Chapter Eight

THE SPY

Wipe the blood off,

You were powerless, too weak.

Wash off the traces.

If only I could.

Louder than the screams

The whimper of suffering

Potent for the guilt

Makes the blood stain deeper. There was nothing I could do. I was helpless...

I was held. Hands on my body, bruising the flesh. How can I respond to the scream, when the one I myself held back knew well enough that no help would come? Resignation for things that would not change keeps me silent in spite of all the screams that wanted to rip through my throat.

To be forced to do things that violates the body and wounds the soul...

Eyes stay dry because the pain has been numbed...for the moment. The suffering will come later...after, hacking through ones sanity, ones self-worth, but tears will refuse to fall all the same, simply because what little cleansing comfort weeping used to give has been spent. Nothing can clean me now.

I see hands, my hands...my fingers digging through the earth as my fists clench. The gravel pinched between my nails, because here the soil has not been loosened, here was a lonely brush where the man behind me hastens to do the deed upon my person. He has only begun, and already I pray that it be over.

There is blood on my hands, but not mine. Not where handling such as his used to make me bleed. I stopped bleeding long ago. Used so many times, I could fathom that my own blood has ceased to flow.

The indignity is the worse. Held by the hair, pinned at the knees, he was one of the gentler ones. Struggling would prolong the act, and only fuel the sense of power my ravisher derived from having a young girl like me.

Used...so used.

And then the flash...a glint of steel passing my sight.

It stopped. It all stopped, gone silent as the scarlet bathed my face and body. I saw the eyes of my ravisher stilled by terror, staring at me with his mouth agape, bereft of the body that so casually insisted on having mine...severed by the sharp edge of a sword.

"It will not be tolerated," said his executioner. "There will be none of that."

And when I looked up, trembling as I covered the evidence of my shame, I stared upon feral eyes, so ferocious with righteous rage that they could belong to no man, only a beast's...

Breathe Kamiya. Just breathe and it will be all right.

I sat up in bed, gasping for air, clutching the sheets as if to take desperate hold of my lucidity. Sweat poured from my body and I looked around me, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

I am in my room, the day already bright.

It was a nightmare...just a nightmare. I am no longer in the Bakumatsu, no longer in that dank hidden bush...

When had that...happened?

I could barely remember.

This memory is new.

No, not new, but forgotten.

Those eyes...I've seen them only on patrol captains and assassins...

Needing a wakeful escape, I hurried out of bed and dressed hastily in my training clothes.

What time is it? Eight? Nine?

Everyone's probably still asleep. We got back to the dojo at six in the morning from Zojo-ji and we had managed to discuss all that had happened in the temple while we made our way home. With all the storytelling done, we had all decided to go straight to bed to get some rest.

Apparently, there will be no resting for me today.

My damn dreams have refused me that.

Kamiya Kasshin Ryu...I need it.

Memories such as those...perhaps they are best forgotten.

I thought the training would help. Hoped it would.

If I couldn't stick my finger into my brain and yank out that memory from hell, I might very well be able to beat it out with exhaustion.

Focusing on the abstract clears my mind, but I know it only gives temporary relief. I've always known. However, this time, the need for escape is so strong that failing to do so is eating me alive.

This memory is battering my thoughts, and all I ask from it is to go away. I want it to leave me alone!

I thought I had managed to get rid of those memories well enough not to affect me as much as they used to. It's been years since I was last...abused in such a manner, and now they're coming for me in my dreams? How crappy is that? How the hell am I supposed to live my life when visions of someone using me keep plaguing my mind?

"Dammit!" I screamed, throwing my bokken across the training hall and sinking to my knees.

Clutching at my hair, head lowered, I tried to think of something else.

I screwed my eyes shut and hissed. "Chocolates in Yokohama...teahouses in Kyoto...rivers in Edo..." I muttered to myself. I can do this. I don't have to think about long-forgotten, crappy memories of someone raping me...AARGH! "Just stop!" I ordered myself.

This is so infuriating!

Suddenly, I felt strong hands clasping my shoulders and I instantly wrenched away from the touch even before I knew who was administering it.

"Kaoru, it's just me," he said soothingly. "It's just me..."

Kenshin...

I stared at him blankly for a moment. Then swallowing the lump in my throat, I spoke. "S-Sorry...I was just...talking to myself..."

He hushed me, saying it was all right. He took me into his embrace, whispering words of comfort in my ear.

Closing my eyes, I let his words calm me as I took deep breaths to dispel the encompassing frustration of my failure to forget.

"I'm going bananas," I muttered, burying my face on the collar of his gi. "Maybe whatever tick Ikue has is catching, and I've been infected...or something."

"Kaoru, it is ten in the morning," he said, running his fingers gently through my hair. "Lack of sleep has felled tougher men."

I scoffed bitterly. Who needs sleep when it consumes what little marbles I have left? Maybe if I knocked my head on a beam hard enough, I'd fall into one of those dreamless comas. That's the ticket.

Being in his arms like this, though...it feels good. A momentary recluse from the madness. "And what right have you Rurouni, for lecturing me about sleep, when you yourself haven't gotten any?" I asked.

"I've slept enough," he replied. "I don't need more than four hours of it. You are not conditioned in the same way, Kaoru."

"You've got me pretty much figured out, don't you Kenshin?" I said, somewhat amused. "I think you've got everyone figured out, what with your ability to see ki."

By the brush of his chin on my crown, I could tell that he was shaking his head in disagreement. "No. I do not see ki. I feel it, and then I interpret it. Sometimes, I get it wrong."

"Most times right," I interjected.

"Most times, but not all people are open about their subconscious selves," he explained in a soft voice. "All people have something to hide. It is not necessarily always a dark secret, that I know as much, but then...even I can't tell whether the secret is significantly dark because there are cases when the person himself does not deem the secret dark enough to classify it as such. It all depends on the person..."

"And you expect me to understand this...ki thing?" I asked.

"No. Sometimes, I could not understand it myself. In my experience, ki is most readable in battle, or when a person's emotion runs high. Ki in everyday life could be anything, and I have long since given up trying to read it."

"Gee Kenshin," I said, effecting a yawn. "Keep talking like that and I just might fall asleep."

He chuckled, and I was pleasantly surprised when he pulled me even closer in his arms. "Oh Kaoru...do you do this on purpose, or is it a reflex action?"

Eh? I craned my neck to look at him. "What is?"

"The way you insist on putting up the barriers," he said to me, caressing my face. "The way you keep pushing me away..."

Pushing him away..."I do not..." I began in slight indignation.

His lips curved into an amused smile. "There now, you see?"

I realized just then that I was physically pressing my hands against his chest, prying myself off him. I stopped struggling, then collapsed back against him with a sigh. "Busted," I grumbled.

"Kaoru, what are you so afraid of?" He asked, lowering his head so that his lips would be close to my ear. "Are you afraid I'll hurt you?"

I frowned to myself. "N-No! Jeez, what the hell are you talking about..."

Oh Kamiya, you're such a liar. It couldn't be helped. Men have scarred me, could I be blamed for being afraid? Oh but this is Kenshin we're talking about.

"I will never hurt you, Kaoru." He said, like a promise.

Kenshin...you always keep your promises, ne?

I felt his hand take mine, and he pressed it to his heart. "I will always take care of you. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes," I found myself replying.

There's this feeling at the pit of my stomach, a longing. It makes me like to be held this way. It makes me like the sound of his voice.

I looked up at him again, hoping perhaps that he could ease some of the ache by...by what? A...kiss? Kamiya, you're an idiot. You ask for too much.

But I've never felt that kind of kiss. Even someone like me, stained beyond recognition, just might deserve that kind of touch, right? If only for a second. Nothing fancy, really...

No need for anything more than lips. Well, maybe just a tiny bit more than lips. Maybe a little bit deeper than lips...

"Kaoru?"

"Yes?" I breathed, mesmerized.

