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Concessions	By : lawless Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 3636 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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
- 7
- 8
- 9
CONCESSIONS
by Lawless

...Why was she afraid?...Perhaps it was just that it seemed so...final...

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DISCLAIMER: This is a fanfic. I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or its characters.

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Chapter 7: Luncheon and a Mysterious Note

Tokyo in autumn was a sight to behold. The trees were putting up a spectacular show of blazing gold and burning red in preparation for the fall. Sakura blooms lined the streets, greeting passers-by as they went about their daily lives. And the scent of jasmine and camelias filled the air while cold Westerly winds blew in from the Pacific, bringing with it new people, new knowledge, and new challenges.
She was oblivious to it all as she stood on the wooden plank that served as bridge between the gently bobbing ship and the stationary harbor where it was moored. It was as though she was unaware of the throng of people pushing past her and casting curious glances at her still figure. The onyx of her eyes narrowed as she scanned her surroundings, stopping at a figure of a man standing beside a tempura stall.
Drawing her fur-lined cloak closer to her body, she stepped down from the platform and approached an unmarked carriage. But before she climbed in she glanced briefly at the man and nodded imperceptibly. The man merely tilted his head downwards in the slightest of nods before moving away to disappear in the crowd.
Inside the carriage, the woman spoke, "The Akabeko-ya."

o0o
Hands in his coat pockets, Sano made his way through the traffic of people towards the Akabeko. He absently fingered the piece of rolled paper inside his right pocket, his thoughts wandering. It was only about five minutes ago that he was walking down the crowded street when he heard a zing - the distinctive sound that a kunai made when it darted through the air. His senses were instantly alert and he prepared to avoid the sudden attack only to find out that he had not been the target as the deadly weapon hit a nearby wooden crate with a thump. He turned watchful eyes towards where he perceived the weapon came from but he saw no one suspicious so he returned his attention to the item in question.
He inspected the kunai. When he stooped his tall frame to pick it up, he noticed that wedged tightly between the metal weapon and the wood of the crate was a tiny piece of paper, folded in the shape of a paper crane. The object brought back images from not too long ago when he was yet young and naive and a stranger in an even stranger country. He quickly pulled the kunai and opened the folded note.
"At the Pass, the snow is white and bold. But the eyes of evil is many-fold."
It was a warning.
It was also telling him to meet with whoever it was that wrote the note.
The paper crane...
The Red Lanterns?
He remembered his earlier conversation with Shinomori. The former Oniwaban Okashira had asked him what he knew about the Red Lanterns. Sano told him the generic answer, that they were a syndicate with shady underground connections, that he had heard about them during his stay in Hong Kong. Shinomori did not buy his account but he did not push him either. Instead, the quiet man had told him to watch his back. Sano had laughingly dismissed his words, saying that he had no business with the Red Lanterns so they wouldn't have any reason to come after him. He wasn't telling the whole truth, of course, but he wasn't really worried.
That is, until the note came.
The tinkle of bells sounded as Sano opened the door and entered. He waited for his eyes to adjust in the shade before he trailed his gaze through the many occupants, more out of sheer force of habit than any attempt at finding a familiar face. He was bound to meet a familiar face anyway. Like the restaurant owner for instance.
He saw Tae emerge from a door. As soon as she spied his figure, she gave him a ready smile which he returned. She had good reason to be smiling at him today. And even better reason to be especially friendly with him. Sano had finally paid off all his debts after all these years. Plus interest.
Sano watched her approach, feeling slightly bemused by the frilly restaurant uniform that she wore. It seemed that the ever-practical Tae observed Western modes of dress in order to attract more gaijins to her business. "Konnichiwa, Sanosuke-san," Tae greeted him.
Sano returned the greeting and also bowed low. Then he grinned at her, saying, "I never thought the Akabeko-ya went for French uniforms but" - a wicked light in his eyes - "I must agree that outfit looks great on you."
The flirty comment got the expected reaction. A blush and a dismissive nod. Tae murmured some words which he could not understand as she led him to a table. After asking for his order, she left him to be alone with his musings.
Some things never change, Sano thought as he sat on the tatami mat, a low table in front of him and the noise from neighboring tables bombarding him from all sides. The rich aroma of something cooking wafted from the kitchen through the half-open shoji, enticing his appetite and making his stomach grumble in anticipation. Food. Smiling to himself, he settled into his pillowed seat and waited.

o0o
David picked Megumi up from the Genzai Clinic. He had intended to come for her at the dojo but the onna-sensei told him that she had a few things to take care of at the clinic. What she did not say to him was that she had yet to tell her friends about her engagement. David knew this but did not press the matter. And Megumi felt both relief and guilt warring inside her.
The carriage ride to the Akabeko was short and quiet. Megumi was too restless about meeting David's brother to say anything. And David was occupied with his own thoughts, his blue eyes looking out placidly at the passing scenery. It was to be a semi-formal luncheon where David would officially introduce Megumi to his brother as his fiancee. The prospect caused an unfamiliar feeling of nervousness creep up, causing her to fidget.
She felt her hands being squeezed and she looked up at deep blue eyes smiling at her in reassurance. "Nervous?" He asked, his tone tender. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Pete's a good man. We have not been on good terms since my...lapse but," he patted her hand gently, "he's family and he's going to like you."
Megumi returned his gentle smile without saying a word. Lapse. He was talking about his previous addiction to opium. Strange that she had spent nearly half her life trying to eschew everything that had anything to do with that drug only to find herself a man who was once enslaved by it. A slave of opium. Like she had been...
Ghosts. Memories. Those were all she was fighting all these years. Her past was too much a part of her. And David was too much a part of her past. But he was concrete though. He was flesh and blood. So why was she afraid then? She shook herself mentally. There's nothing to be afraid of, she thought. Perhaps, it was just that it seemed so...final.
But Megumi's fears were unfounded. Luncheon turned out to be an occasion of gaiety. David's brother, Pete McKay, was an older version of him with the same laughing blue eyes and dark blond hair. The moment they were introduced, Pete had declared himself in love with her almost at the same breath as he pronounced David a lucky man. Then, he openly flirted with her, flashing her one of his devilish smiles even as his younger brother scowled in mock anger. Then, all three of them sat back while Tae with her helpers served the food.
All through lunch, Pete regaled Megumi with tales of his adventures. He was captain of the ship, Asuka, he told her and added that he also owned half of it, the other part owned by his partner and friend. Told in his jovial voice, all the dangers that he and his partner had encountered during their travels -- nearly starving to death in Mongolia, getting attacked by Indian natives, being caught in a squall off the Atlantic -- all these sounded nothing short of entertaining punctuated with just the right amount of humor. Megumi found herself laughing the whole time and actually felt sorry when it was over.
She was still laughing as they were stepping out of the room when she caught sight of a familiar head of mussed brown hair, sitting with his back turned towards them. Her steps faltered. Sanosuke.
"Well, I'll be knee-deep in horse manure! Yang Liu!" Pete suddenly called, apparently recognizing someone in the room as well.
Sano heard his name being called and recognized the voice immediately. McKay. Then, he realized that he was supposed to be meeting with the gaijin for luncheon today. Something about his brother's fiancee. He had completely forgotten about it. He turned, anticipating an annoyed McKay which should be amusing to watch. But his grin froze when he saw who was with him.
Megumi.

- oo - TO BE CONTINUED - oo -

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A/N Chapter 7. An especially long one. Hope I don't bore you to tears.
In case you don't know yet...Concessions n. 1: an act of conceding or yielding 2: something yielded
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Concessions