Now That You've Returned - 3/?

[Gundam Girl]

Gundam Girl: And so I write chapter three.

Kenshin: GG-dono?

Yes, Kenshin?

Kenshin: Why did you lead the readers to believe I was dead, de gozaru ka?

Drama, Kenshin dear, it?s all about drama.

Kenshin: But the readers love me. . .

But Kenshin, it?s artistic if you suffer these days!

Kenshin: -_-x; Oro. . .

Disclaimers: All of them apply.

Warning: Severe shock, anger, sadness. . . That may be it for this chapter.

Note: It has been brought to my attention that I have the little girls (Ayame and Suzume) mixed up, Suzume being the older and Ayame being the younger in the story. If this is true, sorry! For now, I?m just going to keep it that way. And though it may seem stupid, I?ll probably go back once the fic is finished and then correct it. Kay? Kay.

*~Now That You?ve Returned~* Chapter Three

?Kenshin. . .?

Sano fell back on a forearm, not a single muscle willing to support him. His eyes were wide, his face pale, and his teeth clenched. Denial glinted in his expression, and everything about the way he stared at the cross-shaped scar on the red-haired swordsman?s cheek read disbelief.

Megumi and Yahiko continued to look on as well with similar expression of shock.

?You can?t be him!? Yahiko exclaimed at last. Couldn?t be. The Kenshin he?d known as a ten-year-old boy had been invincible, unstoppable, and, most of all, had died six years ago. And he knew. . .he knew the dead didn?t come back to life. The gods didn?t work that way. Even for Kenshin.

?Kenshin?s dead,? added Sanosuke, as though he was trying to convince himself that the man in front of him was a mere illusion. ?He?s dead!?

The short carrier of the sakabatou looked hurt. ?Yahiko, Sano. . . I?m alive. I?m not dead,? he said gently, in the soft, oh-too-familiar voice of the former Hitokiri Battousai.

Megumi, on the other hand, had seemed to come back to sharp alertness ? and she flew at the samurai.

?It is,? she sobbed. ?It is you. Oh, dear, dear Ken! I thought you were dead! I truly thought you were!?

The ghost or whatever Sano thought he was blinked for a moment, then shifted to hold the female doctor. ?Yes, Miss Megumi. I?ve returned.?

Sanosuke barely registered Yahiko falling to the floor as well.

?No WAY!? Sano said defiantly. ?Can?t be! Uh-uh! Kenshin?s a noble samurai! Kenshin?s no coward.?

?I like to think so, that I do.?

?Then WHY?!? the ex-gangster demanded, clenching his right fist and pounding on the floor. ?Why did you leave?! Those rocks fell. . . And Derekai??

?Who?? Kenshin asked.

?Derekai,? Yahiko said abruptly, having found his voice. ?Kenshin. . . The guy that tried to kill you. . .did kill you. . .is Derekai Takeda. . . Kanriyu Takeda?s son.?

?Interesting,? he said without missing a beat. The red-haired samurai didn?t look the least bit surprised. ?I?m always connected to somebody somehow.?

?That isn?t the worst of it,? Megumi told him fiercely. Her tears had dried and now her eyes were sharp and sassy. ?After you ? died ? Yahiko?s life was in danger.?

At this, Yahiko bowed his head, and every part of him seemed to tense.

?Kaoru was already distraught about losing you,? the doctor when on, noticing Kenshin?s sudden alertness upon mentioning the Kamiya woman?s name. ?But when Takeda attempted to hurt Yahiko as well, she went berserk. From what I?m told.?

?Yeah,? Sano added, looking tired. ?She seemed totally helpless.? As he said the words, his temper seemed to rise again. ?And do you even know why? It was because you were gone! Shit, Kenshin, do you have any idea what?s happened the past six years?!?

Kenshin?s seemed to freeze, even as Megumi stepped out of his arms and back to Sanosuke.

?I suppose the first thing to tell you is that we?re engaged,? Takani said gently, though not happily. Where there was grief there could be no joy.

