ‘This time I insinuate the silence! Ha-Ha! Take that Mr. Broody-Man!’
“Shizuka, what did you mean by-“
“We will not talk about what just happened. If you do I’ll use my greatest technique on you.”
“What kind of technique? You don’t have a weapon…”
“I need no weapon to perform it, for it is the dreaded poke.”
“What?”
“I’ll poke you.”
“You’ll poke me?’
“Don’t think I won’t. I will.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Completely.”
“So if I wasn’t here and you were attacked, then you would poke your attackers to death?”
“No. I wouldn’t attempt to poke them to death. I could probably defend myself against one attacker in a pinch. In a situation with more than one, I’d run like Hell.”
“Would you? How can you defend yourself/”
“My older brother taught me some things.”
“Like what.”
“It’s not your business.”
“Tell me.”
“No.’
“Well if you can defend yourself, I’ll let you go the rest of the way alone.’
“That isn’t fair!”
“Tell me.’
“Basic staff work, and how to properly hold several types of swords in a threatening manner.”
“Really.’
“Shut up. You’re annoying.”
“You’ve said that already.”
“I’m so going to poke you.”
“Are you?”
“Yeah. But not right now. Or today at all. No one day, you’ll just be doing something else, and I’ll just randomly pop up. And THEN, I’ll poke you. And you’ll be totally unsuspecting and at my mercy.”
Aoshi stopped again.
“Is that a promise?”
“Um, no. I don’t make promises I can’t keep, but I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen.” Siobhan stopped, lifting an eyebrow while she spoke.
“Good. Now, we’re about five minutes from the dojo. Do you want to go alone, or do you want me to continue there with you?”
“We are going all the way together. I lost my friends on a deserted path quite like this one. I’m so not letting go of you now that we’re so close.”
“Just as well. If you told them that I brought you there, then they’d think that you were crazy.”
“The way you do?”
“Crazier.”
As they walked the rest of the way in silence Siobhan thought. ‘I don’t want him to leave! I had a crush on him when I first met him, but now I’m seriously attracted to him! I can’t believe all the dumb things I’ve said though!’
***
“Okay miss,” the old doctor began, placing all his tools back in his dark brown bag, “I’ve readied your wounds with clean wrappings and I’m going to prescribe some medicine that Mr. Sawagejou will pick up for you.”
Casey winced at the thought. ‘What are these old medicines gonna do to me? I have a different immune system and tolerance than they do.’ “Thank you sir,” she said with a smile, bowing slightly as he got up. She grabbed the light grey yukata to put it back on but was startled into looking up when she saw the door opening out of the corner of her eye. Needless to say, Chou slammed the door shut and got his second massive nosebleed of the last 24 hours.
“Er…sorry Hoshiko…didn’t know ya were gettin dressed,” he immediately apologized, covering his nose with his back against the sliding door.
“It’s okay,” she laughed. “I’m decent now.”
After taking a deep breath and counting down from 10, Chou opened the door and took the slip of paper from the doctor, who excused himself and left.
“So….yer…ah…da girl dat’s got Saitou actin all funny an shit?” Chou asked, rubbing the back of his neck under the girl’s intense blue gaze.
“Acting funny?” she question, laying back down on the futon and motioning for him to sit to her left. It didn’t feel right for anyone but him to sit to her right and she hated herself for feeling that way.
“Yeah! Yesterday he left on time. I know you don’t know the man but trust me on this one, dats weird.”
Casey tried to change the subject. “So what is it you do that Ha- Saitou, has you babysitting me?”
“Technically I just work under him with odd jobs. Well, technically you work under him now, huh?” he asked, winking at her.
Her face when dead serious. “Chou, say that again and I will beat you senseless with a really big stick.”
The man’s eyes went wide at that. “Fuck, ya got one hell of a mouth on ya…”
The girl to him and smiled. “Just kiddin. Lighten up, will ya? You’re so nervous. I won’t bite. I can’t!” she added, motioning to her legs.
“Ya got spunk kid, I like it,” Chou complimented. “But I gotta warn ya, no actin like dat in fronta Saitou.”
“Why not? I have been so far,” she asked, suddenly as serious as him.
“Cause, Saitou’s gonna wanna take that spunk right outta ya. Just be careful, alright?”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Trust me, I seen him interrogate people before. He likes breakin down those string-willed types that think he can’t get to em. He doesn’t like people who defy or stand up to him. Makes em do things his way, ya know?”
