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Parallel Lines	By : Lexie Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 11995 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-PART I
- 2-PART II
- 1
- 2
Chapter 11

"Hey, thanks for the dinner, guys," said Yahiko, rising to his feet. "I gotta get going. It's a school night, you know!"

"Thanks for stopping by," Sano said, clapping the younger man on the back. "It was real good to see you, man."

"You too. I'll be seeing you both again soon." Megumi and Sano watched Yahiko stride down the hallway, and turned to face each other.

"Well, I'd better get going, too," Megumi said, gathering up her bag and coat. "It's been a long day and I don't think I ever got any proper rest." She straightened to find Sano blocking the doorway.

"Do you really have to go?" His warm brown eyes were suddenly all serious on her, and it made her unaccountably nervous. Why did he have to look at her like that? He almost looked as if he...

"Oh, get out of my way," Megumi said in an annoyed voice, shaking off the strange feeling he was causing within her. She tried to push him aside, but he held his ground. Her eyes flew up to his, full of indignation. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I really liked having you here today," he said.

Megumi, laughing nervously, said, "Yeah, to cook and clean for you, you bum!" She found Serious Sano to be much more unnerving than Pervert Sano.

Serious Sano said, "No, not just that, although that was quite nice. I just liked being around you. I think you liked it, too."

"Well, you presume way too much," Megumi snapped, trying to push her way around him again. She let out a startled gasp when Sano's arms went around her to hug her close to him. Her coat and bag fell to the floor with a thump. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out--the tirade she wanted to unleash on him wouldn't come for some reason. What's more, she realized that she found the feel of his big body very comforting. Slowly, she relaxed into his hug, and let herself be held for while.

"What's happening here?" she finally asked, the side of her face still pressed against his chest. She could hear the beat of his heart, thrumming deep and strong against her ear. This heart, she thought. What was it feeling? She felt him rest his chin on the top of her head, a gesture she found strangely intimate.

"I don't know," Sano answered, making his chest rumble. "But I like it." And he did, too. For once he was perfectly content to hold a woman without the immediate intention of getting her into his bed. Not that that wasn't an exceedingly appealing thought, but the way he felt about Megumi was definitely more than sexual. "We've known each other for a long time, haven't we, Meg? I've known from the start that your heart belonged to Kenshin. That's why I've always kept a certain distance from you. But now..." Sano hesitated, unsure of how to best to proceed.

"But now?" Megumi prompted, unconsciously holding her breath.

"Now I feel like I might have a chance." He pulled back to look her in the face, and asked, "Am I wrong? If you don't want me, I can respect that, but I feel like there's something between us, Megumi. Something worth pursuing. I--"

His words were halted by Megumi, who rose up on her toes to press her lips against his. She didn't know what made her give into such a crazy impulse, but his words were having the most extraordinary effect on her. Plus, she had to admit that she was curious--just how did an accomplished womanizer kiss anyway? As it turned out, very well.

Sano recovered from his surprise quickly, and gathered Megumi up in his muscled arms until her toes were barely touching the floor. His tongue firmly but gently parted her lips, and made a searing foray into her mouth, finding and stroking her tongue with an expertise that left her weak. She felt one of his hands cradle the back of her head, holding and supporting her so that his mouth could continue its sensual assault. He held nothing back in his kiss, and Megumi found it utterly intoxicating.

The only other man she'd ever kissed was Kenshin, and now she realized that he'd always been holding himself in check, either afraid or unwilling to lose control. It's because his feelings were never like mine, she acknowledged. I forced it, because I loved him, but I could never bring into being what was never there. He'd always been a good friend, nothing more, and I was too stubborn to realize it! At the thought of the misery and confusion she'd inflicted on them both, an involuntary sob escaped her throat. I'm sorry, Kenshin, she thought, her eyes tearing. It wasn't your fault...

When Sano heard that little sob, he lifted his mouth from hers immediately, worried that he'd done something to hurt her. He looked down at the tears making crystal tracks down her cheeks and felt as though a knife was twisting in his heart. "I'm sorry," he said, certain that her tears were caused by him. Setting her down on her feet, he stepped back, his eyes full of confusion and remorse. "I don't know what got into me. When you kissed me, I...I couldn't hold back. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Megumi, wiping at her eyes, said, "No, no... It wasn't you. You didn't hurt me. It's just that...I was thinking how Kenshin and you--"

"Kenshin?" Sano asked, his brows furrowing in disbelief. "You were thinking about him while I was kissing you?"

"Well, only for second, but--"

"I see," Sano said woodenly, turning away to hide his embarrassment. Running his hand through the unruly black spikes of his hair, he continued, "Maybe you should get going. It is awfully late and--"

"Hey, will you just listen to me for a second?" Megumi interrupted, her hand grabbing his arm.

"Why? So I can hear more about how you're still hung up on him? No thanks--I'm done." He shook off her hand, and stomped back into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Megumi stared after him, her eyes and mouth wide. That jackass! she fumed. To think that I almost let him... ooh! Picking up her bag and coat, Megumi furiously marched out of his apartment, closing the door with a satisfying slam.

Sano winced when he heard the front door slam. That's just great, he thought sarcastically. He rubbed a hand over his face, suddenly feeling very tired. He looked out the window, his eyes staring blankly at the dazzling city lights. For a moment it had really felt like he and Megumi were getting someplace, then Kenshin had to rear his little head into it all, as usual! He knew it wasn't his friend's fault, but he couldn't help the deep feeling of resentment that welled up in him every time he thought of him and Megumi. You bastard, he thought, his fist clenching. You don't even know what you have. Because you do still have it--her love. The thought was another twist in his heart, and his hand went unconsciously to his chest to massage that ache.

He turned away from the window to flop down on his bed. Forget about it, you idiot, he told himself, closing his eyes. She was never meant to be yours. Just be grateful that you got to kiss her, at least. Thinking of the kiss they shared, he groaned, punching his pillow. That damned kiss was going to haunt him for the rest of his days, he knew.

===

The man touched his mustache again, a nervous habit he detested but couldn't seem to break. A drop of sweat coursed down his temple as he took a deep fortifying breath and keyed the numbers into his cell phone. His eyes darted about as he anxiously listened to the rings on the other end. On the fourth ring it picked up, and the voice that answered did nothing to alleviate the man's discomfort.

"You'd better have good news for me," said the smoothly menacing voice.

"M-my lord," the man said, swallowing. "We are still searching for Wu, but we are confident that--"

"Fool!" the voice barked. "Katsura must have him, then. You would've found something of Wu's by now, even if he'd been blown to bits." A short snort of laughter was heard, and the voice continued, "I never would've imagined that a coward like Wu would've had the balls to do what he did... Life is full of surprises, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes sir!" the man answered heartily, glad to hear the amused tone in his master's voice.

"Well, you're going to find a nasty surprise if you don't figure out where the hell he is. I'm giving you until the end of the week, but that's it, got it?" A loud click and dial tone signaled the end of the conversation.

I'm gonna be a dead man in less than four days if I don't find Wu, the man gulped, his fingers worrying his mustache mercilessly. I don't know where the hell Katsura or anyone else is right now, and It's not nearly enough time to escape from him. Shit, what am I gonna do? Shaking his head, he weakly walked out of the alley, his guts all tied up in knots. He wondered how he'd ever wound up in this mess. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time--not only the prospect of immense wealth, but a chance to stick it up Katsura's ass. He'd always felt underappreciated by him, taken for granted. What did he have to show for after all his decades of service? His mouth twisted as all the old resentments came shooting to the surface. This all your fault, Katsura, just like everything else!

He wandered aimlessly through the dark city streets in a daze, at a loss as to what to do. He eventually found himself in an unfamiliar part of the city, and stopped to get his bearings. He happened to catch sight of a woman storming out of an apartment building, and recognized her immediately. It was Megumi Takani. He immediately looked up at the building and saw that a few lights were still on. His heart leaped as he spied the unmistakably tall and spiky-headed silhouette of Sanosuke Sagara. He knew that this was a gift from the heavens--there was hope of getting to Katsura yet! Too bad Himura was nowhere to be seen, but Sagara might do just as well. He knew they were all friends, the three of them, and knew what he had to do. He swiftly took off after Megumi, but not so fast as to arouse suspicion. He just looked like any other kindly middle-aged gentleman hurrying home.

===

Kaoru and Kenshin sat in companionable silence, the remnants of their dinner littering the dining table. Their dinner preparation had been a chaotic affair, as usual, but they'd actually managed to produce a tasty meal, of which they were exceedingly proud.

"That was pretty good," Kenshin said, leaning back in his chair and patting his belly.

"Yeah, no thanks to me," Kaoru said with a laugh. "I think you're getting better than me at this cooking thing." This was actually true. Her tastebuds seem to shut off when she's cooking, and she'd had a hard time determining if something was tasting right. When Kenshin tasted the too-bland stew, he'd thrown in just the right amount of salt and pepper and made it palatable.

"I hope you don't think me any less of a man for it," Kenshin said with a grin, his eyes sparkling in a way that left Kaoru breathless.

"Only if you don't think think me any less of a woman," she shot back with an answering smile. She saw a strange expression flicker over his face, and her smile faltered a bit. A sudden tension descended between them, and they stared silently at each other over the table. I think you might too much woman for me, Kenshin wanted to say, staring into the deep dark blue of her eyes. Is that why I always feel so strange around you? Like I'm constantly off-balance? I want it to stop, but then again, maybe I don't.

"Well," Kaoru said, brightly, trying to break the spell. "Looks like it's time to do the dishes again." She rose to gather up the dishes, but froze when Kenshin's hand touched her arm.

"Kaoru," he said, then paused, wondering what the hell he was doing. He wanted to tell her...what, exactly? He shook his head, then continued, "I... I feel like there's something happening between us. Am I just imagining it?" Please tell me no, he said inwardly. Please tell me you feel it too.

Kaoru blinked at him in astonishment, then shook her head slowly. "No," she said. Her legs started to feel a little wobbly, and she sat back down. Kenshin hand tightened on her arm, loathe to let it go of the contact. "No," she said again, looking down shyly. "You're not imagining it, unless I'm imagining it too."

Kenshin stared at her lowered eyes, unable to speak. All he could do was slide his hand down her arm and grasp her hand in his. The feel of her warm slender fingers against his own sent a pleasurable jolt through him. He let out a little nervous laugh. "This is...very unexpected," he said. Kaoru looked up at him at that, and said, "They always say it happens when you least expect it."

"Is that what they say?" Kenshin replied dreamily, as if in a trance. His hand then gently pulled on her arm, making her rise and come to stand in from of him. He looked up, drinking in the sight of her. His eyes traveled from her shining hair to her deep indigo eyes, then to her small nose down to her full, rosy lips. He felt an overwhelming desire to feel those lips on his, but wasn't sure how to go about making that happen.

He looks as though he wants to kiss me, thought Karou, watching his eyes stare at her lips. Why doesn't he? What would his lips feel like? They look nice, like the rest of him. I want... Her body seemed to move on its own, and she found herself leaning down to place a shy, gentle kiss on Kenshin's lips. Her hair swung down in a glossy black curtain to brush against the sides of their faces as they kissed, and Kenshin sighed at the unexpected sensation.

It was a short kiss, and when Kaoru straightened, Kenshin followed her up until they were standing face to face. Before he could lose his nerve, he leaned into her and kissed her again, his arms moving up to enfold her against his chest. Kaoru's eyes fluttered shut and she melted into his embrace. She put her arms around him, reveling in the feel of his hard, slender body against hers. This feels so right, she thought wonderingly, her hands kneading his back as her lips parted to let in his questioning tongue. She was a bit apprehensive at first, her experience with men thus far having been unpleasant at best, but it was different with Kenshin. He was the first man she actually wanted physical contact with, and it made a world of difference. As his tongue gently explored her mouth, she found herself eager for more, and let him know by pressing herself harder against him, and thrusting her tongue boldly against his. Kenshin was pleasantly taken aback. He hadn't known what to expect from Kaoru, but this answering passion was more than he could have hoped for. A wild joy erupted in his chest, and he tightened his arms around her, his mouth moving against hers with increased ardor. It wasn't long before he felt a certain part of him start to swell against her, and he felt a moment of trepidation. What would she think about that?

Kaoru was surprised to find herself not repelled or frightened in the least by his desire, as she would have been with anyone else. The fact that it was Kenshin made it not only bearable, but actually pleasurable. She was grateful that she could feel this way, after all that she'd been through. It proved to her that she was still a whole woman, able to love all of a man--his mind, heart, and body. Love, she thought with a jolt. I love Kenshin! Her arms spasmed around him with the force of her emotions, and she felt as though she might start laughing and sobbing at the same time. Feeling her body tremble, Kenshin broke their kiss and looked down at her, his violet eyes dark with concern. "Are you all right?" he asked, his breath coming rapidly.

"Y-yes," Kaoru said, a bit out of breath herself. "I'm fine, it's just that...this is happening really fast, and--"

"I know," he interrupted, pulling her close into his chest and pressing his lips to her shoulder. "I'm sorry--you make me forget myself. We should definitely take things slower."

"Thank you," said Kaoru. "I do want you, that should be obvious, but I... I just need a little more time, you know?" She could feel Kenshin nod against her shoulder, tightening his arms around her. She didn't realize that it was from a spasm of pain he'd felt at the thought of what her experience with men must have been like until now. A beautiful girl like her, alone and defenseless...

"God!" he blurted out, making Kaoru jump. "I'm sorry, Kaoru, so sorry... I can't imagine what you must have been through. I... I want to kill everyone who's ever hurt you! I want to keep you from any kind of harm. I will protect you, I will..." He repeated it like a mantra, his lips moving against Kaoru's shoulder like a moth's desperately beating wings.

"Oh Kenshin," Kaoru said, tears coming to her eyes. "I know you will. I believe in you..." She put her hands on either side of his face, and brought his mouth up to hers once more. He could taste the salt of her tears trickling into their mouths, and felt a pressing in his chest like he'd never experienced before. He hated it, the taste of her tears, and he hoped that he would never be a cause for them to flow again.

When their kiss ended, he looked into her tear-brightened eyes and said, "We have all the time in the world. We'll take things as slow as you need to. I'll wait an eternity if I have to." Kaoru could only nod and give him a wobbly smile, as her throat was all choked with emotion. She laid her head on his shoulder and hugged him tight, feeling immensely reassured when he returned her embrace. This is the beginning, she thought. For me and for him. For us.

--------------------------------------

Chapter 12

Megumi walked down the dark city streets briskly, anxious to get home. Her brain wouldn't stop replaying Sano's kiss, driving her crazy. As she stepped off a curb, she realized that she was supposed to turn at a street three blocks back. "Dammit!" she hissed, greatly annoyed with herself, and consequently with Sano. Oh why did I kiss that idiot? she asked herself for the umpteenth time. Megumi, maybe you were meant to become a nun, she thought. Just give up on men now before you do any more damage.

She was so preoccupied by her thoughts that she was completely taken off-guard by her stalker's lunge from behind. Before she could even process what was happening, his hand was on her mouth, and his arm went around her neck in a vise-like grip. Gasping and choking in panic, Megumi flailed blindly at her assailant, but he was much too strong for her, and he dragged her into a nearby alley with relative ease.

===

Something was tickling Kaoru's nose, something as light and soft as a feather. Still mostly asleep, she tried to brush it away with her hand, and ended up smacking Kenshin right in the nose. "Ow!" he said, his head darting back in surprise.

"Huh?" Kaoru said, wondering what he was doing so close to her. Then the events of the previous night came thudding back, causing her to become wide awake. "Oh Kenshin!" she exclaimed, looking at him in concern. He had his fingers over his nose, gingerly massaging it. "Did I hurt you?"

"I think I'll survive," he replied ruefully, his voice coming out all muffled and nasal from under his fingers.

Kaoru bit her lip, at once chagrined and amused. "That's what you get for tickling me," she said, flopping back down on her pillow.

"I was not tickling you," he said indignantly. "Not intentionally, anyway. I was just watching you... I guess I got too close."

"You were watching me sleep?" she yelped. Her fingers immediately went to her chin, checking for possible drool. Much to her relief, the area around her mouth was all dry.

"Don't worry," Kenshin said, laughing at her reaction. "Even if you had been drooling I would've thought it was cute."

Kaoru's face went a bright scarlet at his remark, and she threw an arm over her eyes. "Stop teasing me!" she wailed with embarrassment. "It's too much for a girl to take first thing in the morning!"

"Sorry," Kenshin said, sounding anything but. Kaoru peeked out at him from under her arm, ready to fix him a deadly glare. When she saw his smiling face, however, her annoyance evaporated. She liked the way he looked in the morning--his hair even more disheveled than usual, and the way his eyes were relaxed and slightly sleepy. He was shirtless, but she knew he had a pair of pajama bottoms on. He's so close, she thought. Close enough to touch. Her hand reached across the distance between them to rest on his cheek, her thumb rasping against the very slight stubble she found there.

They'd pushed their futons together the night before, but had stayed on their respective sides at Kenshin's suggestion. He wanted her to get used to having him close by, but he didn't know if he could trust himself if she were to be that close. It had been both heaven and hell for him, and he'd barely gotten any sleep, glancing at her every few minutes to make sure she was still there. She was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes this morning, and he knew that he wanted it to be that way always. Feeling her hand on his face, he felt like the luckiest man in the world. Kaoru, he asked himself. What are you doing to me? Am I falling in love with you?

