Separate Lives

By

BarbaraSheridan

Chapter Two

"The bank draft has finally been cashed then?" Aoshi asked his banker some weeks later following his return to Kyoto.

The man consulted the paperwork on his desk. "It was cashed and deposited in an account in Aizu six days ago. The response you asked us to send when the draft was returned the first time has apparently changed the young lady's mind."

"Good. You know what to do now, correct?"

The man again consulted the file in front of him. "The same amount is to be deposited into the Aizu account in the name of Takani Megumi on a monthly basis unless we receive notification from you otherwise."

"Correct." Aoshi rose, offered the man a slight bow then left. He took care of some business matters for the Aoiya then walked to the temple, pulling the edges of his trench coat together to ward off the chill in the air. Once inside he shrugged off the coat and took his customary meditation position. However, this time he was unable to clear his mind and simply meditate. This time he kept recalling his last conversation with Megumi.

How difficult it must be for her, raising a child alone, an illegitimate child no less, a child she wasn't even able to publicly acknowledge. She must love Himura very much to allow him to start a life with the Kamiya girl when a word from her would cause him to propose as a matter of honor.

Well, it was none of his business anyway though he felt obligated to help her. It was that damned Hannya again. He'd dreamed of him five nights in a row when he and Misao returned and laid the dead Oniwabanshu to rest. Though Hannya had been simply a silent presence in the dreams Aoshi knew what his friend's presence meant. His need to help fatherless children had to be met and Aoshi was the only one who could complete the task.

He was rather impressed that Megumi at first returned the money with a curt note stating that she had no use for anonymous donations to herself or her clinic, and that if anyone wished to contribute then she would like to meet them to ascertain their motives and to thank them in person.

Aoshi told the banker to resend the bank draft with an "explanation" that the money had been bequeathed by a former patient of her late grandfather's who recently died at an advanced age, which he felt he never would have attained were it not for the excellent care years earlier of a Dr. Takani. To make it all sound more plausible the latter said that the bank had exhausted all efforts to find the male descendants of the family and had decided that since Megumi was the only Dr. Takani they could find and that she lived in Aizu that she should receive the inheritance to be paid in regular installments.

The amount was rather a large sum but it came from the money he'd earned working for Kanryuu. It was money earned badly but if it could be used for a good cause, especially to aid someone his men had a soft spot for, then Aoshi hoped it would help atone for their deaths.

Aoshi was brought out of his musing by the chipper sound of Misao's voice. Though she barely spoke above a whisper out of respect for her surroundings her enthusiasm could barely be contained.

"You won't be long will you? Today is my birthday and you promised you'd take me out for dinner. Please?" With an appealing pouty look she added. "Jiya bought me a new kimono for the occasion…"

"If Okina parted with his money then I have no choice."

****

"You seem much more relaxed these days Megumi," Dr. Oguni said as he was preparing to leave the clinic for the day.

Megumi gave him a warm smile. "I am. That inheritance has certainly made things easier around here. And of course with Kaemon finally sleeping through the night, I'm almost happy."

"If Kae's father were with you it would be better than almost, ne?"

"Megumi's smile fell. "He's dead. I told you that."

"Yes, you did." The doctor picked up his Haori and slipped it on. "Perhaps it's time you should think about settling down. Pining for him can't bring him back, can it? What of that nice young man who came to visit you? Sanosuke I believe?"

"Sano is off somewhere. I don't know if he'll ever return."

Dr. Oguni gave her a knowing grin. "I remember the way he looked at you. I'm certain he'll be back before you know it."

"I almost wish he would," Megumi whispered as the doctor left. She did miss Sano as irritating as he could be. Because at least when she was with him it got her mind off Kenshin.

****

Megumi gave a start when the smooth, icy voice of Aoshi Shinomori washed over her from behind.

"This day must be an ordeal for you, especially seeing that," he said stepping beside her, his gaze following hers to where Kenshin and Kaoru in their wedding finery were kneeling down to accept the small "bouquet" of wildflowers her son toddled over to give them.