Casey just sat there silently and chewed on her bottom lip.
“I’ll git ya yer medicine, so you just sit tight there and think bout what I said,” he instructed.
“You’re too late,” she whispered quietly to the closed door after he had left. “I already owe him one.”
***
"Soujirou, can I -- " Kyle began, stopping the request when she realized that he'd done enough for her already.
"Can you what?" he replied, smile genuinely at her in hopes that she would feel more comfortable. The walk to the Kamiya Dojo wasn't too far...if you knew the right shortcut. However, when given the choice between the two routes, Soujirou lead them down the longer one.
"It's nothing," she replied, trying to brush it off and quicken her pace.
Soujirou quickly grabbed hold of the fleeing girl's hand, turning her around to face him. "Please tell me," he asked in a pleading tone.
A short sigh and then the request, spoken quickly out of embarrassment, "Can you come back and visit me as soon as you can?" Kyle's gaze quickly shifted to the ground. 'Oh yes, nice one. Let's see how much more leech-like I can seem. Maybe I should drag him to an alter while I'm at it!'
Soujirou took a few steps forward, starting the trek to the dojo again without letting go of her hand. The silence she received in the place of her answer was grating at Kyle's nerves. 'Oh, God, I said something stupid again, didn't I?'
"Ah...Soujirou...let's just forget I ever asked, and just --"
"-- Two days." he interrupted.
"What?"
"I'll come back to see you in two days. How does that sound?" he offered, smiling down and lacing their fingers together.
"It sounds....wonderful."
***
Yahiko looked at Alayna, then Sano, then at Alayna looking at Sano, then at Sano looking at Alayna, then at Alayna looking away from Sano, then to Sano looking away from Alayna.
"I get it! You two are, like, dating or something."
"ARE NOT!" they both screamed, knocking the young boy head over heals backward.
"Oh come now, that just proves it's true," Megumi mocked, laughing her evil little laugh as fox ears and her trademark tail popped up.
"Sano found a girl...that doesn't require money?" Kouru joined, making both of the people being teased steam out the ears in anger.
"What? You could have paid me?! I need that God damn money you bitch!" Alayna yelled, shaking Sano by his jacket collar.
"Ah, true love," Kenshin smiled, watching Alayna shake Sano silly as Megumi and Kaoru laughed amongst themselves.
***
As they approached the dojo, Siobhan noticed that the gate was open, and two people were outside, sparring with what looked like practice swords. One was a woman, the other was a young boy. Yahiko noticed the pair approaching before Kaoru did, as her back was to them.
“Its Aoshi! And he has a woman with him!" Yahiko yelled as Kaoru spun around and grabbed him by the collar to stop him from doing anything rash.
At that moment Kenshin walked around the corner of one of the buildings to find out what the noise was about.
“Why are you yelling Ao…shi?” he asked, suddenly realizing that Aoshi was actually there. He looked at Siobhan for a second, then turned to yell into the open door of another building. “Alayna? Is this one of your friends?”
“Alayna!” Siobhan yelled out happily as Alayna sleepily staggered out the door into the courtyard of the dojo after a noontime "nap." She grabbed the shorter girl then hugged her tightly. “I was sooooo worried about you?”
“You aren’t going to yell at me?” Alayna asked.
“Not until I have the three of you together, though you will get extra because I blame you the most, because you ran off on me. Now where are Kyle and Casey?’
“They aren’t with you?”
“No. I was hoping they were here with you!”
“No! How’d you get here without them though? You were all together when I left you!”
“I actually met up with Aoshi Shinomori, and he brought me here,” Siobhan said as she turned to look at him. He was standing back, still just inside the gate, watching the spectacle that the two of them made with a slight smile on his face. She walked over to him.
“I guess that you’re free to go now. You got me here like you promised,” she told him.
“Yes, I’m leaving now, but just remember, you still need to poke me someday, Princess.” He smiled as he spoke to her. Siobhan could only smile and nod. Aoshi turned and started walking away. Then she realized that she hadn’t said thank you or goodbye.
“Aoshi, Thank You!” she yelled out as he walked down the path. He stopped for a second, turned his head, and nodded. Then continued on. She watched until he went around the bend and out of sight. She turned around to see Alayna behind her. “Oh my God. He is soooooo sexy.”
“I slept with Sano.”
“YOU WHAT?!”
“I slept with Sa…KYLE!”