He moved her hand off his face and brought it up to his lips, and placed a lingering kiss on her palm. Kaoru gasped imperceptibly at the contact. It felt as though he'd placed a kiss right on her heart. She gazed into his burning violet eyes, lips parted with wonder. I never knew it could be like this, she thought. To feel so much that you can hardly stand it. Her heart started racing in earnest when he brought her fingertips to his mouth and started nibbling slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Her intake of breath was audible this time, and she could feel a heat returning to her cheeks at his blatantly sensual act.

Kenshin's eyes closed as he moved her fingertips over his face, letting them lightly drift across his chin, nose, and eyes. He didn't care if it seemed strange--all that mattered was the touch of her hand on his skin. He moved her hand down, letting it brush down his throat and sternum, to finally rest it on his chest so she could feel the thumping within. He opened his eyes, and saw her looking at him. Just a week ago, he wouldn't have known what to make of the tenderness he saw in those deep blue depths, but now, it was the most wonderful thing he could imagine.

"Kaoru," he sighed, leaning over to put his lips on hers. Kaoru could feel the beating of his heart speed up at the contact, and she would've smiled had her mouth not been so busy. Kenshin's mouth devoured hers hungrily, and his hand moved to her back to pull her close against him. Her hand moved down to his waist, allowing their bodies to touch from head to toe with nothing between them except for Kaoru's thin tank top and shorts and Kenshin's pajama bottoms. Feeling the heat of his naked chest against hers, Kaoru's nipples peaked in excitement. Kenshin groaned when he felt those hard little tips digging into his chest, causing heat to rush into his cock. Her hand unconsciously kneaded his waist, marveling at the tight muscles she found there. Her every touch served to inflame him unbearably, and he felt his erection throbbing with animal desire. Pull away, he told himself desperately, but his treacherous body pressed itself against hers instead, beyond the control of rational thought.

When Kaoru felt his hot hard erection dig into her abdomen, she gasped at the thrill that shot through her. Knowing that she was the cause of such excitement was intoxicating. She experimentally pressed back against him, and was rewarded with a groan. Her hand moved down from his waist to grasp his buttocks, and she pressed her hips hard against him. "Ah!" Kenshin gasped, breaking their kiss. "I think that's enough for now," he said regretfully, backing his hips away. Sighing, he leaned his damp forehead against hers. "You're making it damned hard for me to keep my promise."

A twinge went through her chest at his words. "I'm sorry, Kenshin," she mumbled, feeling terrible. She realized just how thoughtless she'd been, inflaming his passions after requesting that they take things slow. "I-I wasn't thinking. It just that it felt so wonderful..."

Groaning, Kenshin flopped on to his back. "Don't say things like that either! Oh, it's useless--what I need is a cold shower." He rose to his feet, taking care to turn his back so she wouldn't see the still-hard lump in his pants. Looking over his shoulder, he said with a pained smile, "Uh, Kaoru. Don't feel bad about what happened--it was my fault too. We'll work it out, don't worry." She watched him walk away with a pang of regret. Was she doing the right thing? A part of me is still afraid, she admitted to herself. And when I go to him, I don't want any trace of that fear. I want to be a whole person for him--that's what he deserves. She knew it was only a matter of time, and that they just had to be patient for a little while longer.

===

It seemed as though he'd been running after the woman for miles. He'd steadily gain ground, but just as her glossy black mane came within his grasp, she'd leap ahead, leaving him trailing behind her once more. Come back, Sano said. Stop! Come back! Heedless of his cries she sped up, her footsteps getting fainter and fainter and she disappeared...

Sano woke with a start, his eyes springing open in the dark of his room. He realized that the footsteps he heard in the dream were real--he could hear them fading down the hallway, running away from his door. Throwing aside his covers, he ran to the door, opening it with a jerk. The hallway was empty. As he was about to run down the hall, his foot caught on something. He glanced down to see what looked like a photo. What the hell? he said to himself, picking it up. What he saw chilled him to the bone.

It was a photo of Megumi, bound and unconscious, on what looked like the floor of a warehouse. Sano, feeling as though he might be sick, turned the paper over with shaking hands. On the back a message was scrawled with a felt-tip marker: "If you want Megumi back alive, tell me where Katsura is. Pier 31, tomorrow, midnight."

"What the fuck?" Sano whispered incredulously. This has to be the guy, he thought. He's the mole. This is who let Aoshi out. His fist clenching, he hurried back into his apartment to get dressed. He had to find Yahiko.

===

The incessant banging on the front door of the Akabeko brought Ms. Tae, the owner, down from her apartment. "What in the world?" she muttered, wondering who so desperately needed to see her at 7am in the morning. She opened the door and saw a tall, spiky-headed young man through the mesh of the security gate. "Can I help you?" she asked, wrapping her robe tighter around he body.

"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am," Sano said, nearly vibrating with anxiety. "I'm looking for a kid named Yahiko Myojin--I believe he's a boarder here?"

"Why yes," Ms. Tae replied. "But I think he's still asleep right now."

"I realize it's early, and I'm sorry, but this is an emergency. Could you please tell him that Sano needs to see him right now?"

"Well all right, let me go tell him," said the older woman, giving Sano a curious look before heading back up the stairs. Sano let out a sigh of relief, and leaned against the gate, drumming his fingers impatiently. A few minutes later, a sleepy-looking Yahiko came trudging down the stairs. "Sano, what the hell's going on? Ms. Tae said it was an emergency." Yahiko unlocked the gate, letting Sano's tall form come bounding in.

"They've taken Megumi!" Sano blurted urgently, grabbing Yahiko's arms. "We have to get a hold of Katsura! They want to know where he is by midnight tomorrow! We--"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Yahiko said, putting the brakes on Sano's frenzied words. "Just calm down, Sano, and start from the beginning." He'd never seen Sano so distraught and frazzled before, and it kind of freaked him out.

"OK," Sano said, inhaling a calming breath. "I heard footsteps outside my door this morning, and when I went to go check it out, I found this at the door." He fished the photo out of his pocket, and handed it to Yahiko.

"Oh God," Yahiko said, his eyes widening at what he saw.

"Yeah," said Sano, rubbing his mouth with a trembling hand. "They fucking kidnapped her. They want to know where Katsura is in exchange for her life."

"Katsura?" Yahiko said, sharply glancing up at Sano. "Isn't this kind of a roundabout way of getting to him?"

Pacing back and forth like a caged tiger, Sano said, "I don't know. I don't care. All I can think about is Megumi. We have to rescue her! Oh man, this is so fucked..."

"I need to get something straight," said Yahiko. "Just when did she get kidnapped? I thought she was with you last night...?"

"Uh, we kind of had an argument and she stormed out," Sano said, unable to look at Yahiko.

"Oh, I see." Yahiko said, his eyebrows arching. "So, this is probably the mole, huh?"

Sano nodded in assent. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. He knew our names--he has to be on the inside."

"But not high up or savvy enough to know where the second HQ is..." Yahiko tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Speaking of which, how the hell are we going to find Katsura if he doesn't call us?" Sano asked.

Yahiko smiled broadly and replied, "Leave that to me."

===

Katsura heard the beep in his jacket pocket and swiftly fished out his phone. He saw the initials "YM" on the display and smiled. He was wondering when Yahiko was going to get around to hacking his phone. "Yahiko," he answered, the amusement evident in his voice. "Good to see you haven't lost your touch."

"Hey, at least I'm polite about it, right?" Yahiko jibed back. "Katsura-san, this is an emergency. The mole has kidnapped Megumi and is holding her hostage for HQ2's location--what should we do?" Katsura could hear Sano belligerently yelling something in the background, and could very well imagine what he wanted to do.

"Hm, no doubt he's doing this to find Wu. I was expecting something, but not this... They got a lucky break somehow." After a moment's consideration, Katsura said, "Listen Yahiko, this is what I want you to do..."

===

Misao stood at the sink in the bathroom, staring at her face in the mirror. Her large green eyes blinked back at her as she ran a hand through her shaggy shoulder-length hair, trying to tame it somewhat with her fingers. It had been a whole day since she last saw Aoshi, and she was beginning to wonder what he was up to. Are you out there trying to find that Aiko person? She scowled as she felt a twinge pass through her chest. Misao, you're totally pathetic, she told herself, turning on the tap to wash her hands. Face it, guys like him don't go for girls like you. Girls who are more interested in martial arts and guns than in wearing pretty clothes. I can't help who I am, she thought, shaking her head. It's hopeless.

Letting out an aggrieved sigh, she dried her hands briskly and opened the bathroom door. She jumped when she saw Aoshi, sitting on her bed. He stared wordlessly at her, the icy intensity of his eyes undiffused by the spiky bangs falling into his face. Misao's eyes quickly took in the rest of him, which she noted was cleaned up quite nicely from when they last saw each other.

He was dressed in a dark gray long-sleeved shirt, buttoned up to the neck, and slim-fitting trousers of the same color. Immaculately polished boots of supple black leather could be seen on his feet, and a long white leather coat draped across his shoulders completed the ensemble. The outfit seemed to have been designed with the express purpose of emphasizing his slim elegance. You jerk, she thought, struck dumb for a moment. Why do you have to look so damned good?

She, on the other hand, was still in the same hospital gown she was in two days ago, and she felt horribly grubby and disheveled. She was at a distinct disadvantage, but she was damned if she was going to let her insecurities show.

"I wish you would've told me you were going to visit--I would've put on my formal gown," Misao said sarcastically, dropping down into a deep curtsy. She was proud of the casual tone in her voice, despite the sudden wild beating of her heart. Aoshi's eyes involuntarily darted to her lean coltish legs, and barely managed to compose his face in time as Misao's eyes rose again to meet his. He was incensed that the girl could elicit such a response from him.

"I'm afraid I was all out of calling cards," he replied, a small smile appearing on his lips that didn't reach his eyes. "At any rate, I don't think you'll be complaining about why I'm here. I have a proposition for you."

Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "What kind of proposition?" The pace of her heart seemed to double as she wondered about the implications of that word.

"I need your knowledge of your organizations's locations and facility layouts. In return, you will have your freedom." Oh, thought Misao, somewhat disappointed.

"Just what do you intend to do with that information?" She asked, her disappointment turning to acid. "And how can I trust you to let me go once you have what you want?" What would you do if I wanted to stay?

His mouth tightening, Aoshi replied, "As you are aware, I have...a problem. I need to find that man Wu, the one you and Himura captured. I'm afraid he's my only hope. As for trusting me to let you go, all I can give you is my word. You can choose to accept it or not." His kept his face impassive, but Misao was surprised to see that he was allowing a hint of vulnerability to show in his eyes. He's probably doing it to butter me up, she thought. But I should at least give him credit for the effort.

Misao tapped a considering finger on her chin. "You have no further interest in our organization after that?"

"None whatsoever," he said, shaking his head. "I don't care about your organization or what it does. I got into this situation under duress. All I want is what's mine--that's it." Aoshi, pausing, considered what he should say next. His brows furrowing, he said, "Besides, I don't think there's much left of your organization to do anything with, from what I've heard."

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Misao took a step toward him, her hands involuntarily clenching.

"Two days ago, when I got that phone call you heard, I was told that your compound was bombed. That's all I was told--I don't know anything more than that. You should keep that in mind when you go back."

"That's a goddamn lie!" Misao cried, flying at him with fists raised. Tears blurring her vision, she knew in her heart that he wasn't lying. There was no reason for him to. Aoshi let her pummel him a bit before grabbing her wrists.

"You know I'm telling you the truth," he said. He then pulled her into his chest, causing Misao to stiffen in shock. "Now stop acting like a baby and save your strength for what's to come." Aoshi felt as though he'd caught a wild doe, one that would struggle against him and flee at the slightest sign of a threat. I would never hurt you, he thought, hoping that she could sense that. He knew words weren't enough for her rightnow. Misao eventually slumped against him, realizing that he was right.

"Damn you," she whispered against his chest, her eyes closing. She wanted to go back to sleep and never wake up. Maybe this is all a nightmare, she thought. If I go to sleep maybe I'll return to the real world. It was a tantalizing thought, but she knew she didn't have time for fantasies. "When do we leave?" she asked against his chest.

Aoshi almost quivered at the feel of her lips moving against him, so close to his skin, and abruptly pushed her away. Rising swiftly to his feet, he prayed that she didn't notice the slight trembling in his hands. "We'll leave as soon as your leg feels up to it," he replied gruffly, angry at himself again for his uncontrollable reaction to her.

"Then let's leave now," Misao said, standing up to face him. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" He cast a doubtful look at her, his eyes glancing down at her legs. "I can't cut you any slack."

"I don't expect you to. I told you I'm ready--just give some clothes and we're out of here." Her flashing eyes gave credence to her words, and Aoshi gave her a measuring glance.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning. Everything you'll need will be brought to you tonight. I advise you to get some rest." Turning with a whirl of his coat, he left the room. Misao stared at the door for a long time, her insides churning and with anger, fear, and excitement.

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Chapter 13

The rhythmic thwacks of an axe splitting logs rang out into the warm spring air. Kenshin had been at it for over an hour, his shirtless torso gleaming with sweat in the bright light. Inside the cottage, Kaoru, who had been cleaning the kitchen, glanced at the clock on the wall. Isn't he tired yet? she wondered. He must be getting thirsty, I should get him a nice cold drink. She leaned her broom against the wall and went to the refrigerator.

Kenshin, preoccupied by his task and his thoughts, didn't hear her come out the door. He continued to swing his axe up and down, relishing the physical movement that kept unwanted thoughts at bay. Like how Kaoru's body had felt against his that morning. How lissome and pliant it had been, her lips so soft and her hair so silky... Letting out a soft growl, Kenshin brought down the axe hard, sending the log pieces flying. He looked over at the pile of logs and was surprised to see that there were none left. Exhaling, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with an arm and turned around to see Kaoru.

"I can't believe you split all those logs," she said, stepping toward him with a glass of cold water in her hand. Kenshin accepted the glass with a grateful sigh, and gulped down its contents in a few swallows.

"Thanks," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "That really hit the spot. I guess I'd better get inside and clean up."

"How are your ribs?" Kaoru asked, looking at the bandages still wrapped tightly around his torso. She couldn't get her eyes off his smooth, taut skin, gleaming with fresh sweat.

"Healing pretty fast--they hardly bother me at all," Kenshin bent down to grab his t-shirt off the ground. He swabbed his body with it, seemingly oblivious to Kaoru's stare. Clearing her throat, she said, "You should still take it easy, ribs are slow to heal."

"Yes ma'am," he said with a grin, throwing her a mock-salute. As he turned to stride back into the house, a strange metallic glint in the trees caught his eye. His eyes widened, realizing what the implications of such a reflection could be.

"Get down!" he screamed, running toward a startled Kaoru. Almost simultaneously, he heard a shot ring out, and felt a hot searing pain score his cheek. Undeterred, he threw himself on Kaoru, sending them tumbling to the ground. He rolled them behind the pile of split logs, narrowly missing the few more bullets that thudded into the dirt next to them.

"What's going on?" Kaoru whispered against his chest, her heart thudding wildly. She stared horrified at the blood that was running down his face.

"I don't know," Kenshin replied breathlessly. Cocking his ear, he thought he could hear footsteps running toward them. "Shit, he's coming this way! Kaoru, I'm gonna run up first and draw his fire; just run away as fast as you can. Try to reach the village, but take the woods, OK?"

"What? Wait, no--" She shook her head frantically, but Kenshin's face was set.

"Just do it!" he said urgently. He then leaped up, and ran for the cottage, leaving Kaoru lying dazed in the dirt. She immediately scrambled up and ran the other way, toward the front of the house and the road. As she rounded the side of the house, a tall, lean man leapt out, making her slam into him. Kaoru screamed and tried to get away, but the man's arms shot out to entrap her, and then she felt the unyielding steel of a gun against her neck. Stilling, Kaoru looked up at her captor, and nearly fainted when she saw the narrow, yellow eyes.

"You," she hoarsely whispered, swaying dizzily on her feet.

"It took some doing to find you, Kaoru," the man said with a grin that emphasized his vulpine features. "How rude of you to skip town without leaving a forwarding address. I should've known better than to trust street trash to honor a deal."

"S-Saitou," Kaoru stuttered out, her body numb with fear. "There wasn't a chance for me to contact you. There was no way for me to get to any communication equipment once I was inside...I--"

"No matter," he interrupted, starting to walk her to the front of the house. "I found him. That's all I wanted. At last, after all these years..." They came to halt when they saw Kenshin standing in front of the house, his samurai sword brandished in his hand.

"Let her go," Kenshin said, his eyes all fierce violet flames. He saw the gun pressed to Kaoru's head and his hand tightened on his sword. It can't end this way, he thought. I won't let it. He then regarded her captor, who was utterly unfamiliar to him. The only thing that struck a chord was those eyes of his--the yellow eyes of a wolf.

"I'll let her go, all in good time," the man called Saitou answered. "She's a little insurance so you won't rush me before I explain in full who I am and why I'll be killing you today." A little whimper escaped Kaoru's throat before she could stop it, and Kenshin felt as though a tiny dagger had been thrust into his heart.