Megumi quickly blinked back the tears trying to form in her eyes. She looked to Aoshi, the other sight far to painful to linger on. "As long as Ken-san is happy that's all that matters isn't it?"

"What about you?" Aoshi asked his cool eyes boring into hers. "Don't you deserve happiness? Doesn't your son?"

"Kae is a very happy boy, look at him," she said matter-of-factly, glancing over to see him running after Suzume who'd been keeping an eye on him.

"You still didn't answer the other question."

Megumi kept her eyes averted from Aoshi's. It was and had always been as if he could read her very soul and it unnerved her as much as it fascinated her. "I could probably ask the same of you. I noticed the wistful looks Misao was giving you during the wedding ceremony." She thought she heard him sigh but she wasn't sure and when she turned around to look, he'd disappeared into the milling crowd of wedding guests.

Megumi didn't see Aoshi again until late that night when she wandered down to the rear courtyard of the inn where they'd each booked rooms. How incredibly handsome he was in the pale moonlight. Her mind went back to that one night they'd shared after the festival. And she wondered as she sometimes did when the scene replayed itself in her dreams how anything that had been so wrong could have felt so very right.

She remembered the wonderful feel of being held in Aoshi's strong arms, remembered how his hot kisses made her head spin as much as the sake. And when he made love to her....

She shivered in the warm spring air and was glad for the darkness when Aoshi turned to look in her direction. The memory of those incredible hours made her both hot and cold and she knew she was blushing like an embarrassed girl.

Cautiously she approached him and stood beside him on the small bridge spanning the koi pond. "It seems we still share that habit of sleeplessness."

"It does."

Megumi didn't at all mind the silence that sprung up between them. It was strangely relaxing to simply stand here, leaning against the bridge railing watching the fish swim in the moonlit water below.

"I think I'll go back in," She said quite some time later. "Kae and I are going home early tomorrow."

"As are Misao and I."

Megumi gasped when Aoshi grabbed hold of her hand as she stepped away. "Will you never tell him about your son?"

"I can't, especially not now. But I did write a letter. It's with a lawyer and should anything happen to me before Kaemon is grown Kenshin will be told. I like to think that he and Karou wouldn't turn him away."

"They wouldn't."

Aoshi still held her hand and Megumi told herself that she imagined that he'd just stroked her palm with his thumb.

"Will you ever tell the boy?"

"I already have."

Aoshi's dark brows arched in surprise.

Megumi smiled sadly. "I told him the night he was born. He doesn't need to be told again."

Aoshi nodded.

Megumi swallowed. He was quite definitely stroking her palm with his thumb and the simple action was making her pulse race. Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away. "I really need to go back in. Goodnight Aoshi."

"Goodnight Megumi. Have a safe trip home."

"You, too."

***

Megumi was surprised when Aoshi hired a carriage to take her and Kae to the train station. She was even more surprised when he insisted on going along while Misao stayed behind to finish packing and say her goodbyes to the young women who ran the Akabeko.

"Thank you, Aoshi. I appreciate the kindness."

"It was no trouble. You do enough for others, you should have someone look after you for a change.'

"I can never do enough to repay for what I've done in the past."

Aoshi nodded and she knew that he and Kenshin were the only ones who could ever truly know what it was like to live with the darkness of regret that would never go away.

"I wish you and your son the best. If you ever find yourselves in Kyoto please stop by the Aoiya."

"We will."

She smiled when Aoshi ruffled Kae's unruly hair that had thankfully begun to darken from its original red to a much more brown shade.

She gasped when Aoshi suddenly leaned over to kiss her cheek. And smile? It was a very, very faint smile but a smile nonetheless and the sight struck her speechless.

"Goodbye Megumi."

All she could do was nod as she got onto the train. She hurried to her seat and looked out the window, her eyes lingering on the tall ninja who stood and watched her until the train had pulled out of sight.