“You slept with Kyle?” a now confused Siobhan questioned as she turned to where Alayna was staring. Sure enough there was Kyle and…Soujirou?
“KYLE!” both Siobhan and Alayna yelled as they ran over and hugged her to pieces.
***
Saitou came home from work late that night. From Chou’s report the girl was fine so he had no need to worry about her while he was gone. When he walked into his bedroom he was surprised to find her wide awake, sitting up as if she were waiting for him. Usually he just sat down next to her and had a cigarette while she was sleeping. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do and waking her up served him no purpose.
For once she didn’t greet him with a smile or at least some sort of greeting. Instead she stared right into his narrowed amber eyes and asked a question he really didn’t expect from her. “Whose clothing am I wearing?”
“That’s none of your concern,” he told her, a bit annoyed that suddenly she wanted to pry into his life.
“Yes it is, I’m wearing them,” she responded, her voice very calm and steady considering the normal volatile tendencies of teenagers.
“They belong to my dead wife.” He wasn’t going to give her anything more than that, it wasn’t her business to know.
“What is it you want from me?”
“What suddenly has you thinking I want something from you? Did Chou put that idea into your head?”
“Why are you answering my questions with questions?”
“Why are you asking so many?”
Casey sighed. “No, Chou didn’t put the idea in my head. You can’t tell me that you’re doing all this out of the goodness of your heart.”
Saitou snorted, a tad amused by the girl’s straightforward approach. “I haven’t thought about it yet, I’ve had too many other things on my mind. Take, for instance, what I’m going to do with you if those friends of yours aren’t found.”
Her face went pale at the mere mentioning of that scenario, leading Saitou to wonder just what these friends were like that made them so close. The descriptions she gave of them didn’t tell him much. Three girls, all with blonde hair, two long and one short. Two had green eyes, one had blue. One of them tall, one average height and the other rather short. Part of him didn’t want them found; the girl could be made into a decent housewife…with some work, of course.
“Don’t say that. I’ve thought about it enough,” she stated dejectedly, laying back down on the futon. “Thank you for sending the doctor. The medicine has relieved some of the pain in my legs. But, why did Chou have to be there too?”
“I hate having strangers in my home,” Saitou answered, taking out his pack of cigarettes as he went to sit next to her.
“I’m a stranger,” she pointed out.
“You hardly pose a threat.”
To this she gave a slightly bitter laugh. “There was a time when you wouldn’t have thought to say that. God, now look at me. I’m reduced to having to be taken care of.”
“Then learn to live with it. I don’t see how you expect to change it now.”
“Yeah I know…” she trailed off, dozing off in her thoughts. She would have to be content now with the fact that her friends had neither died nor transformed. Their bond as Guardians would have alerted to it right away. All she could do was deal with herself at the moment, as Saitou had told her to.
“We seem to keep ending up like this, and really, I don’t think I like it much,” Siobhan tried to bring some levity into the situation, as a Kodachi was put away once more.
“Sorry. Reflex.” Was all Aoshi said as he walked away to get his shirt.
“Yeah, scary ones.” Siobhan angrily muttered as she tried to straighten herself out.
“What?” He asked turning around.
“Nothing!” she said sweetly. A little too sweetly.
“We should start looking for your friends now. Is there anything that all of you would know? Anything you would all seek out if you got lost?”
“Kenshin!”
“What?”
“All of us would try to find Kenshin! He’s recognizable, we all know him, and probably the easiest to find!” Siobhan cried out joyfully as she figured it out.
“How do you know Himura?”
“Kenshin?”
“Yes, Kenshin Himura, the Battousai.”
“Dude! Bring me to your Battousai!”
“I do not own a Battousai,” Aoshi stated with a completely straight face.
Siobhan started laughing. “You know what I mean!”
***
"Soujiroooooooooooou!! I don't know how to put this on by myself!" Kyle whined, nearly in tears. She had been struggling to tie her obi for about 20 minutes now, but every attempt ended up looking like a big floppy mess on the floor after it fell around her feet. Hearing his name, Soujirou rushed in from outside.
"Alright..." he groaned, picking up the long garment and going behind her. "I'll see what I can do, buuuut, no guarantees. Hold this side."
"Sure. ...Um, I've been wondering...if you could show me the way to the dojo I mentioned yesterday."
"I think so. The Kamiya, where Mr. Himura is, right?" He had wrapped the obi around her waist and was working hard at actually tying it.