"Tell me why you are upset," he said.

Damn, rurouni.

Just when things...I sighed. Might as well get some of the weight off.

"Have you ever dreamt of a memory, Kenshin?" I began. "A real memory?"

Kenshin took his time in replying, perhaps trying to recall if he had. "Bits and pieces of things..."

I shook my head. "You're talking about a collage kind of dream. They're very different from memory dreams. Memory dreams can make you feel things you haven't felt in a long time, vividly feel them. Like it was actually happening all over again. It reminds you of the significant, because it is the significant that's stuck in your head. They're almost never pleasant, seldom about happy times."

"Kaoru...what did you dream about?" He asked me, staring back at me intently.

"That's not what's important," I replied. "Memories have gaps. You only remember what you think ought to be remembered..."

Confusion came over his face. "Make me understand what you're getting at."

I snuggled against him, appreciating the true concern that radiated from his voice. "You don't have to understand Kenshin. Just listen. A lot of things happened to me back then, and if I let myself mull over all of it, I'll basically have to kill myself, but then I have this strange ability to block off the worse memories, like they never happened, so I find it in myself to live. I discovered this morning that memories couldn't be erased at will. They just sort of...hibernate. And when those memories resurface unwontedly, because they are some of the most horrible ones, they gnaw at you...slowly."

Saitoh, with his twisted sense of justice, punished a man who had taken a young girl against her will. What does that say about him? What does that make him? Less of a wolf? More of a beast?

"Kaoru..." he whispered in a worried tone. "It is somewhat difficult for me to see where you are going, but this dream of yours...I can tell that you could have done without it. Will you be okay?"

"It's nothing, Kenshin," I said. "Lack of sleep makes me really weird, or haven't you noticed?" I didn't feel like explaining anymore. The crux of it had been said. I just wanted to stay here in his arms and try to move on to better things.

He stared at me for a moment, thinking about what he ought to say, most probably. After a while, he nodded. "It also gives you bloodshot eyes with dark circles under them...not to mention that scratch on your forehead..."

Yes, ever perceptive. So sensitive to my need to have the subject changed. Kenshin's just so sweet about things like that, however, I wish he had brought up a subject that didn't criticize my looks. "Thank you. I know I look hideous."

He chuckled. "I think there's still some healing salve in the medicine box. I will have to check. Around here, we are always in short supply..."

I found it in myself to return his chuckle.

"But perhaps I'll do it later," he said softly. "This unworthy one would rather stay here for a while..."

No, he has not made me nervous. The beating of my heart is simply a result of my supreme need for sleep. I am not the oh-my-god-is-he-going-to-kiss-me-I-could-barely-breathe kind of girl. That would be silly of me, wouldn't it? I am a tough-broad who doesn't go for this sort of mushy stuff. No, he has not made me nervous.

I ought to crack a smart-aleck retort, a little bit of sass just to let him know that this closeness isn't affecting me at all.

"I have been told," he began in a low, almost quiet voice. "That I take too many things for granted...that hesitation will bring nothing but risk of loss. I hardly think this is the appropriate time, but if not now, then when?"

Wha...What is he talking about? Will he...?

I don't need words right now. I could do without them. I really could. I need something more than words.

Why is he talking so much? Kenshin, you idiot! You usually always know what I want! Don't luck out on me now! Do what you have to do!

He touched my cheek delicately.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my cheek against his palm. This feels so very nice. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again to give him an expectant stare. He was just looking at me, in that wonderful way that makes me feel safe and cared for.

What is he waiting for? My permission? Something like this...maybe it needs doing after all.

Tilting my face even higher, I pushed myself upward and let my lips meet his.

He did not seem at all surprised. It was like we were thinking of the same thing, and that he was just taking it from where I began. He pulled me closer by the waist and cupped my jaw in his hand.

I parted my lips because I wanted to feel his velvety tongue tangling with mine. He did not need much coaxing. It was glorious how he knew what to do.

He was so passionate...oh I could get lost in this. No man has ever kissed me like this before. So tender, so caring, yet ridden with need. I desperately want him.

Moving up without breaking contact with his lips, I got on my knees to straddle him and put my arms around his neck.

My breathing went ragged, and he didn't seem so calm either. I could feel the press of his palms, gliding slowly in loving caresses against the small of my back...my sides...my hips.

My mind was fast going through a number of things I could do to him that would make this encounter all the more pleasurable.

It'll be incredible. Though perhaps I've never actually pleasured a man willingly, I very well know how I could drive him insane with...things. And I just shudder with anticipation at the thought of what he can do to me. There's no way anybody could convince me that Kenshin isn't experienced. Samurai in the Bakumatsu...ten years thereafter...he will be a wonderful lover, I'll wager.

Kenshin, I will make you very happy. You will need no one else...

Oh...my goodness.

I breathed deeply against his lips.

Oh...what am I...

I moaned.

The sudden tightening of his grip on my hips sent a barrage of reasoning into my head like a flash flood, unbidden, unwelcome, but nevertheless relentless in its torrent.

Kamiya, SHAME ON YOU! Is that all you think Kenshin is? A sex object?!?

My eyes snapped open and I froze. It was at that instant that I pushed him.

We sprang apart and I fell back on my rump and hands.

My God!

So what is it, Kamiya? Do you actually have feelings for the guy or are you just looking to get a good lay? Rang a spiteful voice in my mind.

No, no, no! It isn't just that! It can't be! But then...we're not supposed to be involved! He's my best friend! He's my...protector, guiding light, such stuff as best friends are made of, but...could I actually...?

I stared at him speechlessly, catching my breath. He stared back at me in shock, gasping for air. Something crossed his face. Hurt...hurt at the way I had pulled away so violently.

For goodness sake, I was the one who started this! But this is..."A mistake," I blurted out hurriedly...almost uncertainly. "I..."

The moment I said it, he began to look more crestfallen.

Oh Kamiya, you're screwing up big time!

No, no, no! My mind chanted again. Don't look like that, Kenshin! This is...utterly confusing me!

He made a motion to put a hand on my shoulder. "Kaoru..." He gasped.

Oh, don't! I scrambled to get to my feet, away from him where I couldn't do any more harm. Where I could have the space to think without having to stare into those warm amethyst eyes that's just about making me lose all thread of cognitive thought. "I'm sorry," I muttered hastily, unable to meet his gaze. "I'm such a jerk..."

The worst! A world class asshole! Now we'll be all awkward and uneasy...just because I couldn't quite figure out what I'm getting at. Why must I always complicate things? Why does the rurouni have to be so damn irresistible?

I scampered away like my life depended on it, scuttling out of the dojo, running down the steps, and just torn. Torn between wanting to be followed and just wanting to be left alone.

THE HITOKIRI

I watched Kaoru run out of the dojo and for a moment, I couldn't move. I couldn't think.

All I knew was, that kiss was everything I dreamed it to be and she just...apologized for it!

I am almost certain that if I looked down on my chest that very moment, there would be a tanto skewered right through it.

It had all been so perfect. So wonderfully perfect, and I was ready to tell her, tell her everything that I feel for her. Love and desire.

Yes, I would be lying to myself if I did not admit how that one kiss invoked my need to show her how much I love her.

The way she felt in my arms...it was so right! Why had she pushed me away? Did I do something wrong? For goodness sake, maybe it was going too fast...

For a few blessed seconds I actually believed that I was welcome, I thought that maybe she could love me in the same way. But then she had called it a mistake. How could she say that? By the way she responded, a mistake is the last thing I would call it.

Is it over? Is that all there is to it?

It simply cannot end like this! I won't let it! I am a stubborn man, and by God, I will put that stubbornness to good use.

Getting to my feet, I went after her.

I saw her flitting down the steps of the dojo, as if she were running for dear life.

As I got to the foot of the steps, I could see that she had stopped at the porch of the house, looking at me anxiously as if any second now, if I made some sort of false move, she would bolt right through the doors and take cover.

