Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Reincarnated ❯ Chapter 4

Disclaimer: ::sigh:: Try as I might, RK still doesn't belong to me.

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REINCARNATED

*Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I forget she was here?*

Aoshi was banging his head on the wall to punctuate each `stupid' and turning blue as he stood in the shower, but he couldn't bring himself to shut the water off and get out of the tub. Eyes closed, all he could see was Misao, in Kaoru's horrid, ratty blue robe. It was to large, so even though she belted it, the top kept falling open, showing him the curve of her breasts. Aoshi turned the water up.

*This is not working.*

"Oi, Aoshi, you dead in there?"

"Go away, Kaoru."

"Daddy says if you don't come out of there, he's going to the basement and turning off the water." Even as she said it, the water shut off. Dripping wet, Aoshi grabbed a towel and yanked open the bathroom door to glare at his sister.

"Why---" But she was gone. He checked both ways for any sign of Misao, the flipped off the light and sprinted to his room, slamming the door.

*~*

Kenshin couldn't sleep. Seeing Miss Kaoru in his mind like that made all coherent thought impossible. When he heard her name, something inside him had stirred, but it was gone in a flash.

"Miss Kaoru." Saying her name made his insides ache. He desperately needed to see her again. And soon. Like before the wedding. *Stop it, Hiko; she's just a child. And I'm supposed to be getting married in three days.*

He went down stairs and got a drink from the bar in the livingroom. *I wonder how old she is? Probably no more than sixteen, maybe seventeen. Which puts her firmly on the `DO NOT TOUCH ON PAIN OF DEATH' list. But she's so beautiful.*

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?" Tomoe opened the door and came to put her arms around Kenshin. "Kenshin, what you did tonight; helping that girl and offering to avenge her--- sometimes you're to cute for your own good."

*I wasn't being cute.* He sighed and pulled away. "Tomoe, there's something I was trying to tell you earlier and we were interrupted. I really need to tell you now."

She stepped back. "It must be important, you're so intense just now."

"Well, it's kind of important. Um . . .let's sit. They sat down on the sofa and Kenshin took a deep breath. *Okay, let her down slow.*

"Tomoe---" His cell phone chirped. "Damn it all to hell! Sorry. Yeah, what?! . . DAD! . . . No . . . just . . . can you hang on a second?"

Tomoe giggled. "I'll come back."

"But---oh! Dad, your timing could not have been worse."

"Why?" Master Seijuro Hiko's deep voice was mildly amused. "Did I . . . interrupt . . . something?"

"No, sir. Just . . . Dad, I can't marry Tomoe." Kenshin felt much better. He had to say it or he was going to explode.

"So . . .I guess I shouldn't ask what time my flight should be?"

"No," Kenshin groaned and pulled on his bangs. "You might as well come; I can't seem to tell her anyway."

"Kenshin, you're going to marry her, even though you don't want to?!"

"But that's just it! I do, but I don't and I don't want to hurt her---"

"STOP! I don't want to hear anymore of this. Kenshin, you're 36 years old, make up your mind!"

"Yes, sir." There was a long silence.

"Kenshin, what else is wrong?" Hiko asked finally.

Kenshin took a deep breath. "Dad, tonight, I met the woman of my dreams."

"Oh?" Hiko sounded mildly shocked. He was sure he'd heard that one before. . .

"Yeah, and here's the kicker . . ."

*~*

Kaoru spent a restless night, dreaming things she barely remembered when she woke. Images flitted through her mind --- an orange kimono, a blunt katana, Aoshi with a sword, and Kenshin holding her in his arms, gazing fondly at her and the . . . something she had in her arms. She woke more tired and her head hurt, a dull throbbing over her eyes that made even thinking difficult.

She was rude to Misao, who had slept badly as well and didn't really notice. Aoshi wasn't talking---no surprise---but he did kick Kaoru under the table trying to stretch his longer legs and they started fighting.

Saito could hear them yelling at each other as he came down from his room and was prepared to ignore them, get his coffee and get out, but when he opened the door Kaoru and Aoshi were throwing food at each other. Her aim was a little off and she hit him with the fresh egg intended for Aoshi, who had ducked.

"Oh, DADDY?!"

"Oh, hell!"

Saito slowly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the yoke off his face. The siblings moved closer together in instant truce. Saito folded the handkerchief and looked at them both.

"The two of you are to old for this. Ten years ago, it might have been funny, but your mother wouldn't have put up with it from children and I will not from ADULTS!"

"But---" Aoshi cut her off by squeezing her arm.

"Now . . . what . . . is . . . the. . .problem?"