"Right."
"The innkeeper will be able to give me directions, so we'll talk with him and be on our way. ...There. Done," he said, taking her hands and guiding them over the surprisingly neat bow he had created. "How's that?"
"It's perfect," Kyle replied, hugging him tightly from behind.
And then they broke apart. Soujirou twitched as the whole thing undid itself and became yet another floppy mess on the floor.
***
Casey awoke with a yawn the next morning, reaching to the right for her glasses and coming in contact with something warn and rather solid.
“Congratulations,” she heard someone state sarcastically. “You’ve found my leg.”
She looked over and found she was, indeed, holding on to Hajime Saitou’s calf. She promptly let go and blushed furiously. ‘Must….not….molest….scary man….’
“You don’t watch me sleep or anything do you, cause that’d be a little creepy?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“No. Do you always grope people when you wake up, because that can be considered creepy as well?” Saitou recanted smugly.
“Heh, sorry. I was looking for my glasses. I usually put them to my right before I go to sleep but….oh no….”
“What?”
“You didn’t happen to find my glasses did you?” she asked, hoping he’d just forgotten to give them to her.
“It was pitch black when I found you, he explained. “What makes you think I saw anything that small. I didn’t even know to look for them.”
“I was afraid that was the answer,” she sighed. “Oh well, its not that big of a loss. I’ll live.”
“My thought exactly,” Saitou added. The funny part was, it WAS.
“Hajime,” she began, catching his attention, “When will I be able to walk again?”
“What did you just call me?”
They stared at each other with confused expression for a slight moment for Casey hesitantly went to answer. “Hajime?” she stated slowly as if she were asking a question. “I mean, that IS your name, right?”
Saitou nodded and waved his hand, dismissing the inquiry. At least it wasn’t anything that ended in -kun. “I’d say in about two weeks, but I’ll have broom-head send a doctor here this afternoon to check up on you,” he explained, getting to his feet. Until then, you should be fine here on your own for another day. If anything comes up on those friends of yours I’ll update you.”
She stared up at him for a second before blurting out, “Why are you doing this?”
Saitou cursed in his mind. He was just thinking that. What was this girl, some sort of fleeing mind-reader? “Why not?”
“Weeeeell, it’s gotta be costing you money to keep me here as well as taking up your tim-”
“It was a rhetorical question,” Saitou cut in.
“Well then, how bout we leave it at this? I owe ya one.”
***
“How long will it take to get to the Kamiya Dojo?” Siobhan asked. Aoshi had agreed to take her to the Dojo in the hope that Casey, Kyle and Alayna would have gotten there on their own.
“Three to four hours.”
“WHAT! I HAVE TO WALK FOR THREE TO FOUR HOURS! Ugh!”
Aoshi mumbled something.
“What?”
“I said ‘Spoiled princess, don’t they have walking in ‘The West’?” Aoshi insulted.
“First off, yes we have walking, but I don’t usually have to do it for such a long period of time without breaks. And second you are only half-right. I might be a princess, but I’m far from spoiled!” Siobhan said, spinning to face him and shaking her pointer finger at him.
“You’re a princess? Of what nation?” he demanded.
“Well, I’m not technically a ‘Princess.’ I’ve just always acted like one because my family calls me that constantly.” Siobhan explained.
“Well, Your Highness do you need a carriage?” he asked sarcastically.
“No I think I can walk like you common folk.” She returned, just as sarcastic.
They walked for a while until the silence once again started driving Siobhan nuts.
“Would you like to talk? I’m incredibly bored.” Siobhan finally asked.
“Are you? Isn’t that too bad.”
“Why are you so hostile?”
“I’m hostile?”
“Well, not hostile, so much as annoying.”
“I’m annoying?”
“Yes. And I bet you’re stubborn too.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You just seem like you would be. “
“Are you stubborn?”
“No. I’m ‘Determined’, there’s a difference.”
“I once knew a man named Shishio. His woman was Yumi. She was a whore, but you could also call her a courtesan.”
“Uh…I suppose. But what does that have to do with being determined or stubborn?”
“Yumi was a stubborn whore. You are a determined courtesan.”
“WHAT!? I do not sell my body to the night! Or any man!" Siobhan angrily yelled.
“Too bad.” Aoshi said under his breath.
“What?” Siobhan was still insulted and feeling snappish.
“Nothing.” He replied. ‘What am I thinking?’