?Another is to say that Suzume is almost a woman and has a boy pursuing her to prove it,? added Yahiko. ?I?m almost ready to put a ring on Tsubame?s finger. . .?

?And,? finished Sano, ?Kaoru already has one on hers.?

The silence that echoed throughout the whole dojo was deadly. Kenshin didn?t dare take a breath; he was certain the air would be venomous. Although he must have breathed the poison in already ? for it was dripping straight to his heart.

Several things registered in his mind. The first was that she was married. The second was that she had been wed to either a Western man or a man used to going by the west?s customs. The third was that the whole idea of her already being a wife ached him intensely.

Kaoru. . . Miss Kaoru was married? How did that fit? Megumi had just said she?d been horrified by his death.

?It?s been only six years,? he whispered. ?And she?s already. . .taken??

?Actually, it was closer to six minutes,? Sanosuke confirmed. ?And what do ya mean ?only??! Kenshin, Jesus, all of us had our lives changed when we thought you were dead! Missie the most. You should see Takeda! He?s no different from his father, unless he?s more ruthless. God knows what she is to him. He takes whores, even as a married man, and she could be nothing but one more of them to that bastard!?

?Soon she?ll not come here to teach again,? Yahiko told his former idol. ?Less and less she comes here. Maybe it?s Takeda?s command. Maybe it?s her own desire. But soon this dojo will be mine, as her assistant master, and then what? Would I be forced to live somewhere that rightfully belongs in the Kamiya line??

?She has conceived no children?? Kenshin asked.

Megumi tossed her hair over her children. ?Oh, she?s conceived. Four times to be exact. And each time I?ve brewed the poison that has murdered the child, because Derekai says that no heir will be produced until he demands it to be so. It is not likely I will kill another of her offspring, because another may not be made.? Her expression deeply saddened. ?She may not be able to do so.?

Kenshin closed his eyes. At time like these, he wanted Tomoe. Not for romance, but for guidance and for comfort. How much could he ask of Tomoe when he himself had deserted Tokyo for six years? And Kaoru was. . . Kaoru was at the hands of a husband that cared nothing for her.

Already he despised Kanriyu?s bastard child, and he had not laid eyes on him.

Yahiko blinked. Had he just seen amber in the violet depths of Kenshin?s eyes?

No, he told himself, mentally shaking his head. He hadn?t. He hoped.

Megumi scrutinized very carefully the reaction on Kenshin?s face. As a doctor and the fianc?e of Sanosuke Sagara, she had become a very good judge of human emotion and understanding. Kenshin had been a challenging puzzle, but not impossible to put together. And if she was not mistaken, she saw jealousy spark into his eyes. Jealousy of Derekai Takeda.

Six years ago, that thought would have annoyed her. Kenshin?s well-hidden feelings for Kaoru Kamiya had not gone unnoticed by her very keen eye. Kenshin had not trusted himself to be a good man to her, and he had not made any advancement on the younger woman, and now he suffered for it.

?Kenshin, tell me somethin?,? Sano said, and Kenshin turned his dazed violet eyes to him. ?How did you survive the rockslide??

Kenshin seemed rather hard pressed to release the topic of Mrs. Takeda, but his eyes became more alert nonetheless. ?I had trouble with it, yes. In fact, I?m pretty sure I wouldn?t have lived through it if I hadn?t seen you execute the Futai No Kiwami at Mt. Hiei. My speed from Hiten Mitsurugi helped me move out of the way enough for only a few of the sharper rocks to slash me.?

?You were hurt?? questioned Megumi. ?Kenshin. . .?

?The cut was long, but not deep. I found a good doctor in the wilderness outside of Tokyo. He is probably dead now, for he was an old man. But he did save my life, that he did. As for the actual rockslide, I barely saw Takeda?s face before the boulders began tumbling from the cliff. But I do remember. . .? Kenshin?s face went stormy, like the calm before a hurricane. ?He was smiling. Largely, insanely smiling.?

?It is a cruel son that murders for his father,? Megumi murdered.

?So why did you leave?? demanded Yahiko. ?You could have stayed. Megumi could?ve fixed you up! You could have fought Derekai!?