"My name's Hajime Saitou," the man said. "I'm a police officer. You killed my brother four years ago. Sliced him up in cold blood--probably with that very sword you're carrying now." His feral yellow eyes went to Kenshin's sword, which glinted in the sun. "He didn't die right away--he suffered for two days before his terrible wounds finally killed him. Hung on long enough to tell me about a red-haired teenager with impossible sword skills. Since then, it's been my sworn mission to find you--and kill you."

"If he died by my sword," Kenshin said calmly. "He undoubtedly deserved it. Just how well did you know your brother? I don't kill for fun."

Saitou arched an eyebrow. "Oh no? Well, you must enjoy it somewhat--no one gets that proficient at anything unless they like it. As for my brother, he was a highly decorated police officer with an impeccable record. You're just a murdering scum who's talented at hiding--if it wasn't for my clever little pet here, it would've taken me even longer to find you." His hand went up to cup one of Kaoru's breasts, and he took delight in the widening of Kenshin's eyes. "My my," Saitou continued, a vicious grin coming to his lips. "Don't tell me that you actually care for this guttersnipe. That's even better than anything I could've imagined! She was just supposed to be a spy, but I see she's been working overtime. Good job, Kaoru." He then bent down to lick the side of Kaoru's face, his eyes locked with Kenshin's all the while. Kaoru whimpered, straining to get away from him. Kenshin suddenly felt horribly dizzy, and the world seemed to tip on its axis. "She works for cheap," Saitou continued, obviously enjoying the young man's discomfort. "All I had to do was give her a few square meals, and she even threw in some blowjobs for free." Kaoru started sobbing, tears streaming down her face.

"Shut up!" Kenshin screamed. "You're a filthy fucking liar! Kaoru isn't--"

"Hn," came Saitou's derisive snort. "If I'm lying, why isn't Kaoru denying any of it? Come on, Kaoru, why don't you defend yourself from my big bad lies?" He shook her, making her head wobble on her neck. "Come on, loverboy's waiting to hear your declarations of innocence."

"Kaoru," said Kenshin, his voice choking. "Don't worry, I'm going to kill this bastard and then we..." His voice trailed off when he saw the expression on her face. No! his mind shouted in disbelief. It can't be!

Kaoru closed her eyes, and her voice quivered as she spoke. "Saitou did hire me to spy for him. I--I didn't know anything about you then. How could I? It was just another opportunity for me to make my life a little more comfortable. When I did get to know you, I was too scared to tell you... I didn't want you to hate me. I thought Saitou would never be able to find us, but I see now that that was a huge mistake. I'm so sorry, Kenshin. You don't know how much. I wish...that I never existed." Her eyes opened, and she looked at Kenshin with glistening eyes, a small smile coming to her lips. "Kenshin, I love you. I will always love you. Good bye." She then lunged at Saitou, startling him. His gun went off, sending Kaoru flying back against the wall. As she slid down, a crimson streak followed.

"No!" Kenshin hoarsely cried, rushing at Saitou with his sword raised. Saitou blinked at the young man's amazing speed, but his reflexes were finely honed as well, and dodged the sword with a powerful twist of his torso. He wasn't able to completely avoid the terrible slash, however, and felt a hot streak of pain course down his left arm. He looked down at his arm to see tha his sleeve was slashed through, and saw the bright red start to bloom through the fabric. So it begins, he thought with relish, his hand tightening on the grip of his gun. Today you die, murdering bastard! He rolled away from Kenshin's next attack, and brought his gun up as he rose to his knees. He fired, and was gratified to see the bullet connect with the top of Kenshin's right shoulder, forcing it back and causing him to stumble.

"Argh!" Kenshin cried out, feeling his arm go numb. He nearly lost his grip on the sword, but managed to stay on his feet. He knew it wouldn't be long before the loss of blood would weaken him. He had to quickly finish this. He transferred his sword to his left hand, and was relieved to see Saitou's eyebrows raise ever so slightly in surprise. I do have some tricks left, you bastard, he thought, launching himself into the air.

Saitou knew the attack would come from above, and fell on his back, aiming for the rapidly descending figure. He squeezed off a round, but blinked in surprise as Kenshin's form seemed to disappear. Saitou quickly rolled back up, and sensed a presence coming up behind him. Without turning, he aimed his gun directly behind him and fired, grinning as he heard the bullet rip through cloth and flesh. He reached into his coat for a hidden dagger, and spun in time to deflect Kenshin's sword. He saw that the bullet had merely gone through the fleshy part of Kenshin's side, and therefore hadn't done the kind of damage he was hoping for.

The two men strained against each other, their blades grinding together with a terrible force. They finally pushed away from each other with a grunt, and stood staring murderously at each other, teeth bared and breathing hard.

"I remember your brother now," Kenshin said softly, surprising the other man. "I believe his name was Takaya Saitou. You have the same eyes--I thought they looked familiar. I did kill him, and he did deserve it, despite what you may think."

"Shut up," Saitou snarled, raising his gun. "Nothing you say will make me spare you."

"Nothing I said back then spared my parents," Kenshin said, his eyes shadowed by a terrible memory.

"What?"

"He was the one who killed my parents. He was the one responsible for turning me into an assassin. Saitou, your beloved brother was a crooked cop, on the take from the local yakuza and just about everybody else who had the cash to grease his palms."

"Fuck you!" Saitou fired off a shot, but his roiling emotions affected his aim, and Kenshin was able to dodge it easily. Kenshin pressed his advantage.

"It wasn't just my family he destroyed. All the shopkeepers on our street knew him all too well, and knew that if they didn't pay him with money, they'd pay with their lives. It was no use going to the police--he'd covered his tracks too well. That's why I'd gone outside the law to deliver justice, just like you are now. Except...you're avenging the death of a horrible, evil man."

"Shut up!! Do you expect me to believe you, a two-bit killer? Don't make me laugh, you're going to die, one way or another!" This is it, Kenshin thought, watching Saitou start toward him, nearly foaming at the mouth with uncontrollable rage. Saitou fired off multiple rounds at Kenshin, but the younger man could now read his intentions like a book, and jumped high in the air to avoid the bullets. He landed behind Saitou, but instead of attacking from behind, he immediately leaped up again to land in front him, swinging his sword in a wide arc that plucked Saitou's gun neatly from his hand.

"Gah!" Saitou shouted, feeling his gun being wrested from his grip. He brought his dagger up to block the next blow, but had no defense for the crushing kick delivered to his knee. A sickening crunch could be heard as his kneecap was smashed, and Saitou fell back, limping as he tried to keep his weight off the injured leg.

Kenshin, giving him no time to recover, lunged forward, slashing his sword down swiftly against the older man's neck, sending him to the ground. Saitou, immobilized by pain, looked up at Kenshin with stunned eyes, wondering how he was still alive. He felt a terrible pain in his neck and knew he was probably badly hurt, but a blow like that should have beheaded him instantly. His eyes went to Kenshin's sword, and widened when he saw that it had been reversed. He'd been hit with the flat of it, not the blade.

"Why?" he asked hoarsely, his brows knitting in confusion.

The young man's arms relaxed when he saw that his adversary was no longer dangerous. Instead of answering Saitou, however, he immediately went to Kaoru's side to inspect her wound. Incredibly, the bullet had just grazed the side of her head, causing a frightening amout of bleeding, but no mortal danger. Hot tears poured from his eyes uncontrollably, wetting her face. He gently gathered her up in his arms, and took her into the cottage. He laid her on the kitchen table, and started cleaning and dressing her wound. His right arm was nearly useless from the gunshot wound, and he knew that they both needed some serious medical attention. As he was wondering how he was going to get a hold of Katsura, he heard his phone beep. Katsura, you're amazing, he thought, bringing the phone to his ear.

"Himura," he answered, not bothering to hide the exhaustion in his voice.

"Kenshin, what's the matter?" Katsura picked up on the strangeness in his voice right away.

"We had an unwanted visitor," Kenshin answered, his eyes going toward the door. He could still see Saitou's legs on the ground. "Everything's under control, but Kaoru and I need medical attention, ASAP."

"You got it--I'll send a medic copter over right away to pick you up. Looks like we're going to have some visitors of our own, and I need you here. Your vacation's officially over."

"Some vacation," Kenshin said sarcastically, looking down at the bloody mess he and Kaoru made.

"Hang tight, it should just be a couple of hours."

"Yes, sir." Kenshin put away his phone, and took Kaoru into the bedroom and laid her on a futon, trying to make her more comfortable. He looked down at her slack body, his heart hurting in ways he didn't even know existed. She'd put her life on the line for him. He knew that when she'd lunged at Saitou, she was fully expecting to die. He recalled her words to him before her desperate act: I love you. His throat started closing up when he thought of her being dead, never able to hear him return those words to her. He knew now that it didn't matter what deceptions and tragedies had brought them together. The only important thing now was that they'd been given a second chance.

"I love you too, Kaoru," he said to her then, bringing his mouth close to her ear. "Thank you so much for saving me, for giving me life." He held her hand in his, twining their fingers together. Nothing would come between them any more, he knew.

Sighing, he put down her hand. He had one last order of business to take care of. He walked out to the yard, and saw that Saitou was still flat on his back, but conscious.

"Why?" Saitou asked again, his yellow eyes intensely scrutinizing Kenshin's face.

Sighing, Kenshin replied wearily, "I realized that the cycle had to end here. Your brother caused me to kill, but then I caused you to want to kill, too. Had one of us managed to kill the other, that would've no doubt set off another chain reaction of grief, vengeance, and retribution. I see now that violence is not the answer. I'm tired of killing. I want to live; I want a future with that brave woman inside. I don't care about her past--it's not like mine's something to be proud of, either. If you still feel that you've been wronged, you're welcome to come after me, but I'm done with killing, that's all." He then stood up, and looked down at the Saitou. "No offense, but I hope I won't ever have to see you again--you're one tough bastard."

Saitou grimaced, and he said, "Thanks, I think. Now what?"

"Now you sleep for a while," Kenshin replied, and brought down a swift blow to the man's head that rendered him unconscious. You were a worthy adversary, Kenshin thought. If you're as smart as I think you are, you'll find out the truth about your brother, and then maybe you'll find peace. He then looked up at the bright blue sky, feeling a sense of hope about the future. A future with Kaoru. He smiled and headed back into the house.

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Chapter 14

Kaoru lay still and pale in the hospital bed, a white bandage stark against the skin of her neck. Various monitors were attached to her, and Kenshin stared at the glowing green lines with weary detachment. He'd been sitting by her bed ever since the medic copter picked them up and brought them to the new HQ. He'd even insisted on being treated for his wounds at her bedside, unwilling to let her out of his sight.

Katsura strode into the room not long after, and asked, "How is she doing?"

Instead of answering him, Kenshin retorted, "How much did you know about Kaoru's past?" He heard Katsura slowly exhale, and felt a sick anger rise in him.

"I knew she wasn't completely clean. When we did the sweep on her we did found a standard police microbug, but we knew the scan would've neutralized it, so I didn't think of her as that great of a threat. She was interesting to me...for other purposes, so I let her be. I'm sorry, I should have told you, but--"

"It wouldn't have worked so well had I known," Kenshin finished. His fist clenching, he looked up at Katsura with ravaged eyes. "You bastard, when will you stop playing God with everyone? I'm sick of it, sick of you! I know you think you know best for everyone, but... She almost died because of your little gamble, are you aware of that?"

The older man's brown eyes were sorrowful as he looked down at Kenshin. "Yes, I was aware of the possibility of danger for her, and for you. I'm fully aware of what my actions have done, and I can't say that I regret it. Aren't you in love with her? Don't you want a future for yourself...with her?"

Letting out a bitter snort, Kenshin felt tears prickle his eyes. "You're a hell of a matchmaker, Katsura. Yeah, I'm in love with her. I'd die for her. I know now that she'd die for me." His glistening violet eyes gazed up at Katsura balefully.

"I understand if you can't forgive me," Katsura said gently. "But believe me when I say that I care for you and for your well-being. I knew the greatest risk I took in this endeavor was losing my best agent, but I would've lost you anyway. I know you're done with this organization, and I can live with that. But I have one final mission for you--Megumi's been kidnapped by the mole and I believe it's our chance to draw out the true villain. I need your help, will you give it?

Kenshin's eyes widened in surprise at the news, and he immediately nodded. "Yes, of course.What happened?" Katsura settled down in a chair next to Kenshin to fill him in on the events of the past few days.

***

"This...can't be," Misao whispered, falling to her knees. Aoshi stood behind her, looking down at her bereft-looking form. Misao looked up helplessly at Aoshi, her face crestfallen. This was the fourth location they'd tried. They'd left for Tokyo at the crack of dawn, and arrived in the city a few hours later. Misao knew almost all the locations of the "holes" the agents used to get in and out of the compound, and found the closest one to the harbor. She'd pressed the hidden button, but the secret door did not open. She tried repeatedly, but there was no response. The system had completely shut down.

"Maybe we should try another place," Aoshi said, but his voice sounded grim. He had a feeling they'd be encountering the exact same thing no matter where they went. He saw Misao shake her head--she was thinking the same thing.

"It's no use. There's obviously no one left. No one..." Misao was horrified to feel the hot rush of tears behind her eyes, and lowered her face so he couldn't see. Don't turn into a blubbering idiot now, Misao! Come on, think! What else is there? Suddenly, she remembered that there was a kind of homing device inside the entrance, one that would be remotely activated by a Handler to guide a lost agent to safety. If they could only get the door open, she should be able to rig it to transmit the signal.

Scrambling up to her feet, she called out, "Aoshi! There's a chance that we could set off a homing beacon if we can get the door to open. Any agent with a comm device within range will see the signal. It's our only hope."

Aoshi nodded his head. "All right. Let's do it. Where's the door?"

"Well, it's gotta be built into that wall somewhere," Misao said, pointing to the brick wall at the end of the alley. "We're gonna have to take the whole thing out. How're we going to do that?"

"I might have something," Aoshi replied, opening his long white coat. Misao saw a row of small pockets and flaps, and saw him pull out a small lump of grayish substance. It was a plastic explosive. She let out an impressed whistle. "You're like Batman."

Throwing her an amused glance, he said, "All the toys--and no funny costume. Hey, keep an eye out over there while I do this." He gestured to the open end of the alley as he walked toward the wall.

***

Sano heard his phone make a sound he'd never heard before. Pulling it out of his jacket, he looked at it curiously. The display had no number, but was just flashing on and off. "What the hell?" he said, looking at it with furrowed eyebrows.

"Hey, it's a homing signal!" Yahiko said excitedly, grabbing the phone out of Sano's hands.

"A what?"

"It's to let an agent know where the nearest hole is if they get lost," Yahiko replied, punching at the phone's keyboards.

"Well I never get lost. That's why I've never hear it," Sano said with a disdainful snort.

"It's coming from pretty close by... Just a few blocks ahead! Come on!" The teenager started running ahead, leaving Sano blinking at him in surprise.

"Hey wait!" Sano took off after him, oblivious to the curious stares of the morning rush hour traffic. The phone's signal led them to a desolate street of run-down factories and buildings. Yahiko, looking down at the phone, saw the narrow entrance to the alley and pointed. "There! It's in that alley!"

"Be careful, Yahiko," Sano said after him. "We don't know if it's friend or foe." He saw the young man stop abruptly at the entrance, his eyes widening. It didn't look good. Rushing up behind him, what he saw shocked him into silence as well. It was Agent Misao--with Aoshi!

"Aoshi!" Sano roared, pushing Yahiko aside. "You bastard! Let Misao go!" He rushed toward the older man with a raised fist, but Aoshi stepped neatly aside, snapping back the flap of his coat with one hand like a bullfighter. Misao, her mouth hanging open with surprise, watched as Sano wheeled around and came at Aoshi again, this time throwing his entire body at him in a bone-crushing tackle. The two men fell to the ground with a thud, and immediately started rolling about and scuffling.

Misao , finally finding her voice, shouted, "Stop! Stop it!! Sano, stop!" She ran to the tangled figures on the ground, trying to pull Sano off Aoshi. Yahiko soon joined her attempt to pull the two men apart. It was like trying to tear two wildcats off each other, but somehow Misao and Yahiko managed, and the sounds of their labored breathing filled the small alley.

"What the hell's going on?" Sano asked, his steely eyes looking at Misao. "Don't tell me I was right about you being Aoshi's accomplice!"

"No, it's not like that!" Misao shouted. "I was kidnapped by him, but I found out that he's as much of a victim of the guy who did this as we are! We made a deal--I help him find Wu and he's got nothing more to do with us."

"I see," said Sano, wiping at some blood at the corner of his mouth. "The Stockholm Syndrome, eh? Well, it happens, especially to impressionable young girls--"

"Oh, shut up!" yelled Misao, her cheeks coloring. "They have his sister hostage. They forced him to fight us! We don't have much time, we have to find Wu!"

Yahiko , who'd been quiet all this time, finally spoke. "Well, his sister's not the only one being held hostage. They got Megumi last night."

"Oh no!" Misao said. "What are we going to do?"

"Luckily, we were able to get a hold of Katsura," Yahiko said. Glancing at Aoshi, he continued, "Katsura knows where Wu is. If you want to rescue your sister, you're gonna have to work with us."

"Understood," Aoshi said, straightening the lapels of his coat.