Again they walked in silence for awhile. Then it started getting to Siobhan once more.
“You are a man of few words aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you find that amusing?”
“What?”
“Making fun of me.”
“How did I make fun of you? You commented on my personality.”
“Broody man.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You are so broody. You’ve always been.”
“That’s quite a change of subject, and what do you mean always?”
“Just what I said. Always.”
“You only met me yesterday.”
“Uh…I mean always since I’ve met you. There’s more than one type of always. It can be anything from a day, to years. To Forever even!” she explained philosophically.
“Forever can stretch both ways you know.’
“What do you mean by that?”
“Forever can be the past, or the future, it goes forward and backward. It continues both ways.”
“That was really deep. You must really be an intelligent man. Too bad you’re a cold bastard."
"That was cruel."
"Did I hurt your feelings?" she asked uncaringly.
"No."
Another long silence.
"Okay, I'm bored again. You may ask me a question. Choose well, or I may not answer."
"Fine. How DO you know the Battousai?"
"Uh...that's a LONG story,"
"It's a long walk."
"Not that long."
"Why don't you try?"
"Cause then you'll think I'm even crazier than you already do."
"I won't disagree with that."
"Hey! That was me- wait. You just agreed with me!"
"You speak as if we've never agreed on anything during our association."
"You speak as though you have a stick shoved up your ass. Do we agree on that? It'll make agreement number two!"
"Now who's being hostile?"
"Oh, me!" she announced in mock excitement. "That's agreement number two! Unless you’re in agreement about the stick. Then it's number three."
"Is this the way you always treat those who help you?"
"No, just you. You're special."
"I feel so honored," he responded sarcastically. And yet another annoying string of silence.
"You know I really can't think of a single thing we've ever agreed on."
"Really?" Aoshi asked, feigning interest. "I can."
"What then?"
"Are you disagreeing with me about our agreeing?"
"Ow...my brain. You hurt my head."
“Its comments like that that make me think that you’re simple-minded.”
“You really know how to charm a lady, now don’t you?”
“I don’t know. Do you find me charming?” Aoshi asked, a slight smile on his face.
“Well, you really haven’t-wait, are you smiling? That’s a first! Does it make your face hurt?” Siobhan broke off after noticing. ‘Wow, I don’t ever remember Aoshi smiling!”
“No, it doesn’t hurt.” Aoshi said annoyed, his smile disappearing.
“Then you should do it more often. It looks nice.” She said, saddened that the smile she spoke of was gone.
“Do you like it when I smile?’
“I’m not answering, you’re just fishing for compliments!”
“I’m not doing anything. They seem to be jumping out of the water on their own.”
“Oh yeah? Well, I hope the fish hit you with their complimentary tails!” Siobhan shot back. ‘Why can’t I stop these dumb comments!’
Neither knew how to follow that up. And once again they were plunged into silence. A silence that lasted about five minutes before Siobhan decided she had to break it.
“How much longer do you think we have to go?”
“About two hours, if I’m lucky.’
“What do you mean ‘If You’re lucky’?”
“If I’m lucky then I’ll only have to listen to you for two more hours."
“Jerk! That’s so mean! Maybe I don’t want to be around you for two more hours!”
“I’ll leave you anytime you ask. The dojo isn’t that hard to find.”
“You aren’t getting off that easy! You said you’d take me there. That means right to the door, if you think you’re getting out of it, you’ve got another thing coming!”
“Not so anxious to get rid of me then?”
“Bite me.” Siobhan automatically retorted.
“Anytime.”
“WHAT! Did you just offer to bite me?” She’d never had anyone respond like that.
“No. Of course not. You are mistaken.”
“No way! You said ‘anytime’!”
“You must have misheard me.”
“Oh no, I heard you right.”
“We are dropping this subject.”
“Nope, not unless you have something just as entertaining.”
Siobhan should have seen it coming. Aoshi’s way of dropping a conversation was to just stop speaking. For her the silence was torture. She yet again gave up.
“Wanna talk again for a while? It helps pass the time.”
“I don’t really have a choice now do I? You will continue speaking whether I want to or not.”
“You’ve got that right! So, what can we talk about?”
“I don’t care.”
“Fine then. How about…um… why did you decide to help me?”
“Two reasons. I have nothing better to do. Second, I’ve done a lot of things that I need to make up for.”
“So I’m some twisted form of penance?”
“Do you know what that word means?”