?It would not have been so simple,? Kenshin replied shortly. ?In my condition, I had to stay with the old doctor, who was called Hirokini, for a month. The look in that boy?s eyes said that he yearned and lived for my death. With such determination, there was no chance of him not trying to use you, my friends, for my destruction.?

?We would have fought him!? Sano insisted.

?I remember that you were both still injured at the time from the days in Kyoto. You may have confronted him had I remained, but you would not have won, that you would not have.?

?A lousy excuse,? Sano accused. ?There was something else. You?re no coward.?

?Whether I am or not remains to be seen,? Kenshin replied smoothly. ?Miss Megumi,? he said, turning to look at the doctor, ?where can I find this Derekai Takeda?s house??

Megumi looked startled. ?He lives in the center of the city. But Kenshin ? Kenshin, you?re not going there, are you??

?I will,? Kenshin told her. ?But don?t worry. I have no intention of seeing Miss Kaoru just yet. I admit to not holding the courage.?

How could he, he wondered, when she was no longer able to hold anything for him in her heart?

?So where are you headed, then?? Sano asked. ?Do?ya want me to come with you??

?Not necessary,? Kenshin insisted, sending him the ghost of a smile. ?I will be quite safe at the police station in Captain Saito?s office.?


***


Kaoru stared at the ceiling. She had memorized every detail about it by now, even though it was only the underside of a roof. There was a small crack in the left corner; water leaked between the right walls, and one of the windowpanes allowed a draft in.

Derekai had fallen asleep immediately after the intimate reminder of just who controlled the mansion, the servants, and her. While he slept, he never looked peaceful. Tortured, maybe, but more often then not he seemed mad. If dreams tormented him, Kaoru had never willed them away. Every part of the younger boy?s waking was flawless for him; he did not deserve utmost harmony in his dreams as well.

She did not want to close her eyes. When she did, the image of soft, determined, violet orbs filled her vision. The terror of a scar lay in her mind. And a comforting, reassuring voice rang in her ears.

Kaoru sat up and drew her knees to her chest. Derekai remained sleeping as she broke down into silent, harsh sobs that racked her entire body. More and more lately she was dreaming of Kenshin. It pained her; after six years, she was still trying to forget him and still feared that she truly would.

Megumi would see her as weak if she saw her now. Well, she was, wasn?t she? Wouldn?t Megumi have weakened a bit to if she had been forced into marriage with the one who had killed Kenshin Himura?

Probably not, she thought miserably. But only one person had ever asked her to be strong for him. And he was dead.

He was dead. . .

****************************************************************

GG: Sorry about the chapter being slightly shorter than you (and I) would most likely prefer. Hope this chapter pleased you though, folks.

Next chapter: Saito makes another entrance. Or rather, Kenshin goes to him. . . Ah well. PPPPPLLLLLEEEEEEEAAAAASSSEE REVIEW!!

[Elyn Yuy]

WHY NOT A LONGER ONE!???

Your stories are so good!!

You could press the edit button an add another 500 words or so

Great job.

Elyn Yuy

[Oyuki]

God, this brought moisture to my eyes! This is so damn sad! Please give us more! Please! I can't wait for you to make us suffer more! How could you have her marry that horrible, horrible man?

Anyway, I really, really hope you have some more of this out soon!

[Gundam Girl]

I can't wait for you to make us suffer more! How could you have her marry that horrible, horrible man?

Because I needed a good plot to work with... Thanks for reading, Okuki!

[WaterGoddessX]

man, that one is great!!........more..more more plz hurry with next chapter!!!

[Gundam Girl]

Thanks, WG! I'm in the process of writing a two-part 1xR fic right now for the Church of Lemons. But hopefully I'll have the next chapter up sooner rather than later.

-GG

[WaterGoddessX]

k....but....hurry

[Roa_Aoife]

Gah! hurry! Need next chapter! I think I'm dieing.
Keep writing

[Gundam Girl]

Is now up. ^_^

[alexxie]

aww.... i just love it...

:-? :-? :-?