Now That You've Returned - 5/?

[Gundam Girl]

Here?s 5. And it?s a biggie?Kenshin meets with Derekai and Kaoru. A little bit Sano/Megumi sap too.

Warning: A little language, a bit of sexual abuse.

Disclaimer: I don?t own RK.

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

By Gundam Girl

?So, that is your plan?? In a small sitting room in Dr. Gensai?s clinic, Megumi offered Kenshin more sake by lifting the bottle.

?As of now.? He accepted and raised a red eyebrow. ?Do you disapprove??

?No, Ken, it isn?t that.? Though she kept a light air and a serene face, Megumi was worried and Kenshin sensed it. ?The festival is very?public.?

He smiled slightly. ?Isn?t it meant to be??

?It is, yes. But, Kenshin, you aren?t any normal public; you?ve been assumed dead for six years. What if someone sees you??

Kenshin shrugged. ?They?ll see a look-alike who must be unfortunate to be mistaken as Battousai, that they will.?

Megumi shook her head. ?Are you sure you want to do this? To see her so soon? You haven?t been back here very long Kenshin and a lot of us are still shocked. Yahiko hasn?t stopped training for days? Are you ready for something you may decide not to accept??

Sanosuke suddenly came in. ?I heard that last one, and come on. Ease up, Megumi. Kenshin?s not a dumb guy.?

?I know,? she murmured, looking at her lap. ?I think I?ve become?sentimental ever since I agreed to marry you.?

Sano?s grin was quick and arrogant and made Megumi?s stomach flip. ?I think you?ve been sentimental ever since you fell in love with me, fox lady.?

?Don?t be ridiculous. It hasn?t been that long, you foolish rooster.?

?She?s in denial,? Sano whispered to Kenshin behind his large hand, which set Megumi fuming and loving him all the more. He sat down Indian-style at the table between them. He was sweating a little, Kenshin noted.

?Sano, have you been training?? the far shorter man asked.

Damn, it was really, really strange to have his best friend back. ??Course I have,? he answered cheerily. ?Do I look like the kind of guy to settle for a gut and a wife?? He threw back his head and laughed in a way that was all Sanosuke Sagara, raucous and full. ?Besides,? he added more soberly. ?You were gone. So I figured if Kenshin wasn?t around to protect those he loved, then I was sure as hell gonna do it for him.?

Kenshin lowered his head. ?You have done a lot for me, that you have. I must have caused you many sacrifices and a lot of pain.?

?Yeah.? When Kenshin winced, Sano shrugged. ?Pal, I know I?ve said this. We thought you, Kenshin Himura ? even the Battousai ? were dead. That itself hurt like a bitch.?

Megumi poured herself another cup of sake, then another for Sanosuke, mentally sighing at Sano?s crudeness once again. ?I?m not completely recovered from your, well, rise from the dead. What is Kaoru going to say when you approach her??

?So you are?? Sano grunted and placed his hands behind his head. ?She?ll pass out before she remembers that she has a tongue to speak with.?

?Maybe. But there was a time I ran from her.? And her love, Kenshin added silently. He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling as he remembered her soft, gasping sobs when he left for Kyoto to face Shishio. He started to put the memory away and stopped. He didn?t deserve the luxury of forgetting. He didn?t deserve it at all. ?I can only hope she will not run from me.?

?Maybe,? Megumi suggested suddenly, ?we should try to disguise you a bit when you go to the festival, make you look like less of a stranger. Strangers draw a lot of attention in Tokyo.?

?Oro?? Kenshin continued to smile, but now it was uneasily. ?What do you have it mind??

Megumi innocently sipped the rest of her sake. And smirked like the fox Sano always said she was.

---

Derekai enjoyed the summer. The summer reminded him just how more successful he grow each year. The summer caused him to meet at least one new politician for him to become good acquaintances with. And, of course, the summer was when he had killed Battousai Kenshin Himura.

It was the sixth summer this year. He himself would be turning twenty in a few weeks. The age would finally match up decently with his wife?s years of twenty-five. He would admit to always feeling a little small in that area.

But that was it; Derekai was a very large man. At fourteen he had been nearly as tall as Battousai. And when the rocks he had sent down on the samurai had crushed him, Derekai had felt miles higher.

Another reason he liked summer was that it more or less, in a word, *renewed* his and Kaoru?s relationship. It reminded her just who it was she belonged to. That person was him, not some ghost of the past that she couldn?t seem to let go of no matter what he did. It was something Derekai had inevitably come to live with ? Himura was dead, and Takeda was alive. That was how it would always be.

With a box in his hands, he walked into his house the afternoon before the festival, which was set to begin at dusk when the lampposts and traditional lanterns were lit. He called for Kaoru. As usual, she hurried to meet him.