“Don’t mock me. Of course I know what that word means. Me not know what a word means? HA! That’s funny. I have a large vocabulary.”
“Do you want some sort of prize?”
“Yes, actually I would.”
“Now you’re being childish again.”
“I know.” Siobhan smiled. “I was trying to ease the tension in the air.”
“What tension?”
“Silence puts me on edge. There’s a lot of silence here.”
“So you’re nervous?”
“No. I’m on edge. Haven’t we done this before?”
“Fine. We’ll change the subject. I’ve got a question for you.”
“Alright, ask me then.”
“You wanted to know why I’m helping you. Why are you accepting my help?”
“You offered it.”
“But, I offered it, then I attacked you.”
“You thought I was some one else, not that I enjoyed almost being sliced to ribbons, but I can forgive your mistake. Plus, you apologized.”
“But how can you trust me not to do it again? How do you know that I am taking you to the dojo? I could be taking you anywhere? How can you trust me so easily?” Aoshi asked her, stopping in the middle of the deserted path. He’d been wondering this for a while. Why DID this strange girl seem to trust him completely? HE wouldn’t have trusted himself, how could she? She didn’t seem naive or stupid, as much as he teased her.
Siobhan had stopped also, and was staring at him. She stepped forward so that they were only a few inches apart. Her hands moved up to hold his face on both sides. She looked into his eyes as if she were searching for something, but already knew that she would find it. Finally she spoke.
“I trust you. You’re an honorable man, whether you know it or not. I can see it your eyes. You won’t hurt me.” She released him and stepped back, “And that was a compliment, as I don’t trust easily.”
She turned around and started walking again. ‘This time I insinuate the silence! Ha-Ha! Take that Mr. Broody-Man!’
“Shizuka, what did you mean by-“
“We will not talk about what just happened. If you do I’ll use my greatest technique on you.”
“What kind of technique? You don’t have a weapon…”
“I need no weapon to perform it, for it is the dreaded poke.”
“What?”
“I’ll poke you.”
“You’ll poke me?’
“Don’t think I won’t. I will.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Completely.”
“So if I wasn’t here and you were attacked, then you would poke your attackers to death?”
“No. I wouldn’t attempt to poke them to death. I could probably defend myself against one attacker in a pinch. In a situation with more than one, I’d run like Hell.”
“Would you? How can you defend yourself/”
“My older brother taught me some things.”
“Like what.”
“It’s not your business.”
“Tell me.”
“No.’
“Well if you can defend yourself, I’ll let you go the rest of the way alone.’
“That isn’t fair!”
“Tell me.’
“Basic staff work, and how to properly hold several types of swords in a threatening manner.”
“Really.’
“Shut up. You’re annoying.”
“You’ve said that already.”
“I’m so going to poke you.”
“Are you?”
“Yeah. But not right now. Or today at all. No one day, you’ll just be doing something else, and I’ll just randomly pop up. And THEN, I’ll poke you. And you’ll be totally unsuspecting and at my mercy.”
Aoshi stopped again.
“Is that a promise?”
“Um, no. I don’t make promises I can’t keep, but I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen.” Siobhan stopped, lifting an eyebrow while she spoke.
“Good. Now, we’re about five minutes from the dojo. Do you want to go alone, or do you want me to continue there with you?”
“We are going all the way together. I lost my friends on a deserted path quite like this one. I’m so not letting go of you now that we’re so close.”
“Just as well. If you told them that I brought you there, then they’d think that you were crazy.”
“The way you do?”
“Crazier.”
As they walked the rest of the way in silence Siobhan thought. ‘I don’t want him to leave! I had a crush on him when I first met him, but now I’m seriously attracted to him! I can’t believe all the dumb things I’ve said though!’
***
“Okay miss,” the old doctor began, placing all his tools back in his dark brown bag, “I’ve readied your wounds with clean wrappings and I’m going to prescribe some medicine that Mr. Sawagejou will pick up for you.”
Casey winced at the thought. ‘What are these old medicines gonna do to me? I have a different immune system and tolerance than they do.’ “Thank you sir,” she said with a smile, bowing slightly as he got up. She grabbed the light grey yukata to put it back on but was startled into looking up when she saw the door opening out of the corner of her eye. Needless to say, Chou slammed the door shut and got his second massive nosebleed of the last 24 hours.
“Er…sorry Hoshiko…didn’t know ya were gettin dressed,” he immediately apologized, covering his nose with his back against the sliding door.