I slowed and stood several feet away from her.

She was fidgeting restlessly, unable to meet eyes with me.

This is a mess! I should have known this wasn't the right time to deal with such things. I should have known it from when I first saw her in the dojo, so much in distress. I just wanted to comfort her, but she had been so close, and I could not contain my feelings. It had to be said then.

I shouldn't have dilly-dallied. I should have blurted it all out before the kiss, then maybe she wouldn't be so scared, maybe we wouldn't be chasing each other around the Kamiya-property like a couple of idi--

"Hey there, you two. What's up?"

My eyes closed momentarily in exasperation.

Sano, why did you decide to become an early riser, on this day of all days?

"S-Sano, hey! You're here early," Kaoru said to him, obviously struggling to regain her composure.

The moment is gone. Unless I want to make a spectacle of this, he had to be borne.

Sano scratched his stomach. "I'm kinda hungry..."

"Of course you are, Sanosuke," I said. I did not mean to put an edge to my tone when I said it, but one must understand how bitterly hurt and disappointed I am right now.

"Well, good morning to you too, Sunshine," Sano muttered. "Bite my head off, why don't you."

Only I, the rurouni, could say the most neutral thing and yet seem like I'm in a very bad mood.

"What's for chow, Jou-chan? Ever since you wowed us with your cooking prowess, I've been hankering for that delish miso of yours," Sano said, sitting himself on the porch at her feet.

"I--I didn't cook," Kaoru replied, still recovering. "I think Kenshin did, though. Did you, Kenshin?"

"No, I did not. I'm very sorry but I was preoccupied with more important matters..." I said, staring at her.

Kaoru pulled her eyes away from me.

The meaningful exchange was completely lost on Sano whose primary concern was his stomach. "What?!?! Are you both out of your minds?!? Nothing's more important than breakfast! And lunch...and dinner...and snacks!"

Kaoru frowned at him. "Sano, there are more things in life than stuffing your face."

Sano jerked a thumb in Kaoru's direction as he looked at me. "Does she actually believe that nonsense?"

I see. The man is trying to lighten the mood. A brave attempt, if not an incredibly unwelcome one.

When Kaoru growled and I merely stared at Sano speechlessly, he gave a resigned sigh.

"Alright, what is going on here?" He demanded.

There was a displeased groan from the door. "What is all this racket about? Can't a guy get some decent sleep around here?"

Kyosuke had arrived, bedraggled and not being a morning person.

It's just as well. This morning is completely unsalvageable.

"Oh, God knows if we should disturb the guests," Kaoru told him loftily.

Kyosuke squinted at her. "You look like hell."

Kaoru pursed her lips, held up too fingers and then wordlessly plopped down on the porch.

That's two people who criticized her looks today. Well, as long a she didn't start kissing him, it's really not so bad.

Sano shook his head and took a deep breath. "Why don't we just start over. The truth is, I came here to make an update. Yesterday, I didn't get anything out of my surveillance of Saitoh, so I took the initiative of finding something before I started tailing him again."

"Pardon me Sano," Kaoru said, yawning a bit. "I lack sleep. I thought I heard you say you took the initiative."

Sano frowned. "That's exactly what I said, Jou-chan."

She chuckled and then she stopped, staring at him. "Seriously?"

"Hey!"

"Maa..." I said softly. "Kaoru is just not used to you being so industrious."

"Kaoru, babe, go get me some tea," Kyosuke said drowsily. "Something with some boosters in it. I'm awfully sleepy."

I thought he had given up on that infernally familiar address.

"Get it yourself," she snapped.

"Come on, you know you want to..." he teased, touching her fleetingly in what I assume to be her ticklish spots.

"C-Cut it out, moron!" She cried in protest, swatting at his hands.

I glared at him. What does he think he's doing? Copping a feel from my Kaoru...I ought to break his fingers, and I haven't even gone Battousai yet. Even with their constant fights, I could very well see that it came from a certain degree of friendship they had built during their days in the Bakumatsu. I don't know why I get jealous of him. He is nowhere near more worthy of her than I am, but still...

"God dammit!" Swore Sano vehemently. "Are you the least bit interested in what I have to say? I woke up early for this, for goodness sake and I ain't staying here if you're all flirty and moody at the same time!"

Oro! I hate that word, flirty. Especially because he was referring to Kyosuke being flirty with my Kaoru! It did, however, produce the desired effect.

Kaoru apologized to Sano, firmly told Kyosuke to shut up and encouraged Sano to go on.

Sano nodded, appeased. "That's better. As I was saying, I went around town and pulled a few strings in the municipal hall."

I frowned. "Sano, you didn't bribe anyone today, by any chance, did you?"

"Hell, where would I get the money for that?" Sano shot back. "I got this friend at the treasury department. He's in charge of disbursing funds to our local police station."

"How the heck did you get him to give you information at all?" Kaoru asked him.

"A brilliant stroke on my part," Sano replied cockily. "The guy has this fetish..."

Oro...

Kyosuke gasped. "You gave sexual favors?" He whispered, taboo-like.

Sano glared at him. "No. For your information, I happen to know that he has a thing for women's undergarments. The used ones, of course."

Kaoru raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And where, pray tell, did you get this used underwear of yours?"

Sano flashed her a toothy grin.

He doesn't mean...I gasped. "Oro! Sanosuke--!"

Turning absolutely red in the face, Kaoru whimpered with her fists pressing against her temples in resignation. "Oh Sano, you didn't! Oh! How dare you go through my things! And now I have to replace it! Do you realize how hard it is to make those things? It's a nightmare! I hate you!"

Sano laughed. "Of course you don't. Besides, it's for a good cause. Personally, I think the guy needs help. He wouldn't tell me beans at first, but when I started dangling the pretties in his face, he completely folded, answering all my questions like a dog with a bone being wagged in its face."

"Thank god for dogs," Kyosuke quipped. "What'd you find out?"

"Just a few interesting things," Sano said. "Saitoh's been going around Japan. Supposedly for a case he is currently working on. My source doesn't really know for sure what the case is about, but it has to do with certain unconnected deaths. Saitoh's involvement began just after a break-in that occurred in the police station months back, before Taka and Yasushige bought it. Nothing was stolen, nothing was moved. It's like whatever it was they were looking for wasn't there."

Finally Sano had our full attention. We listened.

"The break-in itself was hushed, for reasons that can't be explained, just that Saitoh had demanded that word of it be kept from getting around. Shortly after Yasushige's death, Saitoh's home was broken into. Something was stolen, but no one could really tell what."

For some reason, Kyosuke's ki jumped, and then he fidgeted uneasily on his seat.

What was that all about?

"How does all that relate to the murders?" Kaoru asked.

"That's what we'll have to find out, right?" Sano replied. "But the point is, he's been going around Japan under that 'Office Break In' case account. The records say Saitoh took a trip to Aizu, Shiroishi--"

I blinked in surprise. "Shiroishi? What's in Shiroishi?"

Sano shrugged. "Damned if I know."

I insisted the point. "Why would he go to Shiroishi?"

Sano looked a bit irritated by my insistence. "Look, if I knew, I'd tell you, buddy. But I don't. Hell, maybe he wanted to see the golden leaves everyone's raving about."

I pondered over the new information with a curious expression on my face. What would Saitoh be doing in Shiroishi? Sightseeing is definitely out of the question, though I heard their hot springs are exquisite.

"Sano," Kaoru began. "Do you know the dates for these trips?"

Sano made a half-shrug. "Roughly, yeah. Based on what you've told us, the records show that Saitoh took the trip to Aizu right after Taka died. After Yasushige got canned, he hightailed to Shiroishi, passing by Aizu on the way back...Yokohama didn't really appear in account, but he did leave that time you guys were there. Must have been on a personal expense..."

We fell silent.

"Everything..." Kaoru began. "Everything's pointing to him. It's so unlikely yet it is, and I'm really confused."