She was graceful as she moved down the stairs, double-time, as he wanted it. She put on the smile she always wore just for him; wide and strong. Some would say it was fake, but that was because they didn?t know his Kaoru like he did.

She moved fluidly like water, the way he wanted her to, until she reached the very last step. The toe of one of the expensive Western boots she wore for him as he asked caught on the curve of the step and Kaoru tripped a bit, managing to get her balance before she completely tumbled down. But still?

She *had* tripped.

Derekai?s eyes sharpened in tough scrutiny. One. Every single mistake in grace counted for two beatings later. Where ? and how ? he chose to do so was no one?s business but his own. And Kaoru, as normal, would accept it with the grace he had been working to instill in her for years.

?Hello,? she said, doing her best to curtsy as she had been trained. ?How was your day??

?Tiring, dear. I met Mr. Totoshi from Okayama today. He is a shrewd man.? He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, knowing she went rigid out of total respect for him. Derekai smiled. ?That?s why I?m looking forward to a relaxing night with you. Are you looking forward to the festival??

Kaoru nodded, meaning it. In public, her husband was less harsh; he didn?t dare make a scene among large crowds. The cherry blossom festival, the first festival of the summer, was the only citywide event the Takedas attended every year. Otherwise, Kaoru was locked inside the mansion with the exception of the painfully boring parties Derekai forced her to go with him to. So this night was one where she was actually allowed to spend some brief casual time with Sanosuke, Megumi, and Yahiko, outside of the training hall.

But even the time she spent at the dojo was drawing to a close, Kaoru knew. Derekai would never permit her to do it for as long as she was at least forty.

?That?s good,? Derekai said, ?because I?ve brought the kimono for this year?s.?

Kaoru watched as he opened the box on the dining room table and held up the dark blue silk with pink cherry blossoms printed over it.

?It matches your eyes,? Derekai smiled. ?And it will show off your skin. It will make people see that I have the second most-beautiful woman in Japan. I?m afraid my father made the most beautiful one his whore many years ago, and you say she?s to marry that Sagara ruffian, so you?re the best I can get.? He set a hand on her shoulder and appreciated how easily she submitted as she slackened. ?Isn?t that right??

?Yes,? she whispered. She was second, and that was fine. To her, Derekai was also second and always would be. But she would let him think otherwise.

?Well then, let?s get changed. But first?? Derekai palmed her chin and fastened his lips to hers, slipping his tongue between them and plundering as he chose to. When he pulled away, he smiled at Kaoru?s closed eyes, thinking that there was bliss behind them instead of pain. ?I can feel that something is going to be different this year, my love. For both of us.? With a hard hand, he gripped Kaoru?s right breast and squeezed in a way that he thought of as cherishing. What it was, however, was confining, and Kaoru counted just one more bruise.

But she agreed silently. Something would be different.

---

?Well, Megumi, this is?? Yahiko pressed his lips together as he searched for a word that would work for what it was he wanted to express. At sixteen, he wasn?t the smart-assed brat anymore. ?Unique,? he finished.

?I think so too.? Megumi smiled sweetly at Kenshin. ?You think so, too, don?t you, Ken??

?Oh?yes.? A little pale, Kenshin stroked a hand over his hair. ?Are you sure it comes out??

?I?m a doctor, Kenshin. I have to be sure.? She smacked his hand down. ?Don?t keep touching it, it?ll come off on your hand and how suspicious will that look??

Misao giggled. ?I don?t mean to be a pain, but your mustache is crooked. Here.? Reaching up, she straightened the bushy imitation for him. ?Okay, good. Now, here it goes. Aoshi went to Saito already to explain Kenshin?s disguise so he can keep the police off Mister Kotada here. He?ll meet us at the festival.?

?Excellent. Dr. Gensai already left with the girls. I?m going to introduce you to Derekai, Kenshin. And don?t forget,? Sano added, ?you can?t go crazy on this guy until we have him in the alley.?

?What are you talking about?? Megumi scolded her fianc?e. ?All I said is that I have reason to believe is Derekai is hurting Kaoru in a way that?s considered wrong even in Japan.?

?Yeah, and that reason has to be the cuts and bruises all over her,? growled out Yahiko. ?She?s been to your office loads of times, Megumi.?

?Yeah, and more than that, Saito has tried to get the bastard, but Derekai?s base is that it?s a fucking ?discipline?,? grunted Sano. ?I wanna get him, Megumi. Not just for Kenshin, but for Kaoru, damn it.?

?I know, Sano. Easy, Kenshin,? Megumi said. ?Stay calm for now.?