“It’s okay,” she laughed. “I’m decent now.”
After taking a deep breath and counting down from 10, Chou opened the door and took the slip of paper from the doctor, who excused himself and left.
“So….yer…ah…da girl dat’s got Saitou actin all funny an shit?” Chou asked, rubbing the back of his neck under the girl’s intense blue gaze.
“Acting funny?” she question, laying back down on the futon and motioning for him to sit to her left. It didn’t feel right for anyone but him to sit to her right and she hated herself for feeling that way.
“Yeah! Yesterday he left on time. I know you don’t know the man but trust me on this one, dats weird.”
Casey tried to change the subject. “So what is it you do that Ha- Saitou, has you babysitting me?”
“Technically I just work under him with odd jobs. Well, technically you work under him now, huh?” he asked, winking at her.
Her face when dead serious. “Chou, say that again and I will beat you senseless with a really big stick.”
The man’s eyes went wide at that. “Fuck, ya got one hell of a mouth on ya…”
The girl to him and smiled. “Just kiddin. Lighten up, will ya? You’re so nervous. I won’t bite. I can’t!” she added, motioning to her legs.
“Ya got spunk kid, I like it,” Chou complimented. “But I gotta warn ya, no actin like dat in fronta Saitou.”
“Why not? I have been so far,” she asked, suddenly as serious as him.
“Cause, Saitou’s gonna wanna take that spunk right outta ya. Just be careful, alright?”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Trust me, I seen him interrogate people before. He likes breakin down those string-willed types that think he can’t get to em. He doesn’t like people who defy or stand up to him. Makes em do things his way, ya know?”
Casey just sat there silently and chewed on her bottom lip.
“I’ll git ya yer medicine, so you just sit tight there and think bout what I said,” he instructed.
“You’re too late,” she whispered quietly to the closed door after he had left. “I already owe him one.”
***
"Soujirou, can I -- " Kyle began, stopping the request when she realized that he'd done enough for her already.
"Can you what?" he replied, smile genuinely at her in hopes that she would feel more comfortable. The walk to the Kamiya Dojo wasn't too far...if you knew the right shortcut. However, when given the choice between the two routes, Soujirou lead them down the longer one.
"It's nothing," she replied, trying to brush it off and quicken her pace.
Soujirou quickly grabbed hold of the fleeing girl's hand, turning her around to face him. "Please tell me," he asked in a pleading tone.
A short sigh and then the request, spoken quickly out of embarrassment, "Can you come back and visit me as soon as you can?" Kyle's gaze quickly shifted to the ground. 'Oh yes, nice one. Let's see how much more leech-like I can seem. Maybe I should drag him to an alter while I'm at it!'
Soujirou took a few steps forward, starting the trek to the dojo again without letting go of her hand. The silence she received in the place of her answer was grating at Kyle's nerves. 'Oh, God, I said something stupid again, didn't I?'
"Ah...Soujirou...let's just forget I ever asked, and just --"
"-- Two days." he interrupted.
"What?"
"I'll come back to see you in two days. How does that sound?" he offered, smiling down and lacing their fingers together.
"It sounds....wonderful."
***
Yahiko looked at Alayna, then Sano, then at Alayna looking at Sano, then at Sano looking at Alayna, then at Alayna looking away from Sano, then to Sano looking away from Alayna.
"I get it! You two are, like, dating or something."
"ARE NOT!" they both screamed, knocking the young boy head over heals backward.
"Oh come now, that just proves it's true," Megumi mocked, laughing her evil little laugh as fox ears and her trademark tail popped up.
"Sano found a girl...that doesn't require money?" Kouru joined, making both of the people being teased steam out the ears in anger.
"What? You could have paid me?! I need that God damn money you bitch!" Alayna yelled, shaking Sano by his jacket collar.
"Ah, true love," Kenshin smiled, watching Alayna shake Sano silly as Megumi and Kaoru laughed amongst themselves.
***
As they approached the dojo, Siobhan noticed that the gate was open, and two people were outside, sparring with what looked like practice swords. One was a woman, the other was a young boy. Yahiko noticed the pair approaching before Kaoru did, as her back was to them.
“Its Aoshi! And he has a woman with him!" Yahiko yelled as Kaoru spun around and grabbed him by the collar to stop him from doing anything rash.
At that moment Kenshin walked around the corner of one of the buildings to find out what the noise was about.