I nodded. "We'll need evidence. I don't want this turning into some big showdown." Which is exactly what Saitoh wants, I'll bet.

"So," Kyosuke said, expelling a breath. "Evidence, huh. No problem. Easy as sushi."

We didn't miss hearing his sarcastic tone.

I could feel that he was about to say something more. He hesitated, then let it go completely, choosing silence.

I knew what we were all thinking. Right now, none of us had any idea of what to do, which means that I better start trying to come up with something via my so-called "connections". It was our only chance. Before that however, there was the matter of my relationship with Kaoru.

I spoke. "Kaoru, I will tend to your wound before I run my errands."

"W-Wound?" Kaoru asked. "Kenshin, it's just a scratch. It's no big deal..."

I was never pushy, but this time, I will insist that she and I have a talk. She need not say anything. I will gladly do all the talking.

"Nonsense," I said, smiling through my troubled thoughts. "Even a wound like that can get infected."

"The rurouni lives to worry about you, Jou-chan," Sano remarked. "Put him out of his misery."

"But--"

"Hey Zanza," Kyosuke said. "I'm going to the kitchen to see if I can get myself some grub. You comin'?"

"Might as well," Sano replied.

The two of them got up and left us alone.

Kaoru got to her feet. "I'll go get the medicine box," she muttered, eyes downcast.

I held down my sigh as I watched her go.

Focusing myself, I steered my thoughts to more reasonable matters.

I will be going into town later to see Kawaji Toshiyoshi, Chief of Police. If Saitoh has to be arrested, his clout will come in handy. Also, Kawaji has always trusted me enough to make me privy to certain government on-goings. I just might be able to get some information regarding this case if I play my cards right.

My mind thus occupied, I barely noticed Kaoru arriving a while later with the kit in her hands.

When she knelt before me and wordlessly placed the box in front of me, that was the only time I was able to focus my attention on her.

Calmly, I opened the kit and spied the small jug of healing salve, marked by a painted raccoon on the side of it. The comical art is in reference to Kaoru's nickname, courtesy of Megumi. As I pulled it out and popped off the large cork, I began to speak in a quiet voice. "What happened in the dojo..."

She fidgeted. "I'm sorry I did that..."

"I'm not," I said, opening the jar and looking at her. "I have dreamed of that a countless number of times."

Confusion marked her expression and I could see her eyes breaking contact from my gaze. I dipped my hand into the ointment and realized that our supply was indeed running out. I applied what little I could get on to Kaoru's forehead. "Look at me, Kaoru," I told her gently.

She did, but she spoke. "So you like me this way? Tainted? Jaded and foul mouthed? I guess I was just too annoying when I was all cheerful and innocent, huh," she said bitterly.

Her words hurt, but I cannot back down. "Then and now does not matter to me. What matters is that it is you. I have always loved you, Kaoru."

"You don't. You just think you do," she said hollowly.

"I know what I feel," I said a bit sternly. "Why do you think I stayed here at the dojo when you first asked me to? Why do you think I came back after my fight with Shishio? Why do you think I condemned myself to Rakuninmura when I thought you were dead? Why do you think I did all that?"

"Kenshin, you can do better than a wasted broad like me," she said in a soft voice. "We both have excess baggage, don't we? I don't think I can do much to lighten that load."

It was infuriating the way she referred to herself, and her words were getting more hurtful the more she spoke. "Do not degrade yourself like that. By belittling yourself, you belittle me. You give me reason to live, and that to me is enough to tame my demons. Are you saying I am not enough to tame yours?"

She breathed deeply, anxiety knotting her brows. "I'm sorry, Kenshin. I didn't mean to be insulting. I just think you deserve better. I just think..."

"Is that it then?" I asked. I realized that I was gripping the cloth of my hakama at the knee. "You are rejecting me." Her words were slowly eating at my will. If she won't have me, then there was nothing much I could do.

"N-No!" She cried all of a sudden, then she instantly colored. "I mean--"

Hope surged. "Kaoru..." I cupped her face in my hand tenderly. Could it be? Would she?

"I just can't deal with this right now," she said wearily. "I'm confused. I can't give you an answer."

I hushed her. "There is no need to answer at the moment. I just had to tell you what I feel. You have to understand...I'm not like the others."

That was the brunt of it, wasn't it? She's afraid of letting anyone get through her barriers, men in particular. She had kept everyone away for so long that anyone who got too close to it put her on the defensive.

"I will keep that in mind," she said softly.

I could not help but give a small smile.

Still thinking with her mind. When will she let her heart do the thinking, I wonder?

Of that she is capable of, I am sure. Truth be told, the one person who just might have gotten through her walls on some occasions is Yahiko. His innocence does not frighten her like all the rest of us do, and perhaps it is because she is certain that the child will not betray her.

I put a thin layer of gauze on her forehead, the ointment holding it in place. It would be enough to protect her scratches until the ointment dries off and makes it safe enough to leave the wound exposed.

Finishing up, I willed myself to be brazen and brushed my lips on her temple with care.

She was a bit surprised, but that was of little consequence. I had made it my resolution since my talk with the monks that I would be more open about how I feel with regards to her. Loving caresses fall under that resolve.

"I will be out for a while," I said, pocketing the jar of healing salve and closing up the medicine box. "This salve needs replenishing and there are other things I must attend to as well. In the meantime, please stay here...where you are safe."

Kaoru was still a bit flustered when she said, "The groceries need to be--"

"If you must, you can wait for me. I will be back in time to accompany you."

"Kenshin," she said.

"Yes?"

"You are coddling me," she pointed out, throwing back the words I had used to describe her actions yesterday with Yahiko.

I chuckled. "I am in love with you. That is my excuse."

She blushed.

It will take some time for her to get used to my philandering.

"M-Mou..." I heard her say. She then grabbed the medicine box and got up, hastening to put it away.

As she disappeared into the house, I headed on my way.

My first stop was the clinic. Like I said, the healing salve was of great demand in our little household, and having none of it when we need it would be most inconvenient.

Dr. Genzai greeted me warmly when I stepped through the clinic doors. He was talking to a patient and writing something on a piece of paper, probably instructions for treatment. The waiting room was quite full, so I stayed at the door so as not to get into anybody's way.

Dr. Genzai asked me how everyone was doing. I said that we were all fine and in good health, which was enough for the kind doctor.

Ayame and Suzume came bounding out, attaching themselves to my legs and pleading for me to play a game with them.

"It would please this unworthy one immensely," I said, smiling at them. "But I'm afraid that I cannot, right now. I have some grown-up things to do."

They pouted but continued to demand for my attention.

Megumi soon appeared and she grinned when she saw me. "Ken-san! Nice of you to drop by. Is Tanuki-chan around or do I have you all to myself?"

How she revels in teasing. "I am quite by myself, Megumi-dono," I replied pleasantly.

"Ohohoho! Finally came to your senses, did you?" She said. "I really couldn't understand what you see in that silly little dojo girl when you can have a sophisticated woman like me, Ken-san." She laughed again.

"Oro!" If she only knew how that "silly little dojo girl" could "out-sophisticate" her, but then, she always meant these things in jest. The lady doctor has a good heart. She knows that there was no such comparison between her and Kaoru. Megumi is smart enough to be aware of the fact that Kaoru is the one I love because she is Kaoru, and not because Kaoru is any better or worse than she is.

"What brings you here?" Megumi asked. "I hope it's because you need the fox treatment. Ohohoho!"

In jest or not, Megumi sure knows how to make me blush. Ayame and Suzume blinked innocently at her and began to ask if I had a "boo-boo." The other patients were already wondering if there was something going on between the doctor and me.

"Um..." I hastened to take the salve-jar from my sleeve. "We ran out..."

Megumi rolled her eyes around. "I figured as much." She took the jar and made for the next room. "Wait here while I get you a supply."