The amber in Kenshin?s eyes slowly reverted back to purple. ?I will. But how long has this been going on??

?Since the day she put on the marriage paint,? put in Yahiko. ?And like Sano, I want it stopped. She?s a good woman. She taught me!?

Kenshin thought of Hiko, knowing the bond between teacher and student. He?d never really liked Seijuro Hiko, but he respected his master. Yahiko both respected and loved Kaoru.

He swiped at his hair and mustache again, earning another glare from Kaoru. With a sigh, he tugged at the western-style suit that he was borrowing from one of Megumi?s richer patients and reluctantly donned the western hat, which his topknotted hair was tuck into. The only metal he wore was a pocketwatch that he couldn?t read because of the Roman numerals.

Megumi was grim now and she turned to Misao, dressed in her green kimono. Misao thought it odd that the last time she had put this thing on it had been to honor her friend?s death. Now she was wearing it to go to a festival with that friend, who wasn?t dead after all. Okina was going to freak when he found out.

But she put on a smile; she always had been the cheerful one and she figured she might as well not break tradition. ?Let?s go then, everybody.?

They followed her wide gait with calmer strides. As they walked, Kenshin watched Yahiko from the side, studying his profile. The stubborn ten-year-old he?d known six years ago and developed into a serious, courageous teenager. The broadness of his shoulders and muscle Kenshin could see just in his steps proved he had undertaken the most intense part of Kaoru?s training and had passed.

Kenshin suddenly felt sad he had missed that. He did regret leaving Tokyo for, of course, allowing Kaoru to suffer as he had. But he?d needed to get away and recover. Then, when he had left Hirokini?s, he had heard of a rich heir living grandly in Tokyo. He?d heard the rumor of his wife, supposed to be a previously touch, tomboyish woman who was now feminine in whatever her husband wished her to be.

And he had been lost. Whether it would be his ?killer? or not, Kenshin had feared that Kaoru had given up on him after only a month, and as he had done with the death of Tomoe, he had decided to wander again. He had been four years short of that time on the roads of Japan, but then he had sort of accidentally come back to Tokyo. He?d started to think about Kaoru again, of her strength, of her tears, of her smile?and his feet had led him back to the place he wanted to be at.

But he?d been right; Kaoru hadn?t waited for him. He had admittedly been a little relieved to hear that it hadn?t been her choice, but the question was still there. Would she have waited if he went off for six years?

?Wait, wait!? Yahiko hissed suddenly, and they all halted to a dead stop in an alley. ?We can?t turn here yet.? He hurried to the front of the procession and poked his head around the corner, then snapped back and pressed against the wall.

?What the hell is wrong with you?? Sanosuke asked.

Yahiko grinned, mischief alighting in his eyes. ?It?d be mean if we went out just now. Suzume?s meeting Shiro out there right now.?

There was a chorus of quiet ?Ohhhh?s? from the group, but Kenshin blinked. ?Miss Suzume is meeting???

?A boy,? Misao giggled. ?I think he?s one of Kaoru and Yahiko?s students.?

?Shiro Yamate. Nice kid,? Yahiko affirmed. ?A little shy, which is perfect for Suzume. He?s, ah?trustworthy.?

?Well,? chortled Sano, ?that?s really good to know.?

?They?re gone now,? announced Megumi as she watched the thirteen year-olds wander off to the lantern-lit area beyond the grove of cherry blossom trees. ?Let?s go.?

---

Kaoru kept her steps small, her hands tight against the skirt of her kimono, and her face down. If there was anything she trusted Derekai about, it was to make sue she didn?t bump into anyone. But if she did at anytime throughout the evening, it would not be Derekai?s fault, of course, not with his hand against in back with his fingers digging into her flesh. Any mistakes either of them made were entirely blamed on the lower figure, the wife.

Derekai did not like it when Kaoru made mistakes. And he showed her that every night.

But it seemed no mistakes would be made just yet. Feeling a particularly painful pinch, Kaoru stopped and glanced up into the smiling faces of Sanosuke Sagara and Megumi Takani.

?Ah,? Derekai said grandly. ?Mr. Sagara.? His eyes sharpened as he turned his gaze to Megumi. ?Miss Takani.?

?Mr. Takeda, I?d like you to meet a friend of mine,? Sano said to Derekai, putting in a champion effort to keep from snarling.

Derekai smiled smugly, ready to brush him off. ?I don?t invest in any gambling profits, Sagara.?

?Well then,? Sano said hurriedly, hating the filthy bastard, ?it?s a good thing he detests gambling.? He stepped back and revealed Kenshin. ?This is Jeisuro Kotada, from Ako. He?s visiting Tokyo for the festivals. This, Kotada, is the young Derekai Takeda.?