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Chapter 15

The glowing face of his digital watch read five minutes until midnight. Sano walked onto the deserted pier, his body tense and alert. The fog was heavy tonight, and he had a hard time seeing more than a few feet in front of him. Suddenly, he saw a silhouette coming toward him through the mist. “Who’s there?” he called, his eyes narrowing.

“Sano,” the silhouette said. It was Megumi. “Meg!” Sano yelled, running toward her.

“Stop!” a male voice boomed out, stopping Sano in his tracks. “Not one more step, Sagara, unless you want your precious girlfriend blown to bits.” Sano’s eyes went to Megumi, and saw that she was wearing a vest with bombs strapped all over it. Her hands were tied behind her back and she looked exhausted. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but knew his face couldn't hide the horror he was feeling. Her captor remained a few feet behind her, hiding in the fog. His voice sounded strange, too, as if he were trying to disguise it, but a certain unique cadence to his speech was tickling Sano’s brain…

“I’m here to tell you where Katsura is,” Sano said. “But you’re taking the bombs off Megumi first. If she’s hurt in any way, you’re a dead man.”

“Still all brawn over brains, I see,” came the man’s taunting reply. “I’m the one with the upper hand here, in case you didn’t notice. And I’m telling you that you’re going to lead me to Katsura personally, with the lovely doctor here as collateral, got it? If anything weird happens, you’re both dead meat. There's enough explosives on her to flatten a city block.”

Sano ground his jaws together in irritation, but knew he needed to comply for now. "All right, I'll take you to Katsura. Just know that if Megumi's harmed in any way, you're going to hell with me." The man snorted derisively at that, but knew Sano was dead serious. He said, "I have a car waiting for us at the end of the pier--you two walk ahead of me."

Even before the man finished speaking, Sano walked over to Megumi, and took her in his arms. She couldn't help but let out a sob at the feel of his strong arms around her. She was tired and frightened, and her composure was starting to crack. "Meg, it's all right," Sano said. "I'm here and I'm never letting you go."

"Oh, Sano..." She leaned her head against his chest, and felt hot prickles start behind her eyes.

The man let out an impatient sigh behind them. "Enough of this candy-ass bullshit. Start moving."

"Fucker," Sano muttered beneath his breath, making Megumi let out a startled laugh that fortunately sounded like a sob.

===

Yahiko laughed out loud when he heard Sano's remark coming through his headphones. Don't worry, Sano, he thought. We'll get those bastards. Just lead them right we want them.

"Hey, are you sure they're going to be all right?" Yahiko looked back at Misao, who was standing right over his shoulder.

"Not to worry," he replied, grinning. "Anyway, if anything were to happen, you guys will be there, right?"

"Right!" Misao said brightly, smiling back winsomely at him.

Aoshi, stared impassively at their exchange, a strange feeling roiling in his gut. They certainly seem very well suited for each other, he thought with a bitterness that surprised him. He tried to tamp down the thought that Yahiko would be a more proper suitor for Misao than he. What the hell do I care? he snarled to himself. But as his gaze surreptitiously traveled up Misao's long legs to her pert jean-clad bottom, he couldn't help remembering the feel of her soft mouth against his. A sharp pang of regret stabbed his chest and he closed his eyes. There's nothing to be done, he told himself, leaning his head back against the wall of the van. Just forget about it.

Misao somehow felt his gaze on her, and glanced behind her. Seeing that his eyes were closed, she eagerly took the opportunity to stare at his face. Why do you have to be so damned beautiful? It seemed she'd been asking herself the question far too much since she'd come to know him. Once you find Aiko...will that truly be it? Will we never see each other again after that? She still couldn't believe that Aiko was his sister. But what does it matter? she chided herself. It doesn't automatically mean he likes you or anything. For all you know, he could be married, with a bunch of kids running around somewhere. The thought of little Aoshis brought a goofy smile to her lips for some reason. I don't even like kids, she thought.

"Hey, Misao!" Yahiko's voice brought her back to reality with a start, and she looked over at him guiltily.

She squeaked, "Huh? What?"

Yahiko had seen the way she looked at Aoshi, and a knowing smirk curved his lips. He knew all about unrequited love. "Uh, I was just going to ask you if you wouldn't mind driving the van while I worked on the surveillance equipment."

"Oh no, not at all!" Misao and Yahiko scrambled to switch places, and soon the van was in motion, discreetly trailing the car that held Sano and Megumi.

===

Kenshin reached out a hand to caress Kaoru's cheek. He knew he had to go soon, but was loathe to leave her. He felt an almost physical need to speak to her. He needed to reassure her and himself that nothing between them had changed. He still felt the same way about her, but...how would the revelations about her past affect them? Wake up, Kaoru, he pleaded silently. There's still so much we need to say to each other. Wake up for me. He brushed his thumb ever so lightly over her bottom lip, willing her to open her eyes.

As if she heard his plea, her eyelids started fluttering. Kenshin's breath stuck in his throat as he watched her face twitch and move. Kaoru, come back to me...

The dark blue of her eyes were fuzzy and disoriented at first, but as they focused on Kenshin's face, they became brighter. A small smile curved her lips, then faltered as she began to remember. Her lips parted, but no sound emerged. Only a single tear escaped her eye to leave a glistening trail on her cheek. She looked away, and this time when her mouth moved, two words came out: "I'm sorry." Her voice was hoarse and very soft, making the words barely audible, but Kenshin heard.

"Kaoru," he said, clasping her hand in his and bringing his face close to hers. "I hope you're not sorry that you saved my life, that you...love me. Because I still love you, despite it all. Very much."

A sob escaped her throat at his words, and she shook against him in her relief and shame. Kenshin got into bed next to her, bringing her close against him. He silently held her as she cried, and knew it would all right between them. A hot, tight feeling suffused his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He pressed his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes. He mentally shuddered at the thought that she could have died and that he would never have had the chance to hold her like this. He tightened his arms around her.

They lay against each other until Kaoru was all cried out. She snuggled against his chest, letting its solid warmth reassure her. She couldn't believe that she was still alive, and that he still loved her. She'd been fully prepared to die when she'd lunged at Saitou. She hadn't been afraid of dying, only regretful that she and Kenshin wouldn't have more time together. But now...

"Kenshin," she said in a watery voice. "I love you too. More than anything."

"I know," he said, dropping a kiss on her head. "God, how I know! You risked you life for me. I...I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"Just keep loving me," she whispered, her lips brushing against the front of his shirt. "Don't ever let me go."

"Never." He loosened his arms so that he could gaze down into her face. "From now on, you're mine. And I'm yours. Forever. Got that?"

Her eyes misted over again and threatened to spill over, but this time there was nothing but joy in her heart. She gave a small nod and smiled. Kenshin bent down and kissed that smile--he couldn't help himself. He heard Kaoru's sharp intake of breath, but the way her body melted against his told him she didn't mind. Her lips were dry and cool against his his, but soon warmed as their kiss deepened. Kenshin tried to be gentle, but his pent-up passion wouldn't allow him complete control of his body. His mouth parted hungrily to consume her lips, licking and sucking with increasing ardor.

Breathless, they parted for a moment, regarding each other with passion-brightened eyes and flushed cheeks. Kaoru felt his erection give a slow throb against her belly. She didn't know if it was all the wild emotions coursing through her or what, but she suddenly wanted him very badly. She gave a little answering thrust with her hips, causing Kenshin to moan. He let out a small shaky laugh. "I better get off this bed before I make you do something you shouldn't right now."

Kaoru's face went scarlet, but she laughed as well. "To think, I finally feel ready, and I'm in a damn hospital bed. I'm sorry Kenshin, I--"

"Don't be sorry, love," he said, his eyes tender. "We'll have plenty of time for all that. I just want you to get well. That's the most important thing right now." Staring mesmerized into each other's eyes, they didn't hear Katsura's discreet footsteps enter the room. When they heard his low cough, they sprang guiltily apart.

"Sorry to interrupt," Katsura said, averting his amused eyes. He saw Kenshin scramble off the bed out of the corner of his eye and suppressed a smile. Giving them a few minutes to rearrange themselves, he finally turned and said to a furiously blushing Kaoru, "How wonderful that you're awake. Are you feeling all right?"

"Perfectly fine, Mr. Katsura. I-I guess we're at another compound?"

"Yes, this is the emergency HQ. We sent a helicopter for you when I found out about the incident at the cottage." It was clear from his tone that he knew all the particulars of the 'incident' and that he didn't need to talk to her further about it. Kaoru let out a silent breath of relief.

Katsura's relaxed, friendly face slowly set, and he looked over at Kenshin. Kaoru followed his gaze, wondering what was going on. "Kenshin," he said, walking over and putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "It's time." Kenshin nodded, and Katsura looked apologetically at Kaoru.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru, but you and Kenshin will have to catch up in a little while. There is a mission for Kenshin."

"A mission?" Kaoru's eyes were wide and disbelieving. "But he's hurt! Surely there's someone else..."

"I'm afraid not," said Kenshin, rising from his chair. "This is something I need to take care of. But...this is also my last mission."

"What?" Kaoru head whipped back and forth as she looked at the two men, wondering what she'd missed. "Just what is going on here?"

Kenshin bent down and gave her swift kiss on the lips, and said, "Katsura will explain. I'm afraid I have to go. Don't wait up for me. When you wake up in the morning, it'll be all over."

"In the morning? What time is it now? How could you just leave like this when--" Seeing the implacable resolve on Kenshin's face, her shoulders slumped. It seemed all she could do now was wait. "I...oh...all right. But please be careful, ok?"

"I will. I'm coming back for you. I promise." Sending her a crooked smile, Kenshin turned and walked out of her room. Kaoru looked up at Katsura helplessly, hoping that it would be all as Kenshin said.

Katsura exhaled, and sat down in the chair that Kenshin had just vacated. "I guess I should fill you in on what's been going on the past few days..."

--------------------------------------
Chapter 16

By the time Katsura finished speaking, Kaoru's mind was made up. "Mr. Katsura, you have to take me with you, to where Kenshin's going to be." Katsura's eyebrows rose, and he shook his head.

"Absolutely not. Kenshin would never forgive me if anything happened to you. Besides, you're in no shape to go anywhere." His eyes pointedly stared at the bandages around her neck.

"Sir, I know it sounds crazy, but I have this really weird feeling that I have to be there. I don't know why or how, but...I can't put this feeling into words!" Kaoru let out a frustrated sigh as her fists pounded the sheets. "I just have to be there, I know it."

"I'm sorry, Kaoru, but there's nothing you'd be able to do even if I allowed you to go, can't you see that? If the situation got out of control, you'd be in grave danger."

"That's why," she snapped, her eyes shining with sudden tears. "If it did get 'out of control,' Kenshin's life might be in danger. It might be my last chance to see him alive." She hung her head, and two heavy teardrops fell to the pristine white sheets. "If...if he falls in battle, I want to be there. I have to be there. Please..."

Katsura looked down at her bent head with consternation, his heart torn. He wished he could wave away her worries with platitudes of how everything was going to turn out fine, that Kenshin was going to be perfectly all right. But he truly couldn't in good conscience. He did have an uneasy feeling that this final mission of Kenshin's would be his most dangerous yet, especially if the villain turned out to be the one he suspected.

"On one condition," he finally said. Kaoru's head shot up, her tear-filled eyes big and hopeful. "You're to stay with me at all times. You will not interfere with Kenshin's duties in any way, shape or form. Understood? If he knew you were there, it could become a fatal distraction." Her head had started nodding even before he finished speaking.

"Yes, oh yes! Thank you, Mr. Katsura, thank you so much." She eagerly threw aside her covers, ready to bound out.

"Hold it," Katsura said, holding up his hands. "I'll send in a nurse to help you, just take it easy. God, I hope I don't regret this decision," he said, running his hand through his hair in exasperation.

===

His call was picked up after the first ring, as usual. "Master," the man said, smiling into his phone. "I will be meeting with Katsura in just a few hours--Wu is within our grasp."

"Is that right," the voice on the other line said dryly. "Katsura's dangerous; don't let your guard down for a moment."

"I understand completely, Master," the man said hastily, gulping down the lump of anxiety in his throat. "I will keep you informed."

"You'd better." The phone went dead and the man looked at it with disappointment. He was hoping his Master would be more generous with his praise, but he supposed that it was a foolish wish. The Master had always been hard to please, but he knew that once he delivered Wu to him, he'd have all the praise he could ever want. He had to restrain himself from bouncing in his seat with glee.

===

Sano stared blackly at the dark glass dividing the back seat from the front of the car. He wondered just what kind of man could betray his comrades like this. If he ever got his hands on that guy... He involuntarily cracked his knuckles, making Megumi flinch. He glanced over at her apologetically, and put a reassuring arm around her. Megumi shifted on her seat, her bound hands making it difficult for her to get comfortable. When Sano made a move to untie her hands, a tinny speaker voice squawked above them, "If you remove any of her restraints, you're both dead."

"Goddamn," Sano mumbled, catching sight of the surveillance camera mounted to the ceiling of the car. He should've known the bastards would be watching them. "Sorry, Meg," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's all right, Sano. Just keep your arm around me so my hands are off the back of the seat." She leaned tiredly against him, and closed her eyes. She felt infinitely grateful for his presence, but wondered if they'd make it out of this alive.

"Hey Meg," Sano said in a low voice, averting his face from the eye of the surveillance camera.

"Yeah?"

"Doesn't that guy's voice sound familiar to you at all?"

"He's always using that voice disguiser. I don't recognize it."

"OK, maybe I shouldn't have said 'sound,' but something about it is awfully familiar. I just can't put a finger on it. We know he's the mole, so he's someone we would've worked with at the old HQ..."

"Hmm, now that I think about it... It's the way he talks, isn't it? All kind of self-important and tough guy, but something underneath it isn't quite convincing."

"Exactly. I know I've heard him speak before, I just can't place it right now...damn!"

"Try to think about something else for a while," Megumi said. "You know how hard it is to remember something when you're trying too hard."

"Yeah well, I know what else I could think about, but I don't think you're gonna like it." His sly sidelong glance noted the color creeping into her cheeks. "I can see you know what I'm talking about."

"Oh stuff it, Sano." Megumi's words were softened by an underlying tone of amusement. "That was... I think we should think about something else. This is hardly the place or time."

"I can't. I wish I could, but I haven't been able to think about anything else but you for the past couple of days and I realize what a jerk I've been." Megumi heart began to race. "I've always been so jealous of Kenshin that when you brought up his name, I just kinda went nuts, I guess. I'm sorry. That's what I've been wanting to tell you. I'm sorry I was such an idiot. We wouldn't be going through all this right now if--"

"Sano," she interrupted. "Please don't blame yourself. I have a feeling that if it hadn't been me, it would've been someone or something else. It was just bad luck." She pressed her head against his shoulder to emphasize the point. After a long pause, she worked up enough nerve to say, "You know, these past few days, I was thinking about you too."

"Oh?" The hope was so naked in his voice that it was all Megumi could do to suppress a laugh.

"Yeah, you dope. I hated the way we'd parted too, especially because it was such a stupid misunderstanding. You see that now, right? What I was trying to tell you about Kenshin and me?"

"Yes," he said softly, rubbing his hand on her arm ever so slightly.

"It's over. My infatuation with Kenshin. Hard to believe, but it's true. Even before you came on the scene, although you did help me come out of it sooner, I think." A little rueful smile curved her lips, and she couldn't resist a glance up at Sano's handsome profile. "You've known me almost as long as Kenshin, why didn't I ever..." She averted her eyes, worried about insulting him again.

"Why didn't you ever notice me?" he finished, smiling as well. "Ah, who could compete with a tragic, brooding guy like Kenshin, especially a clown like me? I just had to be patient, that's all."

"Well, thanks for sticking around, Sano." Megumi's smile was wide and unguarded, making Sano catch his breath. How long had he dreamed of a smile like that from her? He wanted to kiss her badly, and started bending his head head toward hers when suddenly Yahiko's excited voice screeched through his earpiece.

"I know who the guy is!" he yelled, making Sano pause. "It's The Cleaner! I know it; I can totally place it now. Come on, you must see it too."

"The Cleaner..." whispered Sano, his face registering utter shock. Megumi slowly nodded when she heard, putting the fragments of the puzzle together. "Oh my God, I think Yahiko's right."

"His voice had been bugging me too, and it just came to me," Yahiko said. "Hard to believe that a guy who's been with The Organization so long could betray it like that, but I guess we really don't know that much about him."

"Yeah, he's always been kind of a shadowy figure," Sano mused, darting a glance toward the front of the car. "Wasn't he friends with Katsura's father?"

Megumi nodded. "I think so; I don't know how friendly they were, but they definitely worked close together for many years."

"If that's the case, it makes his betrayal all the more puzzling." Sano sighed. "Well, we're not going to get to the bottom of this right now. Yahiko, make sure you relay all this to Katsura."

"I'm already on it," Yahiko replied.

===

"No way, it's The Cleaner?" Misao's face was a mask of disbelief as she stared at Yahiko.

"Yup, I'm positive. I gotta call Katsura--keep following that car."

"Okay." Her mind awhirl with the identity of the betrayer, she didn't hear Aoshi come up. When he sat down in the front seat next to her, she cast a startled glance at him.

Aoshi looked back at her calmly. "So it seems you've figured out the mole. He must have been the one who busted me out of your compound."

"Do you know him?"