"Thank you," I said.

With the children in a flurry, I crouched down to amuse the girls with a few hand tricks. Of course, they were delighted and demanded that I keep showing it to them until they figured out how I managed to get the tiny coin from my hand to Ayame's ear.

I was getting ready to perform the magic trick again when from my vantage-point, I saw somebody very significant walk past the clinic.

Nakagura Daisuke, dressed in western clothing. Nothing very fancy, just something a foreign bookkeeper would wear to his work.

I stood up abruptly. "Dr. Genzai, please tell Megumi-dono that I will come back later to pick up the new supply. I must go."

"It will be ready in a minute, Himura-san. If you can just wait..." Began Dr. Genzai.

I made a hasty bow and I peeled Ayame and Suzume gently from me. "I am very sorry, but I cannot wait that long at this time. I will come back."

Before Dr. Genzai and the children could say anything more, I hurried out of the clinic and into the street.

I spotted Nakagura Daisuke in the distance and I quickened my pace to follow him.

Of course, this could be nothing. He may just be a man who needed to get something done in this part of town. Never mind that he had to walk two hours from his home just to get here. People do such things. There ought to be nothing unusual about that.

It was even probable to think that he had been coming here all the time, and it's just that I did not know him before this and to me he was just another face in the crowd.

But still...

Trying to look casual, and at the same time follow him around, was no easy task, but I managed it only because Daisuke never looked to his side nor did he ever stop to talk to anybody else. Wherever he was going, he had to get there with nothing to delay him.

I caught him checking his pocket watch once, and after he did, he quickened his pace.

Following him for about an hour, I found myself in town, where all the offices and government officials converged.

I must say, this is very convenient, considering I had been planning to be here anyway.

It dawned on me just how convenient tailing him had been, because moments later, Nakagura Daisuke climbed the steps of the Municipal Hall, right where several government officials, one of them Kawaji Toshiyoshi, held office.

THE SPY

I joined Sano and Kyosuke in the kitchen, not quite recovered from my talk with Kenshin.

Sauntering in with a troubled look on my face, I headed straight for the vegetable basket.

I could feel the two men giving each other questioning glances, but I ignored them. I had more important things to think about.

So the rurouni loves me.

He loves me for goodness sake.

What am I supposed to say to something like that?

Gods! I know I'm attracted to him, but could I actually be feeling love? I mean, a person is just supposed to know, right? So maybe I don't really love him like that. Heck, all the other girls keep on saying that when one is in love, there's this gushy, mushy feeling that makes you shudder when he's near, makes you sleepless at night, and makes you glow whenever you think no one is looking. So then, perhaps I'm not in love...

Wait.

I'm not mushy-gushy, I don't shudder and for crying out loud, the only reason I'm not glowing is because I lack sleep for reasons entirely different from thinking about him.

Okay, so this isn't the time to gauge myself via the standard Lovesick-o-Meter.

He was awfully sweet yesterday though, and I could think of hundreds of situations where he truly made me smile...and cry.

Damn! This is silly! I'm not in love!

He kisses really well though. I can certainly do with a man kissing me like that all the time. It wasn't just the way he did it, but what went with it. Feels kinda nice to be loved like that...

"What's with the grin, Kamiya?"

I snapped out of my musings and realized Kyosuke had asked me something. Grinning, he says? Was I grinning? I instantly frowned.

"None of your business," I told him, swiping out a kitchen knife and holding it up.

Kyosuke backed off. "Whoa. Easy on the kitchenware."

"You know, you and Kenshin have been acting weird since I first got here," Sano pointed out, munching on a peeled carrot. "Do you realize that you came in here like you've just been through some kind of war..."

I glared at him and snatched the bandage from my forehead. That's three people who told me I'm not looking my usual gorgeous self. What is wrong with these men?! Don't they know enough never to criticize a woman's looks? Sano continued. "And then you get this stupid smile on your face..."

I took a carrot and violently sliced it in half. "In case you haven't noticed, Sano. For the past week, my life has been an open book. It's been pretty real, but I'd appreciate some privacy of thought, if you don't mind."

"Yeow, what a bitch," Sano muttered.

"Always knew it," Kyosuke said.

Is there no end to this miserable morning? I give up.

I put down the kitchen knife and muttered, "I'm going to take a bath," while I sauntered out the door to make a hasty retreat.

I was on my way to my room to make a quick stop for my things when I heard a knock on my front gate.

Since none of my acquaintances were so polite as to knock before waltzing right into my property, I concluded that this was someone I didn't know, so when I went to see who it was, I did it cautiously.

I saw a man wearing some sort of uniform. He didn't look like a cop.

He bowed to me. "Madame, my mistress is inquiring whether one Himura Kenshin lives here."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who's your mistress?" I asked.

"Mistress Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime is in the carriage behind me," he replied.

Kido... I took a second to think, then I stepped out on the street. "I will speak to your mistress," I told him, walking to the carriage he was referring to.

He did not stop me. Actually, he gave me a permissive bow and gestured to the carriage window.

"Kido-sama," said the man behind me. "The lady wishes to speak to you."

I felt a little awkward standing at her carriage window like a beggar. By the looks of her carriage and entourage (which was composed of the guy who was at my gate, a footman and a driver), it seemed like she ranked among the elite. Heck, her three names screamed "nobility" if the hime at the end of it was any indication.

The window curtain was lifted and I saw a heart-wrenchingly beautiful woman. She had her hair tied up in perfect loops and swirls, dotted by fine pearls and ivory combs. She needed no powder or rouge to make her face flawless, and I can make out, with what little I can see of her kimono, the finest embroidery and silk.

After my initial shock of her loveliness, my thoughts took a different turn. She looked...awfully familiar...

Her delicate hand peeped out of the sill so she can lean over comfortably and talk to me.

She smiled gently. "Is your master in, good lady?"

Master? Is she talking about Kenshin? Okay fine, compared to her, I look like a serving woman. I can handle that. I already know this isn't one of my better days. That makes four.

Mustering what little dignity I had left, I smiled back, pretending that she had not offended me at all. "I am the master of this dojo, Kido-san. I am Kamiya Kaoru. You caught me in the midst of training."

She blushed deeply. "I am very sorry. I should have known who you were."

Oh? And why is that? "It's alright," I replied instead. "Your assistant tells me that you are looking for Kenshin."

Matsuhime blinked uncertainly. "I was told he lives here...you are his wife, then? He has taken your family name?"

I could tell that this presumption gave her much distress. Is she...is she Kenshin's old girlfriend?

There was an odd thump in the pit of my stomach when the thought crossed my mind. She's so pretty...and perfect...and I'm so...

Shaking my head, I replied. "No, I am not his wife."

This confused her even more. I suppose, for a proper lady like her, my living arrangements with Kenshin is a bit...well, odd to say the least, scandalous at its worst. There was no plausible explanation for him to take up residence in a woman's home except maybe if the woman were his lover.

I continued to explain. "Kenshin is a very good friend of mine and he has nowhere else to go. Not many people understand or even approve of his staying here, but rest assured, it isn't as bad as it looks. However, that is of little importance right now. Kenshin isn't here, and I am expecting him back some time in the afternoon. I am certain that whatever it is you are here for, he would be very glad to receive you. If you'll allow me to be so forward, may I ask what your relation to Master Katsura Kogoro is?"

She seemed somewhat surprised that I knew Katsura Kogoro by his new name, Kido Takayoshi. It isn't very common knowledge.

"He...is my father," Matsuhime replied in a soft voice these noblewomen are so apt to take.

I did not know Kogoro sired heirs. She certainly looked mature enough to be Kenshin's ex-girlfriend, but certainly not young enough to be Kogoro's daughter. Besides, if she was indeed born at the start of the Bakumatsu, she shouldn't be alive. The entire clan save Kogoro was supposed to have been wiped out. However, I voiced none of these thoughts. "Kenshin reveres him still. Is Katsura-sama with you, per chance?"

