Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. None of the characters from
Rurouni Kenshin belong to me. They belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki and I
acknowledge all his rights and the rights of the various companies
associated with RK.



Chapter Four:

Pushing the door open with his boot, Aoshi glided noiselessly into the
darkened room. Laying Megumi who was fast asleep on the ground, he
proceeded to check the hut for any useful supplies. To his disgust,
aside from the table and chair that smelt of wood rot, there wasn't
anything else. Even the cabinet was empty, save for some bugs. And to
top things off, one of the walls had cracks and drafts of wind sent
chills down his spine.

"Is there a blanket?" She was awake and on her feet, peering around for
him. Her eyes had not yet adjusted to the dark. She jumped when he
approached her.

"I'm afraid there isn't anything at all."

Megumi swallowed hard. "But it's freezing in here and our clothes are
soaked." Released from Aoshi's embrace, the cold had already seeped into
her bones. As though to emphasize her statement, she suddenly gave a
tremendous sneeze.

"At least they won't find us for tonight," he replied in his usual
unruffled manner. "And besides, you could use the rest."

As though she was hampering him, Megumi grumbled silently. To her dismay
she found that her top and skirt were completely wet. Her undergarments
were damp too but she decided that she was going to keep those on no
matter what. Aoshi was already stripping off. It made her strangely
uncomfortable, considering that she had seen more unclothed men than the
average woman would in a single lifetime. "Stop it, this is Shinomori
Aoshi. Even if you did strip off he would have no reaction. He probably
isn't capable of any," she thought sarcastically.

Finding a relatively dry spot, Megumi sat against the wall, arms crossed
conservatively over her chest. To her annoyance she continued to shiver
but chose not to complain. The last thing she wanted to do was sound
like a spoilt child.

"That lightning ...those people who are after us had something to do
with that, didn't they?"

"Yes they did. They planted some metal pieces, about a foot each, into
the tops of the trees and used those as lightning rods. I've used such a
trick before myself." Draping his trench coat and top over the chair,
Aoshi sat down next to Megumi and stared into the darkness. Dawn was a
few hours away. They should move at first light.

"Aoshi, I'm not sure what is going on but why would the Oniwabanshuu's
illness and my going to check up on them have anything to do with these
sneak attacks? It's pretty much known that Japanese medicine is not
effective against consumption and I'm not versed at all in Western
techniques." All that day she had been pondering over this. "Unless
there's more to this than meets the eye ..."

He was not surprised that Megumi had reached that conclusion. She was an
extremely smart and resourceful woman. Aoshi never forgot the day when
she had eluded Beshimi and Karryuu's guards to escape from the compound.
It was then that he had developed respect for her. That respect had only
increased when she had defied him and refused to divulge Battousai's
whereabouts although she had been terrified. "At least she never
betrayed her friends," he thought.

"I'm starting to suspect that what Okina and the rest are suffering from
may not be consumption at all. Whoever came after me knew that I was
going to Aizu and they knew that you were the reason. You can cure them,
Megumi. That much is certain."

"If it's not an illness ..." A thought struck her and Megumi sucked in a
breath excitedly. "I remember my Otou-san telling me that there are some
poisons that act like sicknesses. Very rare but extremely effective. And
the victim would never know and use all the wrong medicines to treat him
or herself. That must be it!"

"Such poisons are known only to shinobi. It's one of the dark arts. Not
very many doctors know how to diagnose such cases and fewer still have
dealt with them. Your father is one of them and he would have passed
down those skills to you and your brother. Which in turn explains why
they are trying to kill you or rather, kill us. Although, they are using
traps rather than direct confrontation. Judging from their skill they
are well trained but not good enough to take on even Okina and the rest.
At least not until the poison weakens them further."

"Then we must get to Kyoto at once. If we take a ship we can be there in
a day."

She sounded so determined that anyone would have mistaken her for the
Okashira. She was very brave too. Harbours meant towns and towns meant
crowds of people. Assassinations were easiest to carry out in those
circumstances and Aoshi knew that Megumi was well aware of that.

"Very well. But you must stay close to me and never leave my side. I
don't want you to be harmed at all."

"Of course you won't," Megumi chuckled. "I'm the only one who can help
your Oniwabanshuu."

"Megumi, that is not the reason. You cannot think that I am as
despicably selfish as that." His voice was so low that she had to strain
to hear him. Even in the dark she could see the bright flare of his eyes.

"I didn't mean to insult you," she said, mortified. It had been a joke
but now she could see how thoughtless it was.

"Given my past actions against you, I can understand why you would think
I am that selfish. And although we met after Battousai helped me find my
path again, I never once apologised for what I did to you."