"No," Aoshi replied, shaking his head. "I didn't know anyone in your organization before he--my sister's kidnapper--approached me."

"Could they be the same guy?"

"I doubt it. The guy we're following is a patsy, I'm sure of it. The other one...he was much more self-assured. Supremely arrogant in his power."

"So how did you get involved in this anyway? What does that guy want with your sister?" Misao looked over at him briefly, trying to read his emotions. She could have sworn his eye twitched, but that was all he would allow himself to reveal.

"It's not my sister he was after," he said after a pause. "He's after Wu. My stepfather."

"Your what?" The van swerved a bit as she whipped her head over to stare at him.

"Keep your eye on the road, goddamn," Aoshi admonished. "Yeah, Wu's my stepfather. A fact that I'm not very proud of."

"Well, it's not exactly your fault--your mother might have had something to do with it."

Aoshi looked down at the clenched fists in his lap. "My father died in a car accident when I was twelve. My mother was extremely distraught and Wu swooped in when she was most vulnerable. Wu had been my father's business partner for a long time. He seemed all right, but once my father died and he had control of the company, it was convenient for him to take the business in the direction he wanted. Even at twelve I knew he wasn't a good man. He got involved with lots of shady deals, and the rest is history. My mother knew nothing about his business dealings. Had she known what kind of man he was, I'm sure she never would've married him, and given birth to his child...my sister, Aiko."

Misao was quiet, unsure what to say. Her throat lumped at the thought of stoic little twelve year-old Aoshi, having to deal with not only his father's death, but also gaining a stepfather that he despised. Aoshi sighed and continued, "As soon as I was old enough, I left the house and never looked back. It was painful to leave Mother and Aiko behind, but I couldn't remain one more minute under that man's roof. There was just one thing that made it bearable--Wu does love his daughter very much. I knew no harm would come to them. I just had to worry about myself. Luckily, I had some independent shares of my father's legacy, and built my own place--that island we were at."

"You owned that island?" Misao's mouth was agape as she shot him an incredulous look.

"I wanted to bring Mother and Aiko to live with me, but Wu's influence over them was too great. Mother didn't want to leave and Aiko couldn't bear to leave her, so I'd been living by myself. I've been using that time, however, to amass a force to storm Wu's place and get them out. But it looks like someone had already beaten me to it. A couple of months ago, I got a call from a strange man saying he had my sister and that I'd better cooperate with him if I wanted to see her alive. You know the rest."

"Oh my God," Misao said, shaking her head. "So is that why the son of a billionaire businessman fights as well as a trained assassin?"

"Believe it or not, if you trace back the Shinomori line, we used to be a family of ninjas who protected the emperor for generations. The secret arts of our family have been handed down intact all this time."

Misao let our a low whistle. "That's just too wild. You actually got ninja training?"

"Plus some other stuff." Aoshi felt himself getting uncomfortable with all that he'd just revealed. He wasn't used to talking with people, let alone spill his guts out about what he considered his shameful history. "I think that's enough about me. How does a 17 year-old girl get involved with an assassination organization?"

One of Misao's eyebrows raised in surprise at his sudden change of subject, but she decided to let it slide. "How else? I'm an orphan, like most everyone else. I don't have the faintest clue about my parents or my family. I was literally dropped off on the doorstep of an orphanage--no note, no nothing. The organization makes routine visits to certain orphanages and looks for 'talent.' Guess I got lucky."

"Hn," Aoshi exhaled. "Some luck. After all you've been through...are you sure you want to stay in this line of work?" If you were mine, Aoshi though. I wouldn't let you out of my sight, let alone go around courting danger. The troubling thought that she would be continuing to do exactly that after this was over suddenly occurred to him.

"Well, yeah," Misao replied, as if he was incredibly dense. "This is my job, it's what I'm trained to do. And I'm damn good at it, if I do say so myself. Plus, it's exciting--what more can a young woman ask for, right?"

"What about a normal life? What about...marriage, family?" He couldn't believe the words that were coming out his mouth.

"What? I'm only 17, for Christ's sake, let me live a little." He actually sounds concerned about me, she thought, delight filling her chest like a balloon.

Aoshi, grumpy at his lack of control, slouched down in his seat. "You're right. It's none of my business--let's just drop it."

"Sounds like a great idea," Misao replied nonchalantly, while fighting back disappointment. She wanted to know more about how his feelings for her. Ah, he just sees you as a little kid, she told herself. Don't get all worked up over nothing. She was so busy thinking about Aoshi that she almost missed the quick turn that the car in front of her made. "Shit," she muttered, speeding up a bit so as not to lose them. After a few more turns down maze-like alleys, the car stopped. Misao stopped the van, making sure to park around a corner from them to avoid detection.

"Looks like this is it, guys," said Yahiko, coming up behind them. "Katsura's up to speed with the stuff on our end. He said to proceed as planned, but we should expect extra company. He's pretty sure The Cleaner's not the top dog."

"So this could be it," Misao whispered. "The final confrontation. Aoshi, that guy might be bringing your sister, since he knows Wu will be there." Aoshi's face was grim as he said, "I'm counting on it."

===

This is it, Kenshin thought, his eyes closed as he leaned against his sword. My final mission. After this, Kaoru and I will be free. The thought of building a new life with her brought a smile to his lips, but the troubling thought that he might not survive this final mission quickly erased it. He'd been able to breezily reassure Kaoru, but he knew that he couldn't lie to himself. If Katsura's speculation about his foe was correct, it would be very dangerous, indeed. For his foe had intimate knowledge of The Organization--he'd been a part of it himself, many years ago. He'd been the top assassin before Kenshin's arrival. His name was Shishio Makoto, and he was hell-bent on revenge.

--------------------------------------

Chapter 17

A hand shaking her shoulder jolted her awake. "Time to get up, my dear. It seems the time of reckoning has come." Aiko blinked rapidly as she was hauled up from her bed, her mind trying to make sense of this new turn of events. Where was he taking her? Was this truly the end? She thought of never seeing Aoshi or the rest of her family again and choked on a sob."Now, now, no time for that," her captor chided impatiently, his voice as silky as ever. "This will be fun outing, I promise." His hand was gentle against the small of her back as he led her out of her cell.

===

The car stopped abruptly, making Sano and Megumi lurch forward in their seats. "This is it," Sano said, looking over at Megumi. She took a deep breath, and nervously licked her lips. Sano couldn't help but notice. "Damn," he muttered, reaching for her. His large hand wrapped around the back of her head, bringing her mouth to his. They kissed fiercely, realizing that this could be the last kiss they would ever share. The door on Sano's side flew open, causing them to reluctantly end their embrace.

"Come on out, lovebirds," sneered their captor, his voice dripping with sarcasm. As Sano got out of the car, his face bumped up against a giant pistol.

Looking up at his captor's masked face, he asked with exasperation, "Is that really necessary? You're clearly in charge--I accept that. There's no need to pick my nose with your toy."

"Just shut the hell up and get out of the car," his captor growled, pressing the gun harder against Sano's cheek.

"Fine, fine, just give me a little air, all right?" Straightening to his full height, Sano found himself towering over the captor. The Cleaner, eh? He thought, narrowing his eyes down at him. Seems about the right size. Delightful visions of beating the crap out of the smaller man danced through Sano's brain, causing a smirk to appear on his lips.

"What are you grinning at, you dolt?" The captor nearly screamed, vibrating with agitation. "Get the bitch out of the car and get moving!!"

"Yes sir," Sano drawled, turning around to help Megumi out of the car. Just you wait, peewee, he thought, gritting his teeth. Once he had Megumi up, he acted like he was dusting her off, causing the captor to bellow, "What the hell are you doing now?"

"Just making sure she's all clean," Sano replied. He flashed his teeth wolfishly at the man, noticing with delight how his body stiffened.

"MOVE!!!" The man shrieked, starting to wave his pistol around erratically. Knowing he'd probably pushed as far as he could, Sano put his arm around Megumi and started walking briskly into the large abandoned warehouse across the street. Megumi leaned in close, and mumbled, "Was that really wise?" To which Sano replied, "Since when have I ever been wise?"

"Excellent point," conceded Megumi.

The cavernous concrete structure they entered looked as though it had been abandoned for decades. Most of the windows were broken, and much of the walls had dark moldy streaks that gave off the telltale smell of mildew. Sano felt Megumi shiver against him and drew her closer. His eyes peered through the dark, trying to locate the marker. Just as he was despairing of finding it, he suddenly tripped over a seam in the floor, causing them to stumble. "Here," he said, stopping.

Suddenly, a trap door dropped out from underneath them, sending them whooshing down a dark tunnel. Their captor barely had time to register this when bright lights came on, flooding the structure. The man gasped, throwing an arm over his eyes at the sudden illumination. His thumb repeatedly pressed down on the bomb trigger, but nothing happened. Panicked, he started shooting wildly in all directions, stumbling for the door. Heavy bodies fell on him, knocking him to the ground. He struggled and cried out in despair as the mask was ripped off his head. He whimpered, trying to turn his head into the floor, but knew it was all over.

"Clarence," came Katsura's voice from above. "I'd suspected, but now that I see that it truly is you, I... I can't believe you'd want to destroy what you helped to build. Why?"

The man on the floor blinked up at him, squinting at the lights. His gray hair and mustache were disheveled from his struggles, and his lined face was sweaty with exertion and trepidation. "Why? How dare you ask why? You whelp! You'd taken what was rightfully mine! I was supposed to take over after your father died. I was one of the founders, dammit! But no, that son of a bitch know as your father appointed you to be his successor. He relegated me to be your lackey for the rest of my life, while you basked in the power and the glory of being the Organization's leader. You don't think that's reason enough?" Spittle foamed at the corners of his mouth as he fired those vindictive words, and Katsura stared down at him incredulously.

"That's it? The power and the glory? Is that all my father's legacy meant to you?" Katsura ran agitated hands through his hair. "My God, people have died! You killed innocent people for this petty revenge! You sicken me. Get this filth out of my sight." He gestured for his men to take him away, turning his back on the traitor.

The man named Clarence, his eyes maniacally wide, screamed, "This isn't over! You're already dead--you just don't know it yet!" Katsura listened to his mad cackles fade away, his hands tightened into fists. We shall see, he thought. Where are you, Shishio? I know you're close... Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aoshi run toward him. "Wait, let me talk to him! I need to know where my sister is!" Misao was following closely behind.

"He won't know," Katsura replied. "Shishio will have made certain of it."

"Shishio?"

"A former agent. We thought him killed in action almost ten years ago. During one of his missions, he got caught in a massive explosion, and his body was never found. Afterwards, we found out that he was a double agent, but there was little we could do--he was already dead, or so we thought. He somehow managed to survive, though, and has been operating under the name of The Phoenix. It was just recently that I made the connection. Apparently, he's had many dealings with your stepfather."

"Yes, damn him," Aoshi said bitterly. "But I guess even scum like Wu had his limits. He didn't want to meet Shishio's last request, and that's when he kidnapped Aiko."

"Right," Katsura sighed. "I've spoken to Wu, and what Shishio wanted was a deadly pathogen developed by the Soviets during the Cold War--something that could have endangered the entire planet. I shudder to think what that madman would have done with it."

At that moment, a dark figure flew in through one of the windows to settle on one of the beams in the rafters. The people below could see that his head was covered with a leather mask, and that he held a bound and gagged girl against him. "A madman, I like that!" bellowed the intruder, his voice booming throughout the building.

"Aiko!" Cried out Aoshi. Misao looked up, her stomach churning at the anguish in his voice. She could see that Aiko shared her brother's tall, lean elegance. She also saw that Aiko was very young, and remembered that she was only fourteen years old. Oh you poor girl, Misao thought, unconsciously biting her lips with anxiety.

"Ah, young Master Aoshi," said Shishio, looking down from the rafters. "We meet at last. Don't worry, I've been taking very good care of your sister..." The hand that had been around Aiko's waist moved up, covering one of her breasts.

"You fucking monster! I'm going to kill you!!" Aoshi whipped out a pistol from inside his coat, but stopped cold when he saw Shishio dangle his sister above the concrete floor of the warehouse. "I'd think twice if I were you," Shishio said, all amusement suddenly gone from his voice. "If you kill me, you kill her. You should be smart enough to see that."

"You...bastard!" Aoshi whispered, his face gone stark white. He lowered his pistol, and Misao saw that his arm was trembling.

"Shishio," Katsura said, his voice calm but firm. "Obviously, your grief is with me. Let the girl go."

"Oh please, you can do better than that," replied Shishio, the contempt sliding around his silky voice. "Give me Wu and we'll call it even."

He suddenly sensed a presence behind him, and heard something whooshing toward him with frightening speed. He swerved his body just in time to avoid Kenshin's sword from slicing him in half, but his evasive maneuver caused him to lose his balance, and he instinctively let go of the girl to prevent them both from falling.

"Damn!" he hissed, watching his prey spiral down toward the floor. His eyes went wide with horror when he saw that Sanosuke was waiting below to catch her. The girl fell into Sano's open arms heavily, sending them tumbling to the ground. "Oof!" Sano said, feeling a few of his ribs crack under the impact. Gasping, he rolled away, holding the girl, trying to get her away from Shishio as fast as possible. Aoshi was next to him in an instant, dragging them both off into a dark corner.

Shishio whirled to face Kenshin, who was rushing at him again with his sword raised. Grinning under his mask, Shishio reached under his coat to draw his own sword, blocking Kenshin's attack with an easy confidence that widened the younger man's eyes. Shishio saw his surprise and taunted, "You're certainly are a poor replacement for me if that has you worried."

From the shadows below, Kaoru watched the proceedings with concerned eyes, noting how easily Shishio had countered Kenshin's strike. They had reason to worry, she thought, her teeth chewing on her lips nervously. She tried to see where Sano, Aiko, and Aoshi had gone. How her heart had leapt into her throat when she saw Aiko plummeting to the floor! It looked as though Sano might have gotten hurt, and she hoped that they were safe. She longed to go over and help, but she'd given Katsura her absolute word not to move from her spot, and she had to honor her promise. She didn't realize just how hard it would be to watch Kenshin fight, especially such a deadly adversary as Shishio.

Katsura was suddenly at her side, a gun in his hand. "Shishio's men are storming the building. I've got to get you underground--hurry!"

"But..." Kaoru's gaze was still transfixed on two figures above, unable to look away. "I can't leave Kenshin!"

"Don't be an idiot, dying won't help him--hurry!" He took her by the arm and dragged her to a corner, and spoke into the small microphone on his collar. "Yahiko, open trap C4." A trap door like the one that swallowed Megumi and Sano earlier opened up underneath Kaoru, sending her screaming down a dark tunnel. Katsura, his mouth set, watched her disappear. He then turned his attention to Kenshin and Shishio, who were in the thick of it above. He'd ordered snipers placed all around the building, but at the incredible speed and proximity the two were moving, it'd be impossible for them to get in a shot.

Damn, he thought. I'm sorry, Kenshin. I'm doing my best. He could hear the sound of a firefight in the distance, and knew Shishio's men were close. "Sir," Yahiko's voice piped in his ear. "Kaoru's down here safely with us."

"Good. Make sure she stays that way, and keep a close eye on Kenshin, all right?"

"Yes, sir!" Yahiko replied. Katsura took a deep breath and ran toward his men to join in the fight.

Some fifty feet below the warehouse floor, Kaoru stood shivering in a large room, watching Yahiko at a control console with a bank of monitors above him. One of the monitors showed Kenshin and Shishio fighting, moving in a blur as they attacked and counterattacked on the narrow wooden beam. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and saw that it was Megumi.

"Megumi, are you all right?" Kaoru's relief at her safety was evident in her voice.

"Much better than I was twenty minutes ago, I can tell you that." Megumi said, holding up her reddened wrists where her bonds had been.

"Oh thank God! I nearly fainted when I saw you and Sano drop down into the floor. I saw the Cleaner press the detonator--I guess this place must have prevented the bombs from going off somehow?"

"Yes, unbelievably. Let's just say that Katsura's one hell of a planner." Megumi turned to the monitors, and her face got grim as she saw the fighting all around the building. "This is the last stand... Let's hope God's on our side." She turned briskly to some cots in the corner of the room, and Kaoru saw that Sano was one of their occupants, flat on his back with his ribs bandaged up. Kaoru rushed to his side, taking Megumi aback momentarily. "Sano!" Kaoru said, kneeling down by the cot. "Are you all right? That was quite a fall you caught." She glanced over at the girl on the cot next to Sano's, and saw that she was in the middle of a tender reunion with Aoshi. She also saw Misao standing awkwardly behind them, and felt a pang for her friend.

Sano put on a game smile, but Kaoru could see how hard it was for him to hide his discomfort. "Hey, Kaoru--glad to see you're OK. Sounds like you and Kenshin got caught up in some trouble as well."

"Yeah, looks like everything's going to hell at once." Kaoru smiled and reached for his hand, clasping it warmly in her own. "You're going to have to sit this one out."

"Hell, I want to be out there, but couldn't get the Doc to clear me." His warm brown eyes flitted over to Megumi, who was busying herself with some monitoring equipment and trying hard not to look as jealous as she felt. Kaoru could sense the negative energy aimed at her, and frowned. Was there something going on between these two? Catching her curious look, Sano waggled his eyebrows and gave her a small nod and a wink. A knot loosened within her chest then--the final piece of Kenshin's heart was now free. It seemed Sano had done her a huge favor--again. She mouthed, "I'm happy for you" to Sano, and gave a final squeeze to his hand before rising to her feet.