Her eyes lowered. "Father died three years ago."

"I am sorry," I said solemnly. I did not know that. There was word of him having been appointed as a cabinet adviser or member, I'm not sure, maybe four years back, but I did not know he had died. "Kenshin will be very sad to hear that. Would you like me to relay any particular message to him for when he gets back?"

"If it is all right Kamiya-san, I would like to return in the evening and talk to him myself," she replied. "If it is not any trouble."

"Of course it isn't," I said, somewhat crisply. There's something about this woman that's rubbing me the wrong way. I don't know what it is. She's awfully polite, and she even looks kind, but there's something about her that doesn't jive with me. To top it all off, I feel like I know her from somewhere. "We shall expect you in the evening then."

"Thank you Kamiya-san, for your graciousness," she responded, inclining her head forward for an effected bow. "Please just tell him that Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime came by."

"Certainly."

Her curtain went down and the assistant boarded the vehicle by sitting beside the coachman.

With a sound from the driver, the carriage moved forward and headed on its way.

Gracious my ass.

What does that woman want with my Kenshin?

And what's the big idea of her coming here and looking so glossy while I looked like a tossed-out rag when there was every possibility of Kenshin seeing us both in my state of ugliness?

Going inside, I made a special note to clean up and make myself presentable, especially tonight, for when that princess comes to pay Kenshin a visit.

THE HITOKIRI

Now that I'm here, standing in front of the Municipal building, I might as well pay my visit to Kawaji Toshiyoshi. It might shed some light on what Daisuke is doing here after all.

Sword at my hip, I strode into the building trying to look terribly important. There was something to be said about having red hair, an X-scar on ones face and a pink gi. It was my passport to every government building in the area. No one dared to stop me simply because they all knew me as Himura Kenshin, free-lancing defender of the peace, Meiji Era. And in spite of my sword's reputation of having a reversed edge, people preferred to stay clear of it nonetheless, not that I would attack them unwontedly or anything like that. At least there is a smidgen of a good thing about being known as Hitokiri Battousai, for whatever it's worth.

Feeling curious eyes upon me, I climbed the steps to the second landing and made straight for Kawaji's office. I was met at the receiving room by his assistant's nervous smile.

"I would like to see Kawaji-dono, good sir," I said with a polite bow. "Is he available?"

"O-Of course, Himura-san," he said, getting to his feet. "Please wait while I tell him you are here."

He didn't take more than a minute inside before he told me I could go in.

Walking through the door, I saw the upright frame of Kawaji Toshiyoshi. He didn't look much, small and essentially balding, one wouldn't think that he could handle men like Saitoh, but he did, and he continues to do so. On that alone, he was not to be trifled with.

Of course, we were both small men who could take on Saitoh, if on different arenas.

Kawaji flashed an amused smile upon seeing me. "Your ability to strike fear into the hearts of men never ceases to amaze me, Himura. My assistant's teeth were practically chattering."

"This unworthy one does not mean to terrify, Kawaji-dono," I said, taking the western style seat he offered me.

"You never do," said Kawaji with a chuckle. "And what can I do for you? Lord knows, this government owes you."

The man does me a great service by cutting to the chase so quickly. "This is a rather delicate matter, Kawaji-dono. This involves your man, Saitoh Hajime."

Kawaji raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"I have reason to believe that he is involved in an intricate murder plot against certain members of a secret faction that existed during the Boshin Wars," I said straightforwardly.

Kawaji chuckled. "Isn't that always the case?"

He is a prudent man, this Chief of Police. Stands to reason why he is where he is. "This time it is different. He is very involved. The killings point to him."

Kawaji would have sat very still if not for the ponderous tapping of his finger.

I wondered if I had offended him. After all, he was in effect, Saitoh's boss, and good leaders feel responsibility for their underlings. I thought it best to wait for him to speak first.

"Himura-san," he finally began with a solemn glimmer in his eyes. "You are one of the few men I trust, primarily because I believe in your loyalty to this country. Essentially, we are working for the same side, and we have the same aims with regards to the well being of Japan. However, I do believe that there are forces that can...shall we say...distract a man. If I may ask, what has prompted you to such an investigation as this?"

I smiled slightly. "Someone very special to me is in danger, Kawaji-san. Though my quest is quite personal, I do not seek revenge for anyone or myself. Men like Saitoh...I prefer not to trust him with a sword or the authority to wield it, though his principles are very strong. He deserves some merit for that, but when he threatens those I care about, I will not stand for it. I used to love Japan solely on its own virtues, but now, I love Japan for a particular set of people it harbors."

Kawaji nodded sagely. "You would choose your dojo family over Japan."

"Wouldn't you, Kawaji-dono?"

"Perhaps I would. Any man who has heart would."

"So is this about Japan?" I asked, trying to understand what he was getting at.

Kawaji shrugged noncommittally. "I'm not sure. It's about the Japanese system of government, and Saitoh represents the system as it is now."

"Funny you should say such a thing," I said frankly. "Personally, I think Saitoh hardly fits into this time of peace."

"We are not quite in that time of peace, Himura-san. Right now, we are in a period of transition, and Saitoh aids in the transition, whether or not he'll fit into the result of it," replied Kawaji. Suddenly, his thread went in another direction. "There is a probe."

What? I did not quite catch that. "Pardon me...a probe?"

Kawaji nodded. "The transition is coming to an end. Sectors are already considering whether Saitoh belongs in the result..."

It was not quite clear to me at this moment, so I continued to ask. "Are you telling me that Saitoh is under evaluation?"

"Under fire, is more like it," Kawaji said. "The Government is done using him, now they want to wash their hands of the things Saitoh had to do to 'ease' the transition, so to speak. They do so by their bureaucratic witch hunting. This is strangely familiar, isn't it? The government has apparently not learned its lessons from Shishio."

"Does Saitoh know about this?" I asked.

"Of course he does," Kawaji replied. "In fact, he told me that he saw this coming. So you see, whatever murder you think he may have committed, I hardly think Saitoh would turn stupid and do his dirty work in a time where they're just waiting for him to screw up."

A valid point. However, that's assuming he doesn't want to get caught. Kawaji knows this. Kawaji knows Saitoh.

"I suppose you know of his current investigation of the police station break in that occurred several months back," I said. "He is putting a lot of time on something I perceive to be trivial, Kawaji-san."

I was fishing, and I hope I can pull it off. I had no idea if Saitoh's investigation was related to his travels, and I had to make sure.

"I won't even ask how you found that out, Himura, but I am certain Saitoh has his reasons. Do not ask me to question them."

So it's true. The break in is related to his trips around Japan. Kawaji may not know about the murders, but he acknowledges that the Saitoh has been busy on the "break in" case.

"You are a man who services only Japan, Kawaji-dono," I pointed out, finally deciding to reveal the true nature of my visit. "If I come to you with evidence showing that Saitoh is behind all the killings, will you support me?"

Kawaji took a moment to be astonished then he sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I will appeal for the warrant myself, Himura."

I nodded. "Thank you. That is all I needed to hear."

"I trust you will be very prudent in this investigation of yours, Himura-san. No jumping to conclusions."

"That I can promise, Kawaji-dono."

Going down the steps of the municipal hall, I came upon a very odd sight.

At the corner of the building stood Nakagura Daisuke, his back towards me. He was speaking to someone I could not see, almost as if that person were hiding. Perhaps I was so struck by suspicion that I did not notice myself staring rather openly, not until that same faceless person noticed me and made a hasty retreat before I could recognize who he was.

Puzzled, Daisuke looked behind him to see what had caused his companion to flee.

And so I had been spotted, by Daisuke himself, and he was now approaching me.

"Fancy meeting you here, Himura-san," he said, his face as expressionless as when I first met him.

I bowed a greeting and replied. "Good day to you, Nakagura-dono. I did not expect to see you by the municipal hall." Talking to strange men, I added to myself.