Kenshin didn?t even meet Derekai?s eyes; his focus was completely on the slender woman next to the rich man. She looked the same as she always had, with a slight complexion difference. She was paler. She stood straighter. But her head was bowed, and he couldn?t see her face. But he could see that her dark black hair was the same as always, if a little longer. She was still stunning.

Forcing his gaze to Derekai, he smiled at the sickly-looking man who was the spitting image of Kanriyu. ?Takeda-san.?

?Mr. Takeda, if you please. I am a Westernized man. Kotada, is it? Are you are businessman??

Kenshin?s smile widened. ?I believe we all have our business, Mr. Takeda.? He bowed slightly, his eyes staying on Derekai?s. ?I know of a Takeda that lived here about seven years ago. Was he a relation of yours??

Derekai stiffened and his smile faltered for a moment. ?He was my father, actually. May I buy you some tea, Kotada, as a welcome to Tokyo??

?No.? Kenshin quickly added, ?Thank you, but I prefer sake.?

?A man that drinks.? Takeda looked generally pleased now. ?A man with spirit, no doubt. Ah, Captain Saito.? He looked beyond Kenshin and into blazing black eyes. ?What brings you to the festival??

Saito?s eyes darted to ?Kotada?, scanned the disguise and saw through it instantly. Well, if that was the best Himura could do then so be it. He had been gone six years, after all. ?Should I not be permitted to enjoy myself, Takeda??

?Nonsense,? Derekai corrected. ?I simply meant that we don?t want our police force getting lax, now do we??

Saito?s eyesbrows lowered. ?Indeed. I see you?ve met the newcomer. Greetings, Mrs. Takeda.?

Kaoru?s eyes fluttered up. She sent a brief look at Kenshin and paused. Kenshin sucked in a breath. Her eyes, he thought. Those eyes weren?t Kaoru?s.

Then the two blue orbs switched to Saito, and she bowed. ?Captain Saito,? she murmured.

Saito wanted to sigh. Whatever Himura was planning would surely be tiresome and tragic to put in motion. Damned Takeda. ?Enjoy the festival,? he said simply and moved away.

?I believe we will,? said Derekai cheerfully. His froze for a moment, then smiled at Kenshin again. ?Excuse me. Mr. Kotada, can I ask you to escort my wife, Kaoru, for a little while? I see a person I must, ah?? His eyes slid to the woman with the heavy makeup again. ?Meet with.?

Kenshin?s throat tightened, but he opened it enough to reply. ?Certainly, Mr. Takeda.?

?My deep thanks. Mr. Sagara,? he nodded, ignoring Megumi.

?Goodbye,? Sano said, fisting a hand in his pocket. He leaned over to Megumi as Derekai hurried off. ?If I broke his skull, how good are the odds that he?d die and? Oh.?

Kaoru was now looking at Kenshin with a wide and curious expression. Kenshin watched her in return, just as intensely. A light sheen of sweat

Why, Kaoru wondered. Why in the world would this stranger have eyes like Kenshin?s? No one she had ever met had those same eyes; the violet-blue of them was so entirely rare, especially in Japan. And his smile, the lines of his face?

No. She was dreaming again, Kaoru thought firmly. Some people just looked alike by coincidence. There was absolutely no way?

?Shall we go then, Mrs. Takeda?? he asked.

She almost flinched, because it sounded so much like Kenshin using that name for her. The voice was even like his, but she couldn?t be sure?

No! Kenshin was *not* the one speaking because he wasn?t even the one living! For her life, she had to forget that man, because if she didn?t, Derekai would eventually know. Somehow, he would know.

Please, she thought, allowing Kotada to take her arm and lead her forward with Sanosuke and Megumi. Please let him stop haunting her. She had been able to ignore the dreams, the spontaneous memories, the thoughts of him that refused to release her.

She was certain she could not ignore the eyes and the smile of this man.

And, as always, there was a part of her that didn?t want to.

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There?s five! Please review, as this is a major turning point in the story, and I?m not entirely show what I?m going to do next. Let me know how this is doing so far!

[Elyn Yuy]

Great!!!

Write some more...

This is getting so good!!!

Keep it up Gundam Girl!!!

Elyn Yuy

[Roa_Aoife]

This is a great story! I love the twists. But what's gonna happen if and when Kaoru finds out it's Kenshin?!? Please write more.

[TimeShifter16]

Awesome! I just started reading this, and I'm hooked! Which means I need to know what happens next! Please post the next chapter quickly!

[WaterGoddessX]

Sweet..........very nice it was very good!!

[kyoki]

It's so sad... ;_;

[alexxie]

Ouch! Painful for Kenshin... For me too... :-?