"Nothing, Father; it's finished. We'll clean up right now."

"Aoshi, you will clean this up. Kaoru, come with me."

"But Daddy, it was just an egg!" She sounded near to tears and Saito frowned.

"Now!" She flinched and dropped her head.

"Yes, sir."

Satio's office was a dark room, full of old, leather bound books and dark heavy leather furniture. Kaoru used to think it just needed some animal to complete it, but she supposed the crossed katanas on the wall would have to do. Subtle threats were the Wolf's specialty after all.

She sat down in the chair facing the desk, and watched the Wolf take his seat opposite.

"Chibi kÅjo, you know I love you right?"

"Yes, sir." *But always only if I stay here. Can you not see that I am not a child?!*

"Where were you last night?"

"I was at a club." She paused, voice flat. "With Aoshi and Misao. He had a beer, Misao stared at him for a while and then we came home." *More or less.*

"All of that took five hours?"

"Misao stares very hard." Saito frowned at her tone, or rather, the lack thereof.

"KÅjo, you know I don't like it when you lie to me."

"Yes, Daddy. And I would hate to lie to you. Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you let me date?"

*The distraction.* Saito sat back and steepled his fingers. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the one time you let me go out, I was in the eighth grade and you scared Kohaku so badly he didn't get near me again until high school graduation. Even then, he stood 6 feet away, said `congrats' and ran off."

"Really? I'm sorry. I was hoping it would hold until your second year of college."

"DADDY! I'm not made of blown glass! The world will have to see me sometime or another, whether you will or nay! Shut your windows, closes the doors; Hajime Saito's precious daughter Kaoru wants to walk down the street! "

He frowned slightly at her sarcasm. She snatched her and Aoshi's baby picture off the desk and waved it at him.

"I'm not little and helpless anymore. I'll be 20 in a few days. I refuse to be a pampered princess in a gilded cage for you anymore." She sat down, slamming the hinged frame shut. "I'm OUT! Maybe you should think about getting a girlfriend or something, lighten you up. You know, there's a really nice girl named Tae that works at the Akabeko---"

"Enough, Kaoru! You still haven't answered my question."

She suddenly stood up. "Yes, I did. You don't like my answer? Then you can take a big wooden spoon and eat---"

"The continuation of your very existence depends on you not completing that sentence."

"WHATERVER!" She turned around and stormed out, slamming the door as hard as she could. "Aoshi, I hate it here!"

Saito pulled out a cigarette and carefully lit it. *This is all very interesting.*

He heard Aoshi try and calm her down, but she would not be moved.

"But imÅto---"

"Give me your keys; you can drive the Wolf's car. Misao, let's go."

The front door slammed, shaking all the downstairs windows and Aoshi's Grand AM started up and hummed down the driveway. Aoshi groaned softly. When was the Wolf going to realize he couldn't keep Kaoru a little girl in pigtails anymore? She was never going to follow him around anymore, begging for hugs and horsy rides. It just wasn't happening.

Saito had spoiled Kaoru and she had always known where to go to get what she wanted. No, that wasn't fair; they had all, in their own ways indulged her; she was the youngest, she was cute---but this was going a bit far.

"She's not afraid of the world, Dad. Why are you?" He turned around and was startled to see his father behind him.

"You should know the answer to that, Aoshi. It isn't fear."

"But Father, if you don't stop this, she'll . . . deliberately . . . find the least desirable person she can! Just to spite you!"

Saito walked away. Aoshi following, still arguing. "And if he does abandon her, or worse abuse her, she won't come home. She'll stay until it kills her; just to prove you wrong!"

"Stop it, now."

"No! Reality bites, Dad! She is going to fall down on her own. She had to get up on her own, too." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"She needs her own car, she needs her own apartment, and for the love of God, let her get a job and go to school."

"Aoshi---"

"You can keep her here and ignorant," he kept going, unable to stop the flow of words. "But you'll be doing her a great disservice. We cannot take care of her forever! You must cut the leading stings! And Mom asked you not to smoke in the house."

Saito turned around, but Aoshi had gone. The kitchen was clean and he had also put up Misao's breakfast things. The room would easily pass the White Glove Test. Saito stepped outside and looked at his black SUV still parked carefully on the left side of the two car drive, but Aoshi's spot was empty. He snubbed out his cigarette and glanced up at Aoshi's window. The younger man was stilling on the roof, legs crossed, meditating. His father started to say something, but the phone rang. He went back in to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Um . . . hey. Can I talk to Kaoru?"

*A boy?* "Who are you?"

*~*