"Sano, you've done enough for now; we'll need your strength later. I'm gonna go and see if I can help Yahiko with anything."

"Sure thing, Kaoru--watch over Kenshin for me, all right?" Kaoru gave him a smile and headed back to the control console, where Yahiko was furiously tapping keys and working knobs.

"How's Kenshin?" she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. It took her a moment to find the monitor with Shishio and Kenshin, and she gasped when she saw them. They were still on the beam, in a furious clinch, and she saw that both of them had bloody slashes all over their bodies. Yahiko saw her aghast look and said, "They're too evenly matched--neither can seem to get an advantage. They've been fighting like maniacs. I don't know how much longer they can last like this."

"Oh God, isn't there anything we can do? Anything at all?" Tears came to Kaoru's eyes as she saw the blood running down Kenshin's sword arm. She knew that arm was still sore from his fight with Saitou. Kenshin, please hang on, she prayed.

Yahiko sighed, his brows furrowed over his controls. "Unfortunately, there are no working remotely controlled weapons systems in this building. It was still being put together when all this stuff went down--certain connections never got made so the systems can't be brought online."

"Connections?" Kaoru asked, getting a spark. "Could somebody make them now, possibly?"

"Possibly, if there wasn't a fucking war going on out there." Yahiko paused. "Wait a minute, you're not thinking what I'm thinking... No, no way! Way too dangerous. I have strict orders from Katsura--you are not going anywhere!"

"But it may be his only chance!" Kaoru knew it might be a suicide mission, but if there was a chance of giving Kenshin the advantage, she was willing to risk it. Suddenly, Aoshi spoke behind them. "Yahiko's right. You're in no shape to do something like that. I'll go. Please take care of my sister while I'm gone."

--------------------------------------
Chapter 18

"Aoshi, no!" Aiko half-rose from her cot, a shocked look on her face. Aoshi gave his sister a regretful look, and said gently, "They need my help, Aiko. I'm sorry. I'll be back soon, I promise." Misao, looking down at Aiko, piped up encouragingly, "You bet he'll be back! I'm going to make sure that he does! C'mon, Aoshi, let's go."

"What?" Aoshi blinked incredulously. "Out of the question. It's much too dangerous." He knew it was trouble when he saw her brows beetle into a V over her eyes. "Look, mister, I'm an agent--I know how to handle myself. You just better watch your ass, OK? Yahiko, hand him a com button and let's get it in gear."

Yahiko looked at Misao, then at Aoshi, who had a displeased set to his jaw. "Uh, OK," he stammered, knowing it was futile to argue with her. Better let Aoshi handle this, he thought, shrinking down in his seat.

Aoshi stomped over to Misao, and stood nearly nose-to-nose with her. "Are you out of your mind? There are bullets and God-knows-what-else flying around out there! There's no way I'll be able to protect you and get this task done!" Instead of being intimidated, however, his outburst only served to enrage her.

"Protect?" she nearly shrieked. "Who said anything about you protecting me? There are going to be a lot of connections that will have to be made, and it'll get done faster if I do some of them! And it's not up to you to tell me what to do, so just shove it and make sure you do your part!" With that, Misao stormed out of the room, her ramrod-straight posture conveying her outrage and displeasure. Aoshi and Aiko watched her leave, their disbelieving expressions identical.

"Aoshi, promise me that you'll come back." Aiko said softly, still amazed that anyone, let alone a girl barely older than her, had spoken to her brother that way. Misao was very strong-willed, she saw, and quite formidable. She felt better knowing that she would be going with her brother. Aoshi bent down to give her a reassuring hug, and said, "It's a promise. I've never broken a promise to you before, have I?" Aiko shook her head wordlessly against his chest, and he let a small smile appear on his face. Kaoru, watching their display of affection, felt a tightening in her chest. Will I ever be able to hold Kenshin like that again? she wondered.

"Aoshi," Yahiko called, tossing a small round button to him. "You and Misao will be on the same com line and I'll be directing you both to the locations. It'll be easy once you find them, but getting there will be the hard part. You ready?" Aoshi gave a brief nod, and headed over the next room, where he could here Misao rooting around for equipment and cursing him under her breath. If we make it out of this alive, Makimachi, I'm going to have to teach you a lesson, he thought with grim satisfaction.

===

Shishio and Kenshin stood facing each other, their chests heaving from their exertions. Evidence of their combat could be seen all over their bodies, in the form of bloody gashes and welts. Neither had been able to land a decisive blow, however, so most of their wounds were superficial. They'd been mostly gauging each other's abilities, and had come to the troubling conclusion that they were almost exactly evenly matched. Kenshin's sword arm, however, was still recovering from his battle with Saitou.

At this rate, it's just a game of stamina, Kenshin thought, eyeing his opponent coldly. Who will be the one to last long enough to strike that fatal blow? It has to be me. I can't let this man survive the night! Tightening the grip on his sword, he charged, his feet moving nimbly on a beam no more than six inches wide. His smaller size was an advantage under these conditions--his footing did indeed seem more secure than Shishio's, who was considerably taller and bigger.

Shishio accurately predicted that Kenshin would be striking at his chest and blocked the attack, but didn't count on him using his sheath to strike an almost simultaneous blow to his stomach. A choked sound emitted from his throat as the blow knocked some of the wind out of him, but he managed to stay on his feet, and heaved Kenshin off with a grunt. As Kenshin staggered back, Shishio followed, his sword a shining blur as he brought it down. It sliced empty air, however, as Kenshin executed a couple of backflips to get out of his way.

"You can't run forever, Himura," Shishio called, his sword flashing as he continued to run at Kenshin. "You won't stop me from bringing down Katsura and everything he's ever cared about!" He brought his sword down again, but on the beam this time, sending a powerful vibration along the length of it and forcing Kenshin to leap up. At that moment, Shishio jumped up as well, and the two clashed their swords together in mid-air. Because of his greater weight, Shishio was able to press Kenshin backward, and landed on top of him as they fell back onto the beam.

Both Yahiko and Kaoru gasped as they saw this on the monitor, and Kaoru couldn't prevent her hands from flying up to her mouth. Kenshin! she screamed inwardly as she saw the two men scrabble for balance on their precarious perch, their swords still crossed. Shishio, having pinned Kenshin down, reached one of his hands down his pant leg and pulled out a dagger from a side sheath. Kenshin sensed the movement and bucked wildly, successfully flipping Shishio off his body, but not before Shishio grazed a long gash on his thigh. Kenshin hissed in a breath, feeling the gash sting as he came up to a kneeling position. Breathing hard through his mouth, he stared fiercely at Shishio, whose crooked smile could be seen through his mask.

"Kenshin, hang on!" he heard Yahiko say in his earpiece. "Aoshi and Misao almost have some of the remote weapons online, and we should be able to try something in a few minutes."

"What happened to the snipers?" Kenshin asked, never taking his eyes off Shishio, who was readying himself for another charge.

"You guys are just too fast and close--they can't get a clear shot. They've been called to join the other fighting, so the remote systems are our best bet. But like I said, it's gonna be a few. So just hang on, OK?"

"Yeah, " Kenshin said, his jaw tightening as he saw Shishio start to run toward him. Kenshin leapt to his feet, wincing at the flare of pain in his leg, and crouched into the Battoujitsu stance. Kenshin saw a terrible flash of teeth under Shishio's mask as he drew closer, but he forced himself to remain still. Wait, just wait, he told himself. When Shishio was almost upon him, he inhaled sharply and drew his sword with the speed and power of a lightning strike. He saw his sword slice through Shishio's dagger easily, and would have taken off his head as well, but the masked man had blurred like a phantom before him and his sword merely whistled through air. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shishio behind him, and he whirled with the fluid motion of a predatory cat to confront him. What he saw shocked him.

Apparently, Kenshin's sword had made contact. Shishio's mask hung about his neck, having been neatly sliced off his ravaged head. Kenshin stared in wide-eyed horror at Shishio's brown, puckered skin, and the misshapen lumps that were his nose and ears. They were the result of burns that no man should have survived. Kenshin stared at the thin red line welling up with tiny beads of blood that marked the path of his sword. Roughly tearing off the remains of his mask, Shishio said with cold rage, "Get a good long look; it'll be the last thing you'll see."

===

"C'mon Yahiko, where the hell is this thing?" Misao grumbled into her com, slightly out of breath from her mad dash through heavy gunfire.

"You should see a corridor opening up to your...right. Go about 3 feet and there will be a panel in the ceiling. Crawl up there and you'll see some cables."

Yahiko heard some panting and grunting, and finally, "OK, I'm in!"

"Good, now you should see six cables on the ground; they need to be plugged into the proper connectors in the wall. Do you see them?"

"Yeah, I'm plugging them in right now."

"Excellent. Twenty feet ahead you'll see another set--plug those in, too. Aoshi, how's it coming on your end?"

"Fine," Aoshi said. "I've got the four sets on line; how many more do we have?"

"Just two more. But they're on the other side of that open area where the really heavy fire is; be careful."

"Got it." Taking a deep breath, Aoshi plunged out into the chaos of the firefight.

Misao's heart pounded as she listened to the exchange. She hurriedly made her final connections and started running as fast as she could toward Aoshi. "Wait," she gasped. "I'm almost there; wait for me to cover you!" She could hear Aoshi's accelerated breathing as he ran toward the opposite end of the building and knew it was too late. Reaching the open end of the corridor, she tried to located Aoshi in the midst of the flying bullets and bodies. Her heart leapt as she saw him; he was more than halfway there. Suddenly, her eyes caught a movement, and saw someone training a machine gun on him from a ledge above. Drawing her gun with a swift practiced motion, she shot the man in the upper chest, and watched him stagger and fall backward.

Before she could congratulate herself, however, she saw three men jump on Aoshi. Letting out an involuntary scream, Misao rushed forward, uncaring of the danger she was putting herself in. "Aoshi!" She cried, running like a madwoman toward him.

"Misao, goddammit, you better not be running over here," grunted Aoshi as he fought off the men. One of them managed to land a wicked blow on his head, making him dazed long enough for another one to sink a dagger into his side. Aoshi cried out in pain, but managed to grip the hand holding the knife, preventing him from twisting it and inflicting greater damage. The hot blood gushing out of his wound made their hands slippery, and Aoshi could feel his hands starting to lose their hold. Suddenly, shots whizzed by his head, and the hand holding the knife dropped away. He turned his head to see Misao running up to him, and frowned.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked. "Didn't I tell you not to come here?"

"You can yell at me later--just move your ass!" Misao grabbed his wrist and started running, and Aoshi held his tongue as he followed her, gripping the dagger still buried in his side. Several more men rushed toward them, but they were readily dispatched by Misao's pistol. When they made it to the far corridor, they gratefully leaned against the wall, catching their breath. Misao saw Aoshi's hand tighten on the dagger, and flinched at the wet sucking sound as he pulled it out in one swift motion. Aoshi didn't say a word, but his face was a few shades paler.

"I'm going to make those connections; you stay here," Misao said, running down the corridor before Aoshi could protest.

"Dammit, Misao..." Aoshi grumbled, knowing she was right. He pressed his hand against his wound to staunch the blood, and readied his pistol against intruders.

===

Having his scarred face revealed seemed to inflame Shishio to a greater degree of violence, and he flew at Kenshin like a demon, mercilessly raining blows down on him. It was all Kenshin could do to parry the blows and remain on the beam. I can't let him keep me on the defensive like this, he thought, knowing that the wounds in his arm and leg would start to affect him soon. Shishio seemed to sense this as well, and continued to press him backward, a triumphant grin making his face look even more grotesque.

"Had enough yet, brat? Don't worry; I won't let you suffer too much!" He swung his sword out horizontally, making the younger man scooted backward, only to have his back meet the wall. He leapt up, anticipating the speedy return of Shishio's sword, but didn't quite make it fast enough to avoid a slash to his left ankle that broke skin and shattered bone. Crimson drops flew out from his wound as he flipped in the air to land behind Shishio. As soon as his left foot made contact with the beam, it was all he could do not to cry out, feeling as though broken glass was being ground into his ankle. Balancing on his right foot, he hobbled backward, trying to distance himself from Shishio, who had already turned around to rush at him again.

Scrambling back, Kenshin heard Yahiko scream in his ear, "Jump, Kenshin!"

"What?" Kenshin blinked, wondering if he was hearing things right. Shishio was rapidly closing the distance between them, and he knew it would be over if he were to make contact.

"Jump off the beam, straight down to the floor--now!!"

One of the rules during agent training was to absolutely trust your Handler, and Kenshin knew he really had no other choice. Taking a deep breath, he jumped straight down, feet first, feeling Shishio's sword slice through his hair. Shishio looked down at Kenshin's dropping form in utter amazement, his eyes bugging out as he saw a hole appear in the floor to swallow him up. He was so startled by what happened that he almost didn't feel the remote lasers slice into his body, sending him thumping to the floor in neatly cauterized pieces. His men, seeing what happened to their boss, panicked and trampled each other in their haste to escape.

===

He closed his eyes as he fell, bracing for impact. Kaoru's image appeared in his mind, making his eyes burn with emotion. I love you, I love you, his brain kept repeating over and over. In this life or in the next, we'll see each other again... Just when he should have made contact with the floor, he felt himself sliding down a long metal tunnel, cushioned by air whooshing all around him.

"What the--" he then realized that he was safe--that it was over. Throwing his head back, he started laughing hysterically, tears streaming down his face. He was alive! Suddenly, a bright light appeared, and he found himself decelerating abruptly as the tunnel turned up. He slowly slid the rest of the way to the opening, where he could see Kaoru's teary but smiling face waiting for him. Laughing, he jumped at Kaoru, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru said happily, hugging him tightly around his neck. "Oh thank God you're all right!" She started raining kisses all over his tear-drenched face, stopping only when she tasted blood against her lips. She then remembered the state of his body, and scrambled up guiltily. "What am I doing? Here you are a wounded mess, and I'm attacking you!"

"I don't care," Kenshin said, drawing her down to him again. "The doctors will be here soon enough with the painkillers. I want to feel everything right now; I don't want to be numb to any of it." His hand on the back of her neck brought her lips against his, and Kaoru's protests evaporated. How long have I waited for this moment, she thought, feeling his warm and tender lips. She could feel the beating of his heart against her hand, and she felt tears come to her eyes. You brave, wonderful man. How could I ever have been afraid of you?

The preoccupied couple didn't notice Megumi running into the room, her doctor's kit in hand. "Oh..." she said, a blush coming to her cheeks. She was surprised to discover that she felt no jealousy or resentment at the sight. I guess I really am over him, she thought with amazement. Her doctor's side taking over, she coughed briskly, making herself heard. Kaoru saw that they had a spectator, and she sprang away from Kenshin like a scalded cat.

"Megumi! I- I'm sorry, I..." she stammered, feeling strangely guilty.

"No need to apologize, I know all about happy reunions," Megumi said cheerfully, kneeling down by Kenshin. "But it looks like he's going to need another kind of TLC for a while." She winked at Kenshin, to let him know all was well, and he smiled back. His adrenaline rush now at an ebb, he was starting to feel very tired. He felt a pinprick in his arm, and the room slowly faded to black.

--------------------------------------

Chapter 19

Kenshin was falling into the dark, turning end over end for what seemed like an eternity. His arms and legs flailed helplessly as he fell, straining in vain for any kind of purchase. He saw a light appear below him, its rapidly increasing size indicative of just how fast he was falling. As he was about to be engulfed in the light, his eyes opened with a start. He slowly let out a long breath as he realized he'd only been dreaming. He felt woozy and disoriented, and it took him a little while to focus on his surroundings.

Everything was white; he assumed he was in a hospital of some kind. The plain industrial-looking clock on the wall said it was 4:58. From what he could see of the light coming in through the window, it seemed to be in the afternoon. He tried to sit up and groaned, feeling a multitude of aches and pains assail his body. He looked down to see that he was clothed in a standard-issue hospital gown, and there were white adhesive bandages all over his arms, covering the various cuts and scrapes he'd endured during his battle with Shishio. He pulled back the covers and saw that his left ankle was encased in a cast. He remembered the feel of Shishio's sword on that ankle and shivered. He was infinitely glad that was over. He was now free. Free to be with the woman he loved. Even as his heart quickened at the thought of Kaoru, his eyebrows furrowed. Where was she, anyway?

Suddenly, a paranoid thought that maybe something had happened to her while he was unconscious entered his brain and he felt a rivulet of ice run through his chest. He sat up, despite the pain, and tried to get out of bed. He had a desperate need to see her, to make sure everything was still all right. When his feet touched the cold linoleum floors, he gasped, a spike of pain stabbing through his ankle. He hobbled toward the door, and just as he turned the knob, Kaoru stumbled into the room, upsetting a tray of food all over him.

"Kenshin!" she exclaimed with shock. She saw the front of his hospital gown dripping with the soup and pudding she'd brought back from the cafeteria, and couldn't help but start laughing.

"Oh no," she said between gales of laughter. "I can't believe I did this to you again! What are you doing out of bed?" She set the tray down on a table and took his arm to lead him back to bed.

