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 Nine:

Megumi tossed for the umpteenth time on her futon and crossly tried to
will herself to sleep. "Megumi no baka, you are being an ahou. If Aoshi
says he loves you, then he does." So why did he reacted in such a manner
to Misao's arrival? For once, he had been completely stunned and at a
loss of what to do. And at once she had assumed that it was because he
was torn by old feelings for Misao.

She had asked Aoshi once if he had loved Misao and he had replied in the
affirmative. Then, she had been fine with it. But now ... "Grr, stop it!
Can you imagine what Sanosuke will say if he saw you like this?" She sat
up and propped her chin on her palm. Just what would Sano say anyway?

"Probably call me 'Kitsune', laugh and tell me to stop being silly." She
smiled to herself at the thought. Sano had always had a way of making
her feel totally confident. "But that's because you knew he liked you
and you alone. But then again, he was your friend as well." There were
issues that stopped them from being more than that but at the bottom of
their relationship was a rather solid friendship.

Closing her eyes, Megumi lay back down. In the morning she would have a
talk with Aoshi and tell him what she felt. He had wanted no masks or
pretences between them and her behaviour this evening had troubled him
greatly. She owed him an explanation. The next minute a hand covered her
mouth and she screamed as her eyes flew open.

"Shinomori Aoshi!" She hissed angrily although she was pleased to see
him as well. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Of course not. I couldn't sleep." He sat down by her futon and Megumi
hugged the covers to herself modestly. Aoshi's lips quirked with
amusement but he said nothing, knowing she was an inch from pummelling
him. Then he turned serious and taking her in his arms, he said softly,
"I couldn't sleep because of what happened today."

"Aoshi," she interrupted, "it was my fault. I was being silly. When
Misao showed up all I could think about was how you had loved her and
what she would think if she caught us together and I panicked. So I did
the first thing that came to mind."

"Why would you think I still love her?" He sounded so incredulous that
Megumi felt even more foolish.

"Well, I guess it had something to do with your expression. And the way
you said her name ..."

She was being completely honest with him and he could be no less with
her. "When I first heard Misao's voice, I did remember the time when I
loved her." Megumi stiffened but did not pull away. "However, that
lasted for only a split second. My next one was of you and how you would
be embarrassed to be caught like that together with me. I was also
worrying about your reaction to Misao." He brushed a kiss against her
silky hair. "Megumi, I never intended to hide our relationship from
Misao. Or anyone else."

She had been right to trust him. Emotion clogged her throat and she
could not say anything but simply held his hand in both of hers.

"You know," he continued lightly, "Misao will be moving back to America
in three months time, permanently."

"What?! Why would she want to live there?"

"That was exactly the same question I asked her. But life there suits
her. She has changed so much. And become a lot more perceptive too. She
told me to come and find you."

"I must be losing my touch," Megumi muttered in mock-sour tones. "I'm so
transparent nowadays."

"But before she goes back, I'd like for her to be able to attend our
wedding." Her fingers, which had been stroking his, suddenly went still.
"That is, if you'll marry me. I love you, Takani Megumi and I never want
you to leave my side." When she still gave no reply, Aoshi started to
worry, wondering if he had forced the issue too soon.

But the eyes that finally met his were bright and eloquent with love. As
she brushed her mouth against his, she whispered in between kisses, "I
don't want to leave you ever, Aoshi. I love you too."

"So you will marry me then?" Relief washed through him followed by a
clear intense joy.

Lifting his hand to her lips, she kissed his palm and smiled. "Must you
ask? But the answer is yes."



Epilogue: 1885, Meiji Year 18, summer

"I still think it's rather amazing," Yahiko commented, sprawled out on
the corridor as he chewed a blade of grass in his mouth.

"What's amazing?" The slender red-haired man beside him asked even as
the tiny replica of himself tugged painfully on his hair. "Ouch! Kenji!"

"He may look like you but he sure behaves like Kaoru," Yahiko laughed
before quickly looking around. Luckily Megumi and Kaoru were out for a
stroll. Shinomori Aoshi was somewhere in the dojo hall meditating.

"That's amazing?" Now Kenji was trying to chew on his father's hair.
Exasperated, Yahiko grabbed the child from Kenshin and sent him off to
play with Aoi and her twin siblings, Akihito and Ayume. All three had
black hair and blue eyes but their smiles very obviously Megumi's.
Especially Aki. The boy's cheeky nature was a downright copy of his
mother's. Sometimes Yahiko swore there were little fox ears growing out
of their heads but in front of their father, they were absolute angels.

"Well, that too. But I still can't believe that Aoshi and Megumi are
married."

"Yahiko, it's been five years since they were married."

"But doesn't it seem strange to you? I mean, it's Megumi and of all
people, Aoshi."

"Yeah, but stranger things have happened."

"Like what?"

"Well, Saitou is married ..."

The teenager nodded vigorously. "Well, there's that too." The sound of
laughter made them sit up straighter and the children abandoned their
game of paper balls and marbles.

"Kaa-san! Kaa-san!" Childish cries filled the air as Kaoru and Megumi
carefully bent down and greeted their children with a kiss.

"I also find it rather amazing that you and Aoshi managed to get them
both pregnant at exactly the same time." Both women were seven months
along and to Yahiko, seemed to be getting bigger every day.

"Oro!! Yahiko ..."

Aoshi's appearance cut them off and even as he went to his wife, Kenshin
went to his.

"How was the walk, koishii?"

Kaoru smiled tenderly at her husband, the healthy glow on her cheeks an
answer to his question. "Oh, very good. Megumi and I were thinking about
having our births together."

"Oro!" Kaoru in labour was a dangerous person indeed. She had almost
broken his arm and shouted the house down. Two women in labour ...

"I'm just joking, Kenshin." Swiftly, she tiptoed and pressed a kiss on
his lips. "But the new babies are already a wonderful addition to our
lives." In response her husband's eyes glowed a soft rich amethyst as he
hugged her gently to him. Aoshi and Megumi were talking softly as well,
their children hugging onto their legs.

"Yes, things have turned out rather amazingly, don't you think?" he smiled.

OWARI

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