Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Raven and The Wolf ❯ BONUS CHAPTER, NO DA!!! ( Chapter 6 )

The Raven and the Wolf: BONUS CHAPTER!!

a side story to "To Forgive and Forget" by Ayame-chan

AN: Thanks to you reviewers (some came by e-mail ^^), here's a bonus chapter! Just note that there will be some S&T WAFF here as well as a lil' hint to my other fic "To Forgive and Forget", which I still have yet to update *facefault* Enjoy!

<6th year of Meiji ~ Tokyo>

Tokio observed the children play, her dark orbs absorbing in every detail. The emptieness that had once held a dark void inside were replaced by a green spark of joy as her hand unconsciously stole to her slightly swollen stomach. Inwardly, she smiled. Her cousing Aiko sat down next to her, heaving a great sigh of exhaustion.

"Tired?" Tokio asked.

"Uh huh," replied her cousin who blew a wisp of hair out of her eyes. "Not as tired as I thought, though, thanks to Ukiyou's help."

Tokio frowned at her cousin. "You should be careful, you know."

"I know my limits, Tokio. You shouldn't tell me that since I'm not the one who has a husband that acts like an overprotective wolf defending their cubs," Aiko retorted with a small smile on her face.

Tokio blinked a couple of times in confusion and tore her eyes away from her cousin with a faint pink across her cheeks.

"Hajime's more...concerned, especially since he's been away so much with all the work the government's giving him and my condition," she said as an excuse. Changing the subject, her eyes glanced at Aiko's adopted younger sister. "Ukiyou-chan's getting the hang of being the oneechan, ne?"

"Hai," Aiko agreed. "She has a knack for kids. I don't blame her, though, being the only surviving memeber and all."

Tokio nodded absentmindedly in agreement. She began to remember meeting the young teenage girl two years ago. The girl had a gift with the martial arts of any style, thanks to Aiko's gentle prodding and training.

"Where did you say she came from?" she asked. She rarely saw Ukiyou and tended to forget small things like this especially since she was now a minor Riskbreaker mercenary.

"Sekihoutai," her cousin answered. "Her brother was the leader. Sagara Souzo was his name, I think."

"Sou..." Tokio murmured in thought. "Are you sure you want to send her and her friend to Shanghai? From what my sources say, the route that they're taking is a bit dangerous."

Aiko leaned back against the pillar, patting her slightly swollen stomach as well. Ironically, the two cousins were in about the same month of pregnancy with Tokio a month ahead. Even more surprising was the Aiko had four children before and was still able to stay in good shape.

"Oh, how so?" Aiko asked, arching one curious eyebrow.

"Legends say that there is an island in between our country and theirs. It only appears on the day of the Lunar Year. Many ships going through the route during that time of year are never to be seen again."

Aiko smiled. "That's exactly what I want to test out."

"So you're letting Ukiyou-chan go?"

"I didn't force her. She wants to go."

"Otouchan!!!" came the excited voices of the children.

The young teenager Ukiyou stopped juggling her kunai, skillfully catching them in her right hand and waving at the approaching figure with her left. Aiko stood up, not believing her eyes.

"Hey, since when did you say you were coming home early?"

As the figure came closer, Tokio could clearly see a grin across the figure's familiar face. It was Masaki.

"I guess you can say that I wanted to surprise you," he said as soon as he entered in hearing range. He lifted his second oldest, Asuka, in his arms. "The mission was too easy."

"Everything is too easy nowadays, what do you mean?" Tokio teased.

"Maa...."

"Well, I did pack everything early this morning," Aiko murmured in thought and then turned to Tokio. "Are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself? We can wait for Saitoh to come home."

Tokio shook her head. "Ie, go ahead. You guys have plans when you come home to Musashi, don't you?"

"We're in no rush, Tokio-neechan," Ukiyou replied as she had one of Aiko's twins clinging onto her pantleg.

"Besides, we'll be home early, anyway," Masaki added.

Yet Tokio insisted, giving the family her most winning smile. "I'll be fine by myself. Besides, it's not the first time I've been home alone before."

This statement was true. Ever since Saitoh Hajime accepted the newly formed Meiji government's offer as an undercover police officer, he had been rarely home to spend time with Tokio. But it did not disintegrate their marriage. Instead, the separation strengthened it. Tokio acted as her husband's "secret" partner and gave him all the information that he needed on an assignment that he could not obtain from the government. Also, she was also his replacement if needed. She hadn't fought much since she got married, but that didn't menat that Tokio's skills had decreased over the years.

Aiko stared at her cousin for a moment and smiled back. She knelt down as low as she could and gave Tokio a hug.

"I understand," she whispered. "See you next time, ne?"

Tokio nodded. "Aa."

<later that evening>

A tall, slim figure walked alone down the dusky path towards his home as the sun began to fall back in the shadows of the night. Although his body was walking along unconsciously home, his mind was elsewhere. The commissioner had given him one week's rest before his next assignment, which was a rather interesting one to him at the least. Finding Battousai's whereabouts and testing his strength...he had to ask his wife Tokio for some clues.

The man threw away the cigarette he had in his mouth before entereing in the home. Saitoh Hajime, now Fujita Goro, knew that his wife was expecting and did not want to harm her in any way. Although it had been nearly six months since he had last seen his wife, Tokio had arrived at the commissioner's station one day to deliver the news.

He entered through the back gate and came into the kitchen, slinging his jacket over his shoulder as he did so. Tokio stood in front of a cutting board, chopping onions at an unbelievable speed that only few people could see. She was well off in thought by the look of her eyes and humming softly to herself. One wouldn't believe that she was once a hitokiri if it wasn't for her lightly callaused hands.

Saitoh smiled to himself as he approached her. They were married for six years now, and she hadn't changed much. It was he, the last surviving member of Mibu's wolves, who had changed; and it was only, and only, around his wife when he would act...differently. Saitoh wrapped his arms around his wife's petite fram, taking in the scent of her hair. She gradually stopped cutting, trying to control herself to not let a small smile creep to her face.

"Tadaima," he murmured in her ear.

"Okaerinasai," she replied in a whisper that could only be heard by him. Then she finished cutting the rest of the onion and slid it into a nearby bowl.

Saitoh just watched, arms still wrapped around her. He always found it interesting just to watch how her hands moved. Tokio had a unique way of moving items. It wasn't because she was the daughter of a very wealthy and esteemed family; she possessed a quality that seemed inhuman, but Saitoh couldn't figure out what.

"They left already?" he asked regarding the Sasakis.

"Hai, about four hours ago," she replied in a voice that was only reserved for him.

Tokio let her husband's hands stray away from her waist and around her stomach. He rubbed the small lump barely protruding from her body gently.

"And how were you two?" he asked.

Tokio smiled and snuggled into the crook of his neck.

"Lonely," she replied in a honey voice. "It's been cold here at night without you."

Saitoh couldn't help it but chuckle, a low rumbling in his throat. "Maa, you won't be cold tonight."

~The End ~

Really, it's THE end! I promise, no da!