"I...I was looking for you," he said, staring down at himself in bewilderment. "I just woke up and nobody was around. I was afraid that maybe something had happened to you; I just had to find you." Kaoru stopped and stared up at his violet eyes, and put a hand to his cheek. "Nothing's ever coming between us again. I'll always be with you." Kenshin could only cover that hand with his own, his throat too full for words. As Kaoru leaned in to kiss him, he closed his eyes in sweet anticipation.

That kiss never came, however, as Kaoru pulled back, remembering the mess on the front of his gown. "Ugh, I can't believe I almost forgot about this mess!" she said, laughing as she pulled away. Kenshin's eyes snapped open in disappointment, but she was already at the cupboards, looking for some new clothes. Damn, he thought, his eyes sweeping down her body, dressed in form-fitting jeans and a white long-sleeved t-shirt. He forced his eyes to look up from the appealing curves of her bottom as she turned around, trying not to look as lecherous as he felt.

"Here's a fresh gown," Kaoru said, holding it up for him. "I'll clean up this mess off the floor while you change."

"Uh, thanks," Kenshin said. Taking the gown from her, he limped to the bathroom. Not exactly the romantic reunion I'd been hoping for, he thought, taking off his soiled gown. In the full-length mirror on the door, he was able to get a good look at all the damage he'd sustained. He snorted with disgust at the sight of the bandages stuck all over his body, as well as the shaggy black mop on his head that was starting show signs of red roots. Definitely not in the best shape for a romantic reunion, he told himself. You're lucky she can bear to stand looking at you. Sighing, he pulled on the fresh gown. When he opened the door, Kaoru was waiting for him, and took his arm to help him back into bed.

"So, how long have I been out?" Kenshin asked as Kaoru smoothed the sheets around him.

"About two days."

"Wow, two days," he said disbelivingly. "Is everyone OK? What happened to Shishio?"

Kaoru sat on the chair by the bed, and took one of his hands in hers. "Aoshi and Misao were able to get the lasers online right after he broke your ankle. That's why Yahiko told you to jump; the lasers cut him into pieces. It's over."

"Thank God. No one else is hurt?"

"Aoshi got a knife to the ribs, but it wasn't too serious. He and his sister will be going home soon."

"Hm, I think Misao's going to be sad to hear that," Kenshin said with a smile. "What about Sano and Megumi?"

"His broken ribs are healing well and Megumi's been a madwoman running around this new facility trying to treat everyone. Speaking of Megumi, she said for your to stay off that ankle for at least another three days."

"Days? What am I supposed to do in bed for three days?" The both paused a beat at his words, sudden inevitable thoughts crowding their heads. Kenshin saw a wild blush come into Kaoru's face, and grinned mischievously. "Well, maybe it won't be so bad after all." He took a hold of one her hands and hauled her up into the bed with him, ignoring her weak protests.

"Kenshin, your wounds..."

"They're fine; I won't even feel them in a minute." He brought her head down to his, sighing at the touch of her soft lips. "You're what I need right now," he murmured, deepening their kiss. As his tongue slid past her lips to caress and tease, Kaoru's body gradually relaxed. Moaning softly, she put her hands on either side of his face, her fingers brushing over his ears and cheeks. She began returning his kiss with fervor, her long-pent passions suddenly running wild. Kenshin felt the sweetest ache go through him as he felt her tongue move against his. He ran his hands down her back to her buttocks, squeezing her and bringing her hips closer. Kaoru could feel the unmistakable heat and hardness of his arousal through his paper-thin gown. "Wait," she gasped, rearing back. At his hurt look, she quickly said, "The door. It's not locked." She quickly slid off the bed to lock the door, and drew the curtain around the bed for good measure. Smiling at him impishly, she said, "We wouldn't want my visitation rights revoked, now, would we?"

"No, definitely not." Kenshin replied, his eyes growing bigger as Kaoru lifted her T-shirt over her head. Her hands hesitated ever so briefly as she reached behind her, but the moment passed and soon her bra lay on top of her t-shirt on the chair by the bed. Kenshin could feel his breath coming faster as he watched her undress, his penis now unbearably hard and making a rather comical tent pole beneath the sheets. Kaoru couldn't help but notice his excitement, and said teasingly, "Like what you see?"

"You have no idea," he replied huskily, throwing back the sheets as she climbed back into the bed once more. He made a move to sit up, but Kaoru's hand was firm on his chest. "Uh-uh," she said, shaking her head. "I'm in enough trouble as it is--I have to make sure you don't strain yourself."

"I'm straining right now," he said, glancing down at himself. Grinning, Kaoru reached under him to untie his gown. She gasped when she pulled it off and saw what was underneath. "Oh God, Kenshin..." Her fingers trembled as she lightly ran them over his torso, her eyes suddenly threatening to spill tears. "What you've been put through..." She put her head down on his chest, and Kenshin could feel the hot drops of her tears on his skin.

"Hey," he said, putting a hand on her head. "C'mon, it's all right. It's over now." He lightly stroked her silky hair as she cried, trying not to notice how good her smooth skin felt against his. The downturn in the mood didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of his raging erection, and he shifted uncomfortably beneath her. Kaoru felt that slight movement, and it jolted her back to reality. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she smiled up at him. "Sorry. Kind of destroyed the mood, didn't I?"

Smiling back at her, Kenshin shook his head. "No. No way, can't you feel how much I'm still in the mood?" He allowed himself to thrust up against her, letting her feel his excitement. It made Kaoru blush and duck her head, but she couldn't help a pleased smile from coming to her lips. She loved him so much. She kissed his chest, enjoying the feel of his warm skin against her lips. She then began to kiss her way all around his chest, mindful of the bandages. When her lips found a dark pink nipple, she paused to touch her tongue to it, and began lapping at it like a kitten.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin hissed, amazed at the intensity of the sensation. Her tongue was an unbearably sweet flame that seemed to spread its heat all throughout his body, not just where he was being touched. His cock gave a surge against her abdomen, impatient for release. Kenshin's breath came in pants as Kaoru moved on his to other nipple, licking and sucking it to a tight hard tip. He heard a moan, and wasn't sure if it came from him or her. His hands moved down from her head to her upper back, wanting to feel more of her skin. He stroked her shoulders, then the sides of her breasts, their sweet curves making his blood thrum even heavier through his veins.

"Yes," Kaoru said huskily, lifting herself up so we could have better access. "I want you to touch me." Her bare breasts were an offering he couldn't resist, and Kenshin gently put his hands on them. They both sighed, marveling that such a simple thing could give so much pleasure. He cupped and squeezed, loving the feel of how her warm globes filled his hands. He brushed his thumbs against her nipples, making them hard and rosy.

"God, you're so beautiful," he said helplessly, looking down at her flushed cheeks and parted lips--the picture of desire. "I want you so much. Please." His penis throbbed anew against her, and she whispered again, "Yes." She then bent her head to his body again, making him gasp as she marked a trail down his chest and abdomen with her lips and tongue. Kenshin felt his throat and chest constricting as he realized what she meant to do. He wanted it and not wanted it at the same time: he knew it would be heaven, but that it would end things much too quickly. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he hoarsely whispered, "Stop."

Kaoru looked up at him with shining eyes, perplexed. "You...don't want me to?"

"Of course I do," he gulped. "It's just that... it would be over too quick, you know? It's been a while and I'm sure it'd be... too much for me..." Kenshin's voice trailed off, and he wondered if he looked as lame as he felt.

"Oh," Kaoru said with a relieved voice. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

"Wait, I don't--" She bent her head before he could stop her, and Kenshin lost all coherent thought as her warm mouth closed around the tip of him. "Ah!" he gasped, his torso bucking off the bed. He felt the moist warmth travel farther down his shaft, and he grit his teeth. She took him into her mouth and throat as far as she could, then slowly backed up, unaware of the level of torture she was inflicting on him. "K-Kaoru," he bit out, trying not to make embarrassing sounds in his pleasure. "Christ, you're killing me."

She mumbled something around his erection, but didn't stop. If anything, she slowly began increasing the speed and suction of her mouth, threatening to reduce him to a pile of babbling jelly. Oh no, he thought, feeling himself close to coming. Not yet, you idiot, he said to himself, trying to think of anything that would delay the inevitable. He opened his eyes, hoping that the sight of the hospital environment would dampen his ardor. He wasn't able to do any such thing, of course--his eyes went immediately to Kaoru, and it was all over. Seeing her naked body, with her head bobbing up and down on his cock, was too much. The orgasm suddenly slammed through his body, making him quiver all over. She moaned encouragingly as she felt him stiffen and shudder against her, welcoming the jets of hot liquid that shot into her mouth. She continued to caress his cock with her mouth as he came, loving the feel of him shaking helplessly against her. It was a long while before Kenshin could stop trembling, and when he was still, Kaoru finally released him.

He looked down at her with dazed eyes, at a loss for words. "I wish you would've waited a bit," he said, a sheepish smile coming to his face. "I wanted to please you too. Come here." He grabbed her by her upper arms and dragged her up his body until they were face to face. He planted a deep kiss hard on her lips, telling her without words just how much she'd pleased him. While their lips were locked, his hands roamed down her back to her buttocks, caressing and kneading. His fingers found their way between her buttocks, and proceeded to explore the slick wetness he found there.

"Ah," Kaoru moaned at the feel of his insistent fingers. She arched her back and raised her ass up so that his fingers could have easier access to that aching part of her. Kenshin readily complied, running his fingers along the slit of her vagina and spreading the moisture all around, including the hard bump of her clitoris. She jumped when he touched her there, causing him to smile against her lips. "Yes, that's it," he said, rubbing and teasing the center of her pleasure. Soon she was squirming against him, letting out little moans from her throat. Her excited reaction was having a predictable effect on his cock. It slowly unfurled against her abdomen, causing her to gasp, "So soon?"

"I'm surprised it took this long," Kenshin said dryly. "It doesn't seem to take much around you."

Kaoru let out a pleased laugh, and sat up until she was straddling his hips. Taking his rapidly hardening penis in her hand, she moved it against her crotch, rubbing her clitoris with it. She groaned, feeling the sweet sensations suffuse her body. She felt the increasing liquid heat gathering between her legs and suddenly wanted his cock inside her desperately. "Oh Kenshin," she sighed, raising herself up and positioning his erection at the entrance of her vagina. "I want you so much..." She slowly sank down onto him, moaning aloud at the feel of his bulging hardness filling her up. Kenshin groaned as well, amazed at how excited he was. It was as though he hadn't come at all just moments before. He looked up in wonder at the naked woman sitting on top of him, her glorious blue-black hair falling heavily to her shoulders and her breasts bouncing as she began rocking her body.

He eagerly thrust himself into her tight wet passage, enjoying the way she threw her head back in helpless pleasure. Wetting a thumb in his mouth, he began rubbing her clitoris with it, causing her to gasp his name. The combination of his caressing thumb and rampant cock soon had her nearly sobbing in pleasure, a state that Kenshin found vastly satisfying. "Yes Kaoru, please come for me. God, I want to feel you come all over me. Please..." His hoarsely whispered entreaties served to inflame her passions, and she came with a loud wail, her hips moving over his in a crazy rhythm. Kenshin felt her pussy tighten and pulse around him in her orgasm, and he couldn't hold back any longer. He came with a strangled shout, bucking like a wild horse. Their movements caused the metal bed beneath them to squeak in protest, but neither of them noticed.

On the other side of the locked door, a hand hesitated on the knob, hearing the sounds. Uh-oh, Megumi thought, an embarrassed flush coming to her face. Guess I'll be coming back later. She hurried away from the door, trying to look nonchalant. Sano was the last stop on her rounds tonight, and she was feeling suddenly inspired...

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Chapter 20

When Megumi reached the door to Sano's room, she took a moment to comb her fingers through her hair and straighten her coat. Why am I so nervous? she asked herself. Indeed, her heart was starting to race and her hands were a bit damp. The past two days had been so hectic that they hadn't been able to spend much time alone, and she was feeling herself getting shy around him again. Shaking her head as if to clear it, she grabbed the knob and swung open the door. The light in the room was low, and she saw Sanosuke lying in bed, deeply asleep. Shutting the door quietly behind her, she walked over to the side of his bed. She couldn't help but stand and stare down at him for a while.

Her eyes warmed as she took in the spikes of his disheveled hair and his handsome face in repose. His well-shaped lips were slightly parted, and she felt an incredible urge to bend down and kiss them. Not wanting to wake him just yet, she let her eyes roam down instead, observing the steady pulse in the strong column of his throat. She felt her own pulse speed up as she looked at the smooth tan skin of his well-developed chest and shoulders. The sheets were pushed down low around his waist, baring his still-bandaged midriff and rippled abdomen. Her eyes involuntarily went to his crotch, then flicked away in embarrassment, her cheeks getting warm. She had yet to see that part of him naked, and wondered if this would be the night.

Hoping to distract herself, she reached out to lightly touch the skin of his chest, marveling at its suppleness. Men shouldn't have skin like this, she thought idly, tracing the divide between his pectorals. He twitched in his sleep, making her retract her hand in alarm. Her heart raced, causing her to grin at herself ruefully. You act like you've never been with a man. You want to wake him, don't you? Yes, she thought, her fingers reaching for him again. This time she didn't stop when he stirred, but continued running her fingers down his chest and abdomen, stopping just short of the rucked sheets at his waist. She gasped when his hand closed over hers warmly, halting its motion. The blood thrummed in her ears, rushing into her cheeks. She found herself unable to look up at his face. When his hand led hers to the rapidly rising lump under the sheets, she exhaled shakily.

He pressed her hand firmly against his erection, letting her feel its heated impatience. She could hear his breathing grow ragged as he started running her hand up and down his hardening length. She curled her hand around him, causing him to groan. She finally looked at him, breathless at the raw passion she saw in his face.

"Sano," she said, continuing to move her hand.

"Doctor," he said between clenched teeth. "You have quite a bedside manner."

His quip served to relax her, and she answered, "Just making sure everything's in working order."

"I'll say."

"Me too." Grinning, she leaned down and covered his mouth with hers, her dark hair falling like a satin curtain around their faces. They kissed hungrily, their mouths caressing each other with abandon. Keeping her mouth on his, Megumi struggled to get out of her coat, gasping when she felt his hands on her breasts. She kicked off her shoes and crawled the rest of the way into bed to nestle against him. Sano's fingers expertly undid the buttons of her blouse, and paused a moment to caress the lace of her bra appreciatively before swiftly unhooking that as well, causing her breasts to fall heavy and full against his chest. Breaking the kiss, Megumi said breathlessly, "You sure know your way around a girl's clothes."

"Jealous?"

"Beast," she said with a laugh, bringing his head down to ferociously claim his mouth once more.

His hands slid warmly over her naked back, sliding down to find the zipper at the back of her skirt. The sound of the zipper being opened was somehow unbearably erotic to Megumi, and she moaned low against his mouth, a liquid heat starting between her legs. Sano's strong hands slid down her skirt and underwear over her hips in one languid motion, and soon she lay completely naked against him.

He lifted his head to look at her naked form, his eyes darkened with passion. "Megumi," he said. "Just as I'd always imagined you. Perfect." She smiled, tossing the sheets back to bare his body to her view as well. Her eyes roamed down his chiseled muscles, pausing at the prodigious bulge straining at the front of his boxer shorts. "So are you," she huskily replied, reaching for the waistband. He helped her slide off that last barrier between them, and they lay naked against each other for a while, savoring the feel of their skin touching and the sweet anticipation of their incipient lovemaking.

His engorged cock pulsed against her as if to gain her attention, and Megumi reached down to enclose him in her hand. As she slowly pulled on it, Sano's lips found hers and his hand delicately touched her breast. He lightly fingered her nipple, making it harden and rise. He then kissed his way down her neck and chest to softly wrap his lips and tongue around it. Her hand paused for a moment on his cock, distracted by the sensations he was causing within her body. "Oh, Sano," she moaned, the warm ache between her thighs intensifying. He seemed to read her mind, and soon his fingers were on that part of her, opening and caressing, distributing the wet heat all around the folds and clitoris until she thought she would scream.

She tightened her grip around his cock, loving the way it jumped. Her thumb traced the ridge around the head of it, then made its way to the tip, finding it wet and slippery with his excitement. "Ah," she sighed in satisfaction, glad that she could make him as ready as he made her. She wanted to feel him inside her, and tugged at his cock impatiently, but Sano had other ideas.

"Wait," he said, his fingers finding her clitoris. He began rapidly stroking it with feather-light touches, noting with delight the way Megumi's hips rose off the bed. He wanted to taste her badly, and traced a trail down with his tongue, stopping just short of her clitoris.

"Tell me," he said hoarsely, meeting her eyes. "Tell me what you want."

"Sano," she whispered, her fingers gripping his hair as she looked down at him. "Please, I need you." She pulled on his head, lifting her hips up against his mouth. He allowed his tongue to touch her clit then, moving slowly at first, then with increasing speed until he had her panting and writhing beneath him. "Oh yes," he whispered, tonguing her vagina and licking up her sweet juices. He brought up his hand and inserted his fingers into her, making her buck and cry out. Her warm pulsating vagina excited him unbearably, and he wanted nothing more than to thrust himself mindlessly into that wet heat. Not yet, he told himself, willing control. I want to feel her come against my mouth first.