"My work has brought me to this office building," he replied. "My home is only an hour's walk from here, shorter still by carriage."

"Ah," I said, smiling. "And how is Soushi-dono?"

"She is quite alright. So, what business brings you here, Himura-san?"

Mere chit-chat. He does not seem discomfited by my presence, but then it's hard to tell with Daisuke. He had only been clear about his ki once, and has ventured to be more guarded about it thereafter. "I paid my good friend Kawaji-dono a visit. And you?"

"Ah, I was about to see him myself, for a matter I am currently assigned to undertake," he replied. "I work for the Department of Internal Affairs."

Interesting. The DIA, a department sometimes affectionately (or antagonistically) called the Department of Infernal Affairs, since they mostly liked to play devil's advocate. They concentrated on pinpointing anomalies, questioning government officials' motives and basically kicking people out because of one incident or another. It makes me wonder...is he the "probe" Kawaji had told me about. It's more likely than not.

"Oro! Is Kawaji-dono in trouble?" I asked, feigning shock.

He cocked a smile. "Himura-san, you know I wouldn't tell you if he was. Though I must say, he is not the object of my...assignment."

I see. "I will ask no more questions, Nakagura-dono. I've been nosy enough. So, you are on break, then? I imagine work like yours is very tiring in this age of transition," I said, effecting small talk of the most insignificant nature.

"Transition is the key word. However, we're busier than I'd like to be," Daisuke said neutrally. "Where does your business bring you now, Himura-san?"

"Oh, just around," I replied vaguely. "Maybe to the market..."

"Very well. I will not keep you. Please say hello to Kaoru-san and Kyosuke-san for me," he said, inclining his head politely.

"Indeed I will, Nakagura-dono," I responded.

Daisuke made his way into the building.

A probe...how does Saitoh feel about a bunch of people trying to prove his incapability of administering his duties? Well, that is insubstantial. There are other ways I could use this knowledge to our advantage.

Armed, and perhaps a bit dangerous, I made my way to the local police station.

It's really about time I paid my favorite police officer a visit.

My reception at the police station was by far warmer than the impolite whispering and cautious looks I got from my walk through the municipal hall. It's rather amusing to the think that the only reason the cops were not afraid of me was because their boss was a lot more terrifying. Sort of like...since they had to deal with Mibu's Wolf every day, dealing with Battousai once in a while did not seem so bad after all.

"Is Fujita-san in?" I asked one of the more approachable faces in the station. I looked at his nameplate. "Uchino-san?" I added.

Uchino nodded and smiled. "He is right in his office, Himura-san. He's been in there all morning. I don't think he's in a very good mood."

Him and I both. "I think this unworthy one will walk right in, anyway."

The policeman shrugged. "Be my guest, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thank you, Uchino-san," I said, giving him a respectful bow.

He looked a little embarrassed that I was giving him such a courtesy, and he hastily returned it.

I headed straight for Saitoh's office and knocked.

There was a silence at first, but I did not bother to knock again. He knew I was there.

After a while, I heard Saitoh's gruff voice through the door. "What are you waiting for Battousai? A red carpet?"

Nothing extraordinary about his mood. He just about sounds like his usual self.

I walked into the smoke-ridden room. Stifling a cough, I smiled at him.

"That smile unnerves me, Battousai. Get rid of it," he said, leaning back on his chair calmly.

Ah, he is in a bad mood. Nothing unnerves Saitoh, but he most certainly needed to snap at me for something. Keen on irritating him but not wanting to anger him completely, I compromised by lessening the brightness of my smile. "Good morning, Saitoh. I've come to ask if you've made any progress in your investigation."

He scoffed, mostly to himself. He added to the hanging haze of smoke in the room and peered at me. "Did you seriously think I would answer questions pertaining to that?"

"I thought maybe you wouldn't," I replied, seating myself comfortably on the chair in front of him.

Saitoh's eyes glowed as he peered at me. "I want Kamiya and Tenshio, you know that."

"I will never let you have them. Kaoru, especially," I said, resisting the urge to click my sword in its scabbard as a subtle warning. I would not do to be so aggressive. Saitoh would take up the challenge in a heartbeat. "I did not come here to offer them to you."

"I thought maybe you didn't," he shot right back at me with a feral smile. "Then why are you here?"

"To tell you that when it comes down to it, you will be dealing with me, whatever your agenda is," I said to him, the smile gone from my face. "It wouldn't do to cross Battousai after all."

"Threatening me now, are you?"

"Warning you, Saitoh. There is a difference."

"Either way, do you think it would stop me?"

"Just so you know," I replied.

The atmosphere became dense, and it wasn't the smoke.

We sat staring at each other, neither of us blinking.

There was a knock at the door. The tension eased, but it in no way disappeared.

"Come in," Saitoh barked.

A police officer came in nervously, holding a document. "Fujita-sama...these papers need your signature..." he said.

Saitoh took them from the man's outstretched hand and placed it on his table. He signed it, stamped his personal seal consisting of three petal-like ovals placed over a black web-like pattern within a circle, and gave it back. "Now get out."

The man nodded, muttered his thanks and skittering out of the room.

I suppose that's my cue to go, unless I wanted to cross swords with Saitoh that very instant. "I must be going. I have errands to run for Kaoru."

"Is that all you came here for? I had expected more from you."

I turned to leave. "That is all--oh wait, there's one more thing," I said. "I wish you the best of luck in your evaluation, Saitoh. It would be a shame if Nakagura-dono considers you unfit for your post."

The second he took to be surprised was instantly swept away by his fanged grin. "Acknowledge, Battousai. And I just bet you'd be utterly crestfallen by my demise, should that pencil-pushing nitwit decide to can me."

So, it is Daisuke after all. "Of course," I replied, giving him a bow and then making for the door.

He understands that there is no way I could have gotten the information if I didn't have friends in high places.

I do not normally like playing the game of intrigue, but this time, subtlety will work best, if only to forestall any head-on collisions that may result from a more aggressive approach. I just want him to know that I have the means to put him away, if necessary. At this point, Saitoh has to know that I can, and I will, if I have to.

It may not be commensurate with the ways of the rurouni, but the wolf always did manage to bring out the worse in me.

THE SPY

Yahiko walked into the sitting room. He hadn't dressed and he was still a bit rosy from sleep.

"Good afternoon, sleepy head," I told him.

Yahiko's eyes roved to Sano and Kyosuke who were currently mulling over a game of Go nearby, then drowsily, he turned his eyes in my direction. "Well, you're lookin' pretty cleaned up, busu. What's the occasion? Or are you just being prissy?"

I look like hell, they complain. I make myself look presentable, I get called prissy. What the heck do they want from me anyway?

Deciding to ignore the insult he was trying to wheedle into his comments, I asked him if he was hungry.

He said, yeah, of course he's hungry. What did I expect from someone who hasn't eaten since dinner last night?

I am fated to live in a house full of brats.

I told him that there was a lunch spread put aside for him in the pantry, and that all he had to do was remove the lid from the bamboo steaming pots and he'd have a special treat. I had endeavored to make some dimsum, something I learned from a Chinese guest father had in the dojo once upon a time. Sano and Kyosuke had declared it superb, so Yahiko ought to like it. Monkey does, monkey do.

Yahiko then muttered something and left for the kitchen.

It's a bit past three. Kenshin hasn't returned. I'm thinking of putting off my grocery shopping, considering I'm a little too fixed up to go gallivanting in the market.

I am being silly, I know. I mean, so what if Matsuhime's gorgeous, right? Why should I get worked up about that? Despite the less-than-stellar remarks made about my looks this morning, I've got my own assets. She may look like an empress, but I'd make an excellent bodyguard to royalty!

That...didn't sound as good as I'd hoped, but heck! The point is...

What the hell is my point?

"I'm home!" Came the rurouni's voice from the gate.