"Aoshi, please don't bring up the past. I've forgotten and forgiven it
all. Don't looked so surprised either," she added dryly in response to
the swift glance he threw her. "I know what it's like to labour under
the burden of past sins. I owe a lifetime of medical work to atone for
the lives I took with my opium. I can't make up for what I've done but
...at least it's something."

"Megumi, you were forced into it. I committed my crimes willingly," he
said shortly.

"There is always a choice, Shinomori Aoshi. I chose to do it because I
hoped that I could live and find my family again. It was selfish and
wrong." There was steel in the look she levelled at him. "You shouldn't
think that you are the world's only sinner. There are others like you."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means," she sniffed, "that you should get over your past and move
on. Kenshin is right to believe that the present is what needs
protecting. In dwelling in your past you miss out on the future. And
that's exactly what happened when you let Mi--" She clamped a hand over
her mouth. She had gone too far.

"When I let Misao go?" There was an edge to his voice and after a
pregnant pause, he asked, " Tell me Megumi, what do you see when you
look at Sagara Sanosuke?"

"What do you mean?" The wariness in her voice told him she knew
precisely what he was getting at.

"Tell me, since we are on the topic of dissecting each other's private
worlds. And don't bother lying." Aoshi knew the anger he felt was
unjustified, that there was nothing that Megumi said which was wrong or
undeserved but her words stung like no one else's. No one had actually
dared to say anything like that to his face before.

Megumi jerked as though he had slapped her and her chin came up, those
liquid black eyes flashing. "Sano is young and impetuous. He wouldn't
have stayed."

She truly believed that, Aoshi realised. "He would have stayed Megumi.
Trust me. I've seen the way he looks at you. But you can't, can you?
Because when you look at him, you see his friend and you think to
yourself that Sano is a victim of your past deeds."

She went white and he knew that he had guessed at the truth. Then her
hand came up and she would have slapped him if he had not caught her by
the wrist in time. "How dare you--"

"I dare because that's the same way I see Misao, as a victim of my past
deeds," he continued softly. "We see them as innocent victims who have
done nothing against us, to whom no amount of compensation can ever
erase the debt for their kindness." He could feel Megumi trembling
underneath his hand but he did not release her. "And that kind of guilt
never goes away. You know that perfectly well."

Just when he thought she was either about to deny what he said or burst
into tears, Megumi surprised him once more. The angry lines on her
forehead disappeared and a rueful smile touched the corners of her
mouth. "Yes, you are right," she admitted candidly with a touch of
wistfulness. " Of all the people in the world I never expected you to
suffer from the same feeling of indebtedness though. Neither did I think
you would be the one to see how I felt." She had always acted as though
Sano was too young for her, or not good enough in some way. It was
disturbing and yet relieving to discover that there was someone who
understood how why she kept up those barriers, why she pretended.

"Just as you pointed out, we have undergone similar experiences." That
was food for thought. He had never considered just how much alike they
were. Her words revealed an acute understanding of his self that could
only have come from those similarities. Unbidden, he let his eyes drift
over her, seeing her in an entirely new light for the first time.
Slender arms wrapped around her shoulders, she was shaking from the cold
but there was something about her, in the glint of her eyes and the way
she held her head up. No one could ever call Takani Megumi ordinary. She
had beauty in great measure but more importantly, she had character in
equal measure as well.

When she sneezed again, Aoshi made a decision. Reaching over, he slipped
an arm around her shoulder and hauled her against him. "What are you
doing?" she gasped, struggling.

"You're cold and so am I. And since there is no blanket and our clothes
are still wet, we would be warmer like this. You're going to fall sick
if you keep sneezing and shivering."

Megumi was thinking madly for a reason to refute him when Aoshi spoke
again. "Megumi, you're a doctor. This makes perfect sense. Don't tell me
you're feeling shy?"

The subtle tone of amusement in his voice raised her hackles and
stubborn pride forbade that she admit that truth. "Of course I'm not."
Forcing herself to relax, she closed her eyes and concentrated on
forcing her pulse to a normal rate. He was warm and quite comfortable,
more comfortable than the cold wall at any rate. Before she knew it,
Megumi was fast asleep.

Aoshi allowed himself a tiny smile then. She was certainly intriguing.
In spite of what everyone thought of him, he was not as cold or
bloodless as they assumed. He too, had had his fair share of experience
with the opposite sex. But more than her obvious physical attraction,
Aoshi was more drawn to the glimpse of what the real Megumi was like.
They were more alike than he had ever imagined and she understood him,
she could empathise with him like no one else because they grappled with
the same issues.

Looking thoughtfully at the sleeping woman in his arms, Aoshi leaned his
head back against the wall and decided that he would keep watch until
dawn. But even he could not go without sleep for more than three days
and nights. Soon, the sound of his breathing joined hers in a gentle
whisper that filled the room.

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