Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Separate Lives ❯ chapter 16 ( Chapter 16 )

Candace-Thank you for the compliment. I wish I could have made the last chapter more action filled/suspenseful but that's not something I'm good at. However I'm taking an online class soon in action scenes so, bear with me for future stories...

eriesalia--I think Megumi was just a bit overcome by the stress of it all and by Kurogane smacking her around.

Amy-Physically Megumi is fine, emotionally...we'll see...

Separate Lives

Chapter 16

by

Barbara Sheridan

(based on characters created by Nobuhiro Watsuki)

She wouldn't see him

She refused to see him even for a moment.

She'd spoken to him the morning after he got her and Kae out of Kurogane's but she'd only said a handful of words, the final two of which echoed in his head incessantly. Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!

The look of utter betrayal in her eyes sliced him clean through and he wanted to take her in his arms and explain but she wouldn't allow it.

"You knew we were there. You left us there! You knew and you left us there! Get out!"

Aoshi stared down at the tea in the cup cradled in his hands. It had gone cold long ago but still he held it, his practical side chiming in as it had between Megumi's words that this was for the best. That he needed to leave things as they were between them

It was clearly safer for her this way.

No matter how much it tore him apart inside.

"Shinomori."

Closing off the emotion wanting to well up within him, Aoshi turned a cold eye towards the door where Hajime Saitou stood.

The cop pulled an envelope from the inside pocket of his uniform jacket and crossed the room, offering it to Aoshi. "I pushed the paperwork through. Kawaji was none too happy with the added expense of payment for your friends and the weasel girl, but he'll get over it."

"I would have paid them on my own."

"The Meiji government can well afford it so let them have the honor."

When Aoshi did not take the payment for his services, Saitou set the envelope down on the table in front of him. He sat in the chair opposite the ninja and lit a cigarette. "Takani won't be charged of course. How is she?"

"Fine, I suppose."

Saitou looked vaguely surprised but said nothing. "I still find it hard to believe that the widow Hiroyuki was the informant. She brought about the death of her own husband by gossiping to her sister the new widow Kurogane and then took money for the information she brought afterward."

Aoshi set his untouched tea down. "Are you truly that surprised by the greed of some people?"

"Not really," Saitou said, putting the cigarette out in a spare cup on the tea tray. He stood. "I think I'll pay my respects to the good doctor and thank her for the herbal compound that let me pull off my death so successfully." He smirked. "Any message you'd like me to relay? Or perhaps a kiss..."

Aoshi glared as he stood to face the cop. "Our alliance is ended. I can see to it that you experience a true death, you know."

Saitou laughed and left the room.

* * * * *

A month later

"I don't want it," Megumi said as Dr. Oguni brought in yet another gift that had been delivered. "Open it and give it to whomever you think can use it as you did with the others."

"This is another one for Kaemon."

Megumi's expression hardened further. "My son has no use for anything from Shinomori Aoshi."

"But he misses him."

"Impossible."

Dr. Oguni stepped into Megumi's path as she tried to make her way to her office door. "When I took him with me to the fruit market yesterday Shinomori-san was there, it was all I could do to keep Kaemon in my arms, he struggled so hard to get free and go to him."

Megumi gasped. "Aoshi, Aoshi is here?"

"He was. He said he was passing through on business. He inquired on your health and that of Sakura's family. And he asked me to let them know that the men responsible for her murder have been dealt with." The doctor paused the continued when Megumi made no attempt to reply. "He cares for you and Kaemon a great deal, Megumi."

Megumi clamped her eyes shut, her slender hands balled into fists at her side to help contain the tears that wanted to flow. Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes and looked at her mentor. "If he cared so much he would have gotten us out sooner. He wouldn't have left me there to get beaten, almost raped."

"But you told me that Inspector Fujita explained to you that they needed time to gather the evidence to prosecute those men."

"He could have let me know. Some how, some way Aoshi could have let me know, but he didn't." She took another deep breath then squared her shoulders. "If you'll excuse me." She tried to step around the doctor but he blocked her way again and placed his hand lightly on her arm.

"If he had it to over again differently I'm sure he would. Can you tell me that you've never been in such a situation?"

Megumi refused to answer. She turned her back until Oguni left her office.

* * * * * *

It was growing dark when Aoshi left the cemetery after paying his respects at the grave of Sakura. Keeping to the shadows Aoshi made his way towards Megumi's house. He could see Megumi and her new housekeeper, Hana in the kitchen. Containing the nagging voice that begged him to approach the house, he turned and headed back towards his hotel. Megumi didn't need him. She and Kaemon were in safe hands now he made sure of that by arranging for Dr. Oguni to recommend Hana, a daughter of one of the old Edo Oniwabanshu as a housekeeper.

No, Megumi didn't need him and she certainly didn't want him.

Lost in his thoughts, Aoshi didn't sense the movement behind him until the person following him spoke.

"Okashira?"

"Oh, Hana. What is it? Is Megumi-san ill? Kaemon-"

"They are fine. I just wanted to speak with you a moment, Dr. Oguni asked me to if I saw you."

Aoshi inhaled a calming breath. "What is it?"

"He said that he spoke with Megumi-san today. She is angry because you never tried to let her know that you knew where she and Kaemon were, that you didn't tell her you'd rescue them."

"I couldn't, I-" Aoshi broke off, a determined fire lighting his icy blue eyes. Without a word he strode past Hana and continued back towards Megumi's house.

Megumi slid the door open part way and tried to shut it again when she saw Aoshi there. He held the door open with one hand then stepped inside to face her.

"You don't want to hear this but I need to say it. I was wrong. I could have, should have gotten word to you, but at the time I wanted to simply end it all with the least possible amount of bloodshed. I didn't want you to make any slip in recognizing Misao, and I didn't want her to jeopardize herself or her assignment by treading into parts of the house where she shouldn't be.

If there was any hint that you or Kae were in immediate danger she had orders to get you both out no matter the cost to her own life. "

He paused, his tone growing softer. He made a move to touch Megumi but pullde his hand back. "I was a fool to think that Kurogane wouldn't harm you as long as you made his opium. "If I had known...I did what I thought was best at the time. Clearly I was mistaken." He paused once more, breathing a quiet sigh. "Perhaps Misao is more competent to be Okashira after all."

He disappeared into the darkness before Megumi could command her body to move or her lips to speak. "Aoshi," she finally murmured, hurrying along the gravel path to the low front gate of the little fence surrounding her house. "It was too late. He was gone and she doubted that he would ever return.