“Why are you yelling Ao…shi?” he asked, suddenly realizing that Aoshi was actually there. He looked at Siobhan for a second, then turned to yell into the open door of another building. “Alayna? Is this one of your friends?”
“Alayna!” Siobhan yelled out happily as Alayna sleepily staggered out the door into the courtyard of the dojo after a noontime "nap." She grabbed the shorter girl then hugged her tightly. “I was sooooo worried about you?”
“You aren’t going to yell at me?” Alayna asked.
“Not until I have the three of you together, though you will get extra because I blame you the most, because you ran off on me. Now where are Kyle and Casey?’
“They aren’t with you?”
“No. I was hoping they were here with you!”
“No! How’d you get here without them though? You were all together when I left you!”
“I actually met up with Aoshi Shinomori, and he brought me here,” Siobhan said as she turned to look at him. He was standing back, still just inside the gate, watching the spectacle that the two of them made with a slight smile on his face. She walked over to him.
“I guess that you’re free to go now. You got me here like you promised,” she told him.
“Yes, I’m leaving now, but just remember, you still need to poke me someday, Princess.” He smiled as he spoke to her. Siobhan could only smile and nod. Aoshi turned and started walking away. Then she realized that she hadn’t said thank you or goodbye.
“Aoshi, Thank You!” she yelled out as he walked down the path. He stopped for a second, turned his head, and nodded. Then continued on. She watched until he went around the bend and out of sight. She turned around to see Alayna behind her. “Oh my God. He is soooooo sexy.”
“I slept with Sano.”
“YOU WHAT?!”
“I slept with Sa…KYLE!”
“You slept with Kyle?” a now confused Siobhan questioned as she turned to where Alayna was staring. Sure enough there was Kyle and…Soujirou?
“KYLE!” both Siobhan and Alayna yelled as they ran over and hugged her to pieces.
***
Saitou came home from work late that night. From Chou’s report the girl was fine so he had no need to worry about her while he was gone. When he walked into his bedroom he was surprised to find her wide awake, sitting up as if she were waiting for him. Usually he just sat down next to her and had a cigarette while she was sleeping. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do and waking her up served him no purpose.
For once she didn’t greet him with a smile or at least some sort of greeting. Instead she stared right into his narrowed amber eyes and asked a question he really didn’t expect from her. “Whose clothing am I wearing?”
“That’s none of your concern,” he told her, a bit annoyed that suddenly she wanted to pry into his life.
“Yes it is, I’m wearing them,” she responded, her voice very calm and steady considering the normal volatile tendencies of teenagers.
“They belong to my dead wife.” He wasn’t going to give her anything more than that, it wasn’t her business to know.
“What is it you want from me?”
“What suddenly has you thinking I want something from you? Did Chou put that idea into your head?”
“Why are you answering my questions with questions?”
“Why are you asking so many?”
Casey sighed. “No, Chou didn’t put the idea in my head. You can’t tell me that you’re doing all this out of the goodness of your heart.”
Saitou snorted, a tad amused by the girl’s straightforward approach. “I haven’t thought about it yet, I’ve had too many other things on my mind. Take, for instance, what I’m going to do with you if those friends of yours aren’t found.”
Her face went pale at the mere mentioning of that scenario, leading Saitou to wonder just what these friends were like that made them so close. The descriptions she gave of them didn’t tell him much. Three girls, all with blonde hair, two long and one short. Two had green eyes, one had blue. One of them tall, one average height and the other rather short. Part of him didn’t want them found; the girl could be made into a decent housewife…with some work, of course.
“Don’t say that. I’ve thought about it enough,” she stated dejectedly, laying back down on the futon. “Thank you for sending the doctor. The medicine has relieved some of the pain in my legs. But, why did Chou have to be there too?”
“I hate having strangers in my home,” Saitou answered, taking out his pack of cigarettes as he went to sit next to her.
“I’m a stranger,” she pointed out.
“You hardly pose a threat.”
To this she gave a slightly bitter laugh. “There was a time when you wouldn’t have thought to say that. God, now look at me. I’m reduced to having to be taken care of.”
“Then learn to live with it. I don’t see how you expect to change it now.”
“Yeah I know…” she trailed off, dozing off in her thoughts. She would have to be content now with the fact that her friends had neither died nor transformed. Their bond as Guardians would have alerted to it right away. All she could do was deal with herself at the moment, as Saitou had told her to.