Well, he's a gem. He's already gone grocery shopping, it seems.

Getting to my feet, I met him at the walkway to help him with his load. "I should've known you'd go and do something like this, Kenshin. It's just like you."

He stared at me for a second before gently refusing my help with a wave of his hand. "You...look exceedingly nice, Kaoru. Are you expecting company?"

I blushed and took a parcel from him anyway. "Well, not me exactly. Your guest. She will be coming here this evening to see you."

"Oro! Anybody I know?" He asked.

Staring at him intently for his reaction, I told him. "Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime."

He seemed astonished. "She came by to see me? I wonder why. Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime, you say? Did she marry into Katsura-sama's family? Odd of her to keep her maiden name...she's quite conservative."

I found myself glaring. "So what if she did marry into the family?" I asked. Okay, so obviously Kenshin knows her, but he doesn't know that she's Katsura Kogoro's daughter. Very odd, but for some reason, that didn't seem important at the moment.

The pinch of hostility in my voice perplexed him. "Nothing. This unworthy one's just wondering when she started calling herself by Katsura-sama's name, that's all."

I was still frowning when I remarked, "That's strange. Didn't you know that Matsuhime-san's his daughter?"

Kenshin looked more surprised than ever. "Oro! She isn't Katsura-sama's daughter! I'm sure of that. Are we talking about the same Matsuhime-dono?"

Grrrr! Is he hiding something from me? "Well, I don't know! I've never met her before! She said she was Katsura-san's daughter. Why would she lie to me about something like that?"

"She was just plain Imaedigawa Matsuhime before," Kenshin pointed out ponderously.

Plain? That name isn't the least bit plain. Someone who now has three names can't possibly be plain! "Hey, I'm just relaying to you what she said," I shot back a bit hotly. "Please just tell him that Kido Imaedigawa Matsuhime came by," I said in an exaggerated imitation of her soft breathy voice.

"Are you sure she did not say that she was Katsura-sama's daughter-in-law?" He insisted.

Tightening my hold on the basket of groceries, I stomped my foot in frustration and perhaps with something more than that. "She said daughter! And what the hell do you care if she's a daughter-in-law, you Casanova!" I cried, shoving the basket back into his hands and stomping off angrily.

"O-Oro! Kaoru--! What's a Casanova?"

Argh! Men! I don't know why I give them a chance at all! Great way to romance me, Kenshin! Promising me the stars one minute then stabbing me right through the heart the next! All the same, I tell you. All the same!

As I stormed back into the sitting room, I heard Kyosuke clucking.

He was shaking his head and Sano was smirking.

"What?" I demanded from Kyosuke.

"Me thinks the green eyed monster doth rear its ugly head," he said sagely.

"For your information, Shakespeare," I began loftily. "The green eyed monster has nothing to do with this!" Me? Jealous? What a farce!

"Um...Kaoru?" Kenshin said nervously from the door. "Was it something I said?"

"Ugh! Leave me alone!" I told him heartlessly, heading for my room.

"But--"

"When a woman gets that way, Himura," I heard Kyosuke say. "It's really best that you butt out for the moment."

These men think that they've got us all figured out, don't they? Well, screw their complacent little assess! I could care less!

Jealous...the nerve!

I slammed the shoji to my room shut and it made a pert bop. Ooh! What I'd give for one of those western doors that just make excellent slamming noises!

By the time that woman decided to make an appearance, I was fairly prepared to give my best hostess performance. I was determined to make her as welcome as possible and at the same time give Kenshin the coldest shoulder ever to grace the earth since the last ice age. A fairly easy task, since I had been ignoring Kenshin since he upset me this afternoon.

Sano, Kyosuke and even Yahiko were drooling stupidly as she glided into the front lawn with her assistant escorting her. He carried with him a parcel with great ceremony.

I bowed to her respectfully. "Welcome to the Kamiya Dojo, Kido-san," I said.

She bowed in return. "Thank you, Kamiya-san. You honor me with your hospitality."

"When did busu get so polite?" I heard Yahiko whispering to Sano.

I ignored him and was about to extend my invitation when Kenshin spoke.

"Matsuhime-dono, it's been a long time," he said with a smile.

Matsuhime smiled back with such gorgeous ease that the others fell to drooling some more.

"Himura-san," she almost whispered. "It is good to see you again."

All right. They are grinning at each other like morons. I can do this.

I invited her inside with perfect politeness. She expressed more pleasure over my courteousness and then turned to her escort. The assistant bowed his exit and handed the parcel over to his mistress, then he left for the carriage parked outside.

We headed inside, and when we were all seated, I made the proper introductions to the others. She flinched a bit upon being introduced to Kyosuke. I don't know why. It's not like Kyosuke's being his usual lecherous self.

With introductions done, I served tea, after which she inclined her head formally in my direction. She was asking permission to speak first. Somehow, I wish she were more candid.

"Please," I said.

"Himura-san, I had been wanting to see you since I learned recently that you are living in Edo, here at the Kamiya Dojo. I was...a bit reluctant, since my brother Kosei told me that it would seem rather improper of me, a woman, to go haring off to see a man. So, I timed my visit for when I actually had to be here for a different reason. Kosei had to concede."

Isn't she charmingly prim and proper? I kept my face neutral. I was an expert actress after all.

"Oro! You can do no wrong, Matsuhime-dono."

Grrrr!

"I am just a lowly samurai," he continued. "No one will think the worse of you for coming to see this unworthy one. However, you must pardon me...since when did you have a brother named Kosei?"

She chuckled. "Since Father Kogoro adopted Kosei and I."

"Adopted! This is interesting news! And a son as well?" Kenshin said with genuine surprise. "But then, you were always Katsura-sama's favorite, and with your parents gone, I suppose it was inevitable. How is he?"

Oh my gosh! I had forgotten to tell Kenshin about his master!

To Matsuhime's credit, she did not divulge my lapse. Her face took on a melancholic expression as she said, "I am sorry that the news has not reached you. Father passed away three years ago. I would have told you about it, but I did not know where you were."

This distressed Kenshin.

Oh this is just great...now I feel sorry for him. The icicles are melting.

"I am sorry as well," Kenshin said sadly. "I wish I could have spoken to him before he died."

She nodded. "Do not feel so bad, Himura-san. He remembered you fondly, and that makes up for a lot of it. Before he died, he tasked me to give this to you. It is your fief, for your loyal service to him." She presented the parcel to Kenshin who took it with a flustered expression.

"Matsuhime-dono, he has already showed his generosity to this unworthy one before," Kenshin said, somewhat abashed.

"He said it was not enough," Mastuhime replied. "And that you should consider this as something sort of an inheritance. The wishes of a dying man, so to speak."

"Wow! Open it, Kenshin!" Yahiko suddenly cried.

I shot Yahiko a disdainful look but said nothing. The young boy wilted at my gaze.

Mastuhime chuckled. "It's quite alright. You may open it if you wish, Kenshin."

"Maa...maybe later. There are more important things to think about right now," he replied.

Hell froze over again, at least for me. What is he smiling at her so much for?

Biting down a glare, I offered Matsuhime more tea and quite prettily offered the pot to everyone else, except Kenshin whom I can tell was ready to whisper his thanks to me and was held short by my abrupt, "And you Kenshin? Oh, you still have some. Oh well."

I addressed Matsuhime. "How did you finally come across the information that Kenshin was here, Kido-san?"

"That is a rather disturbing story, Kamiya-san. It involves you, and Tenshio-san." she replied.

I blinked, so did Kyosuke. We did not expect this. No one did.

"K-Kyosuke and me?" I responded, a bit of my composure slipping. "How did that happen?"

"A police officer who identified himself as Fujita Goro came to my home in Shiroishi and asked me about certain things," she replied. "He asked me...about the Shinobi Kei Gaikotsu."

Somewhere in Japan, a pin dropped and I was certain we all heard it.

 

 

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