He didn't have long to wait; Megumi's fevered whispers and moans continued to escalate as her orgasm approached, and when Sano felt the spasms start, he quickly flipped her over onto her stomach and rammed himself inside her, making her cry out. He continued to caress her clit with his fingers as she came, intensifying her orgasm and making her buck like a wild mare underneath him. He groaned aloud as her cunt pulsated around him tightly, making him lose control. His thrust hard into her again and again, unable to stop himself. A few seconds later, it was his turn to tremble and shudder against her, burying his face against her neck as indescribable pleasure racked his body.

"Ah God," he said, rolling off her body to lay on his back, his chest heaving. "I don't think I've come that fast since I was fifteen." Reaching out, he brought Megumi close against him, her head on his chest. His heart beat like a primitive drum in her ears, and she smiled.

"It's just as well," she said, caressing the bandages on his midriff. "I shouldn't have let you do it at all, but I guess I wasn't thinking like a doctor."

"Thank God! Anyway, isn't sex supposed to be the best medicine, or something?"

"That's laughter, you idiot."

"Yeah, whatever," Sano said, waving his hand dismissively. "They don't know what the hell they're talking about. I feel sooo much better now."

"Well, I'm glad." She snuggled closer to his chest, loving the warm feel of him. After laying in companionable silence for a while, she felt a pleasant lethargy overcome her, and closed her eyes.

"I think I'm going to go to sleep now, Sano." His answer was a soft snore.

==========

"All set?" Aoshi's pale blue eyes looked at his sister, an affectionate smile on his lips. Aiko nodded, patting her bag. "Then I guess it's time for us to go." He took her hand and led her out the door, a strange feeling coming over him. While he was relieved that the ordeal was over and he and his sister could go home at last, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss as well. He knew exactly what was causing that feeling, but he was loath to analyze it any further. It's better this way, he told himself, setting his mouth. There's no way it would work out. Just forget about her.

"Aoshi, you're hurting me," Aiko said, withdrawing her hand from his grip.

Blinking down at his frowning sister, he was instantly apologetic. "Damn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"

"Aren't you even going to say goodbye to her?" Aiko's calm question cut him short.

"W-who?" He turned his face away from her, quickening his stride.

"You know who." He could feel his sister rolling her eyes at him. "She likes you, you know."

"Um, yeah. I know that, but--"

"And I know you like her too. Why won't you go see her?"

"Look, it's complicated. If I see her, it'll be too...hard."

"Too hard to do what?" Aiko stopped, forcing Aoshi to look back at her. "To say goodbye to her forever? Why do you have to? If you guys like each other, why can't you guys go out? It think it'd be neat if you guys became boyfriend and girlfriend--she's so cool! I want--"

"Stop it, Aiko!" He instantly regretted the harsh tone of her voice, but what she was saying was tearing him apart. "We have to forget about her, and this whole goddamned place."

"But why?" Aiko said, suddenly teary, feeling like she was five again, trailing and whining after her older brother. "They're nice. I like them. They saved our lives. Why can't we see them again?"

"You don't understand. What they do is dangerous--they are in constant contact with bad people and bad things. To be near them means being near to those things yourself. I'm never jeopardizing your safety again, do you hear me? Plus, she's just a kid. Christ, she's barely older than you. It just won't work. That's all there is to it. End of discussion." He started again down the hall, his mouth set in a grim line. Aiko could see by the implacable set of his shoulders that the discussion was indeed over. You win for now, Aoshi, she thought. But I know you won't be able to forget about her so easily. She slowly trailed off after her brother, looking back once more down the quiet corridors.

When their footsteps faded away, Misao let out a pent-up breath and slid down the wall. She'd been on her way to their room, to see Aoshi one last time. When she'd heard them arguing, she'd frozen like a deer against the wall, unable to stop from eavesdropping. So that's it, she thought, hot prickles assailing her eyes and nose. I'm never going to see them again. I'm never going to see him again. Her chest felt suddenly crushed and heavy, and she found herself gasping for breath. Damn you, Aoshi, she thought with anguish. Why did I have to fall in love with you? Her quiet sobs and sniffles echoed against the blank white walls.

==========

Kenshin and Kaoru snuggled against each other under the covers, unable to imagine a more perfect happiness. The room was dark, save for the glow of the moon coming in through the window.

"Kenshin?"

"Hm?"

"Are you really sure about leaving?"

"Yeah." His answer was immediate. "It's going to be weird, but I really do think it's the best thing for me to do. I need some distance. This has been the center of my life for a long time--I don't think I could even say I had a life. I just...have this crazy urge to explore the world, to see all the things I never thought I wanted to. How do you feel about traveling?"

"With you?"

"Of course with me. Katsura and I've already made arrangements. I have The Organization's funds at my disposal--within reason, of course. It won't be luxurious, but it should be comfortable. Do you think you can live with that?"

"Oh Kenshin, do you even have to ask?" Her eyes sparkled happily in the dark. "I don't care what happens, as long as we can be together." She squeezed him tight to emphasize her words.

"I'm so glad. I want you to be happy." He buried his nose in her hair, hugging her back. It seemed unbelievable to him that they could really be together like this, forever. "I love you. Very much." His voice was small and muffled, sending a sweet piercing ache into Kaoru's heart.

"I love you too, Kenshin. We'll never be lonely again, will we?"

"Never." Kaoru smiled at the feel of his lips on her hair and closed her eyes.

"My wanderer," she whispered, letting sleep claim her.

==========

SIX MONTHS LATER

As Aoshi strode into his office, his secretary waved him over. "Mr. Shinomori," she said, rising from her seat. "You have a visitor."

"A visitor?" An elegant eyebrow arched. "I don't recall any appointments this morning."

"She didn't have an appointment, but insisted--"

"She?" It couldn't be, he thought, his heart starting to thud against his chest.

"Yes, sir. A young woman." The displeased set of the secretary's mouth told him that his guest was attractive. "As I was saying, she insisted upon seeing you in person. I couldn't get her to leave. I was actually just about to call security." She picked up the phone, a finger poised on the intercom button.

"Ah, hold off on that," he said, hurrying toward his inner office. "I'll assess the situation and let you know."

"B-but sir, you couldn't possibly want to talk to that--"

"Miss Yoshida, please wait for my call. Thank you." He could feel Miss Yoshida's lovelorn gaze against his back as he walked away. No matter what he did, it seemed all his secretaries (male and female) seemed hell-bent on becoming infatuated with him. He sighed--he wasn't looking forward to firing her. The problem of Miss Yoshida fled his mind, however, as he caught sight of a young woman's slender back as she sat in front of his desk. She was wearing a large-brimmed hat, and he couldn't tell if she'd put up her hair or if it was short. How long would her hair be by now?

He cleared his throat, watching the woman's body tense. "I believe you wanted to see me, Miss...?"

The woman twirled the chair around, her head tilted down so that her face was completely obscured by her large hat. Aoshi got an eyeful of crossed stockinged legs emerging from a long belted coat. She had on black alligator pumps with three-inch heels, and her hands were immaculately manicured. He couldn't stop a crushing sense of disappointment. It's not her, he thought despondently. She'd never dress like this. He looked away, cursing himself a fool.

"It's Miss Makimachi, but why be formal--just call me Misao."

Aoshi's eyes widened in shock, and his head snapped up. Sure enough, it was Misao's face under that hat, expertly and exquisitely made up.

"Misao," he whispered, still unable to believe it was really she. "But how...why? And what are you doing in that getup?"

Letting out an embarrassed laugh, Misao ducked her head. "Yeah, I guess I got some explaining to do, turning up like this... Um, well, what would you say if I told you I kinda quit being an agent?"

"What? You what?" At his utterly bewildered look, Misao's sunny smile quavered a bit.

"I quit the job. I decided I wanted to lead a normal life. I want... Hey, what do you mean by 'getup'? I thought I looked nice!" She looked down at herself, sticking out a slim, stockinged leg. It had taken her and Megumi hours to decide on the right "look."

"You... You look fine; I'm just not used to you looking like that, is all." He found himself having a hard time peeling his eyes away from that leg. "Besides, that's not the point. That's great you decided to quit such a dangerous business, but...what exactly does that have to do with me?"

Misao was silent, her head bent. Just when Aoshi was starting to get unnerved by the silence, she looked up at him, her eyes large and luminous as a doe's. "I had hoped...that if I did quit, that you would..." Her cheeks turned a rosy pink, and she seemed to be fighting with herself to keep her eyes on his. "...want me." She swiftly untied the belt of her long coat and shrugged it off her shoulders, letting it pool at her feet. She was dressed in a black lace corset with matching panties, frilly black garters holding up her stockings. She averted her flaming face, unable to look at him any longer. This is it, she thought, biting her lip. The moment of truth. "I'm not a kid, Aoshi," she said softly.

Suddenly, his hard, muscled arm grabbed her around the waist, making her gasp in surprise. Her eyes shot up to his, and widened as she saw the fierce passion there. His blue eyes shimmering, he brought his mouth down hard on hers, bending her back over his arm. Her hat fell to the floor, sending her long hair tumbling down. Misao, her heart bursting with relief, returned his kiss with eagerness, wrapping her arms around his neck. Aoshi ran his hands greedily over her body, trembling with desire. He cupped her firm little ass and pressed his hips against hers, letting her feel the hardness growing between his legs. Groaning, he walked her backwards until they ran into his desk, laying her down on top of all manner of papers and documents.

She gazed at him with half-closed eyes as he attempted to undo the tiny hooks holding her corset together. He should have looked ridiculous, his suit rumpled and his mouth red with her smeared lipstick, but to her he couldn't have been more beautiful. Frustrated by how long it was taking him to open the garment, he gave up and just tore the thing in half, bending his head down to taste her bared breasts. The feel of his mouth sent an uncontrollable shiver through Misao, and she let out a moan, clutching his head. Aoshi's making love to me, she thought with amazement. She felt his hands at her hips, grabbing at the gossamer lace of her panties and ripping them off with ease. She was now completely naked except for her garter belt, stockings and shoes, a sight that Aoshi found almost ludicrously erotic.

"You," he said through tight lips. "are most definitely not a kid." He ripped off his suit jacket, flinging it to a distant corner of the room, and undid his tie as Misao worked on his belt. By the time Aoshi got his shirt off, her fingers were undoing the zipper of his pants, making the breath catch in his throat. He felt his mouth go dry as she sat up on the desk, sliding his pants and underwear down his hips. His erection sprang out from his clothes to point straight out, heavy and throbbing. As Misao bent down to slide Aoshi's pants further down his legs, she felt it brush against her cheek, and paused. Aoshi swallowed hard, feeling her soft cheek against his aching shaft. He leaned his head back, eyes closed in an agony of anticipation, wondering what she would do. He felt her hands slide up his thighs, then felt her cheek slide against the tip of him. He felt her breath against him for a moment before she took him into her mouth, and he shuddered, groaning aloud. "Oh God, Misao!" he cried, as the warm silk of her mouth enclosed him. His knees buckled slightly, and he found himself involuntarily grabbing her shoulders to keep his balance.

The fantasies that had been plaguing him for the past six months paled in comparison to reality. He never dreamed that she could be so bold, but he definitely wasn't complaining. Her mouth was making him fast approach the edge, and he knew he had to stop her. "Ah, Misao..." he said, gently disengaging himself from her. Misao blinked up at him, her eyes questioning the interruption. "Why don't we slow things down a bit..." He kicked off his pants and scooped her up in his arms before marching over to a large leather sofa that was against one of the walls.

"Mr. Shinomori!" The sound of Miss Yoshida screeching his name through the intercom stopped him cold, and he looked over at it in irritation."You have a meeting scheduled for ten o'clock, and it's--"

"Cancel all my meetings!" He barked at her. "And take the rest of the day off!"

"B-but sir--"

"That will be all, Miss Yoshida." When he heard the click of the phone, he continued to the sofa, tossing Misao gently onto it and settling his body on top of hers with a satisfied sigh. "Now, where were we?"

"Aoshi, your appointments! You can't just...cancel them!" Misao looked at the door nervously, causing him to laugh.

"Sure I can," he said, placing little kisses against her jaw and neck. "I'm the boss--I can do whatever I want. And I want you...right now." His hand covered a breast, squeezing and caressing, causing Misao's eyes to flutter shut.

"You're the boss," she agreed faintly, losing herself in sensation.

"Mm hmm..." His lips left a velvet trail down her neck and chest, pausing to pay lavish attention to each nipple. He loved the way her body tensed and quivered as he kissed her, and wanted to hear her scream his name. He continued to kiss and lick her way down her body, feeling her fingers tighten in his hair as he neared the source of her desires. His thumbs parted her folds, making her swollen pink bud pout out, eager for his touch. "Oh God, you look so good," he said, before covering it with his mouth.

"Aoshi!" Misao moaned, her back arching. No one had ever touched her like that before, and the pleasure was so intense she thought she'd pass out. Her obvious enjoyment of his touch spurred him on, and he sped up the fluttering of his tongue against her clitoris, feeling it get hotter and harder. Misao writhed helplessly against him, gasping for air. She felt the sensations cresting within her, and just as they threatened to break, Aoshi stopped. Her eyes snapped open in surprise, and she looked down at him. A wicked grin was on his lips, all glossy with her juices. "I believe in delayed gratification," he said, his eyes piercing hers as his tongue reached out to give her a slow, lazy lick. She hissed in a breath through parted lips, unable to take her eyes away from the incredibly sensual sight. His tongue took her to the edge again and again, but would always stop just before she came, driving her to the brink of insanity.

"P-please," she begged, tugging at his head as he stopped, denying her her release once more. "I can't take anymore. You're driving me crazy! Please..." Her body glistened all over with sweat, quivering from exhaustion.

Aoshi had reached his limit as well, and he brought his body up to position himself between her thighs, his painfully swollen erection throbbing against her. He then sank his full length into her, groaning as he felt her liquid heat squeeze him. He sought her mouth with his own, letting her taste herself on his lips as he thrust in and out of her. Her clitoris, exquisitely sensitized, felt a jolt every time it came in contact with his hips. As his thrusts came harder and faster, she felt herself nearing the edge again.

"Aoshi," she wailed against his mouth. "I...I'm going to come. Oh God, you're making me... Ah!" Her head went back as her body stiffened against his, taut and arched as a bow. The orgasm crashed over her and engulfed her like a tidal wave, drowning her in exquisite spasms. When Aoshi felt those spasms rock through her body, squeezing and pulling at him, he lost all control. He hammered into her, mindless and driven toward just one goal. He came just seconds after her, lights like fireworks exploding behind his eyes as his body became racked with powerful shudders. His arms tightened around her, squeezing her hard against his body as he emptied himself into her.

When he became aware of his surroundings again, Aoshi rested his sweaty forehead against hers, and exhaled a long slow breath. "You... What am I going to do with you?"

Her eyes still closed, Misao answered, "What you just did was pretty good." He could hear the smile in her voice, and let out a little laugh. "Pretty good? Sounds like I need more practice. Are you up for that?" He gave a small thrust with his hips, making her throb around him. Misao inhaled a sharp breath, and bit her lip. "Uh, okay, make that very good." Bringing himself up on an elbow, he looked down at her relaxed face. He was glad to see that most of her makeup had been wiped off; he had to admit that he wasn't too crazy about it. He preferred her the way he remembered her. His hand came up to cup her face, and he caressed her mouth tenderly with a thumb. Her eyes slowly opened, looking up at him with such shining adoration that he felt his breath stop in his throat.

"Did you really quit being an agent? For me?" he asked, feeling himself mesmerized by those dark emerald depths. I would happily drown in them, he couldn't help thinking.

"Yeah. I may have set feminism back twenty years by doing it, but I don't care. I...love you, Aoshi. Six months without you made me realize what was more important to me. I just hope that you feel just a little of what I do. That's all I ask." She was horrified to find herself close to tears, and closed her eyes to keep them at bay. "I'm not usually so blubbery and weak! I hate feeling this way, but I... I guess I'm just a hopeless case around you."

"Oh Misao," he said, kissing the corners of her eyes. "God knows I thought about going back for you every day we've been apart, but I just couldn't do it. I'm the coward. I told myself that staying away from you was for the best, but to be honest, I was also afraid of what I was feeling for you. I've never felt like that with anyone before, and I didn't know how to deal with it. Are you sure you want to be with a craven fool like me?"

"I can't think of a craven fool I love more." The tears overflowed her eyes as she pressed her lips against his, crying and laughing at the same time. "You've done it now. You're never going to get rid of me."

"You just try to escape," he said, he face shining with a smile so happy and loving that it made Misao choke up all over again. I'm going to keep that smile on your face, Aoshi Shinomori, even if it kills me, she vowed to herself. "I do have one condition, however," he said, his face suddenly serious.

"W-what?" Her eyes grew big, alarmed by his grave tone.

"My sister has to be your maid of honor at our wedding. She'd kill me if--"

"Our what?"

"Wedding. That's what people in love customarily do--they get married, they eventually start a family, buy a minivan..."

His words faded when she circled his neck with her arms, bringing his head down close to hers. She whispered, "I accept. Now just shut up and kiss me."

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THE END

Oh my God! I can't believe it finally ended! Woohoo! Thanks for everyone who stuck it out to the end. It was my first really long fic and I must say that even though it was tough at times, it was very fun to write. I hope you'll continue to read my future fics. Stay tuned :)
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