From: "David A. Tatum" Well, I kept my promise and finished Chapter 2 before the year 2000... it only took me what, six months? Well, I'll finish the next chapter in 6 months, guaranteed! (heh- I'm genuinely not sure I can meet that deadline, considering how many other fanfics I'm also working on). I know this chapter is short- sorry about that, didn't have a choice. The next chapter is also probably going to be short, and then they'll hopefully start getting larger (and more frequent). If you HAVEN'T seen the previous chapter, it's available at my web page (see .sig below) or, if you can't get it via the web, by e-mailing me. I MAY decide to repost chapter 1 when this is all finished for archiving purposes, but I have a sort of policy of not reposting something unless it's been heavily revised. Well, enough of this chatter, here's chapter 2. Enjoy. Chapter 2 All of their friends had gathered together for a party to help send the two of them off on a happier note, but neither Kenshin nor Kaoru were too pleased. Kaoru was still upset about what she had done, and Kenshin just wanted to get going so he could start working on making Kaoru feel better. Both, however, endured the goodbyes without complaint. The food for the party was catered in by Tae and Tsubame, who had decided to shut down the Akebeko for the event, and they brought not just their spectacular sukiyaki but also a huge tray of other goodies and several bottles of sake. Sanosuke was vehemently avoiding the sake. Usually in the parties that he went to, he drunk everyone else under the table, however this time he was pretty sure that being drunk was inappropriate. He had missed the entire incident, one in which Kenshin and Kaoru had desperately needed his help, drunk and passed out on the floor of one of the gambling halls he frequented. By the time he'd recovered and showed up at the dojo, Kaoru had already been interrogated by Saitoh and Kenshin had already decided to take her on this trip. Sano wasn't even around to help pick up the pieces- all he could do was to help arrange this party. He was barely able to meet Kenshin's eyes at that moment. Megumi stood on the other side of the room, looking in mild disgust in his direction. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Sanosuke since he had returned from the gambling hall, but she certainly had some words for him. Not right then, though- she didn't want to upset Kaoru or Kenshin any more than they already were. Surprisingly, Saitoh had footed part of the bill for repairs needed to the dojo following the fight. Megumi wasn't sure what was going on there, but she didn't like it one bit. However, she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth- she knew how bad the financial difficulties were at the Kamiya residence, and she wasn't going to tell Kaoru to not take it. Well, Yahiko, really- he was going to be in charge of the dojo until Kenshin and Kaoru returned, and that included the maintenance and, to a lesser degree, finances. She would help him, of course, as would Tae (who had started giving him a fairly decent salary as a waiter), Tsubame, and (once she got her hands on the damn drunk and told him some things or three) Sanosuke. And Dr. Genzai, Ayame, and Suzame, too, of course. Yahiko was probably the only one who was having fun at the party. He was going to be trusted on his own- they weren't going to treat him like a child and forced to move in with someone else. True, he didn't entirely like WHY Kaoru and Kenshin were going away, but he was pretty sure that they'd be fine. They tended to keep each other from getting into too much trouble- Kenshin kept Kaoru alive, Kaoru kept Kenshin sane. Well, in this case, it might be the other way around- Kenshin was supposed to keep Kaoru sane, but he was pretty sure niether of them would be in any danger. Ayame and Suzame playing with Dr. Genzai in front of him was also helping to lighten the mood, as well. There WAS the fear that he might not be able to handle all of the troubles that came from maintaining the dojo- his only source of income was his job at the Akebeko, and while that kept him fed and gave him some pocket change, he doubted it would be enough to pay for any significant amount of supplies, so if anything broke he wouldn't be able to fix it. Well, not unless he relied on his old pickpocketing skills... and he really didn't want to do that again. Tae served the food to everyone, Tsubame included. She had given the young girl the night off, so that she could be with her friends. Tae, herself, wasn't entirely sure if this trip was that good an idea... then again, it just might be enough to inspire Kenshin to buy Kaoru the ring she so deserved. Tae also wasn't sure about Yahiko- she knew that the small salary she was paying him (which was really more than she could afford) wouldn't be enough for him to support himself for very long. She was fairly sure that Megumi, Sanosuke, and her young charge Tsubame would all help him out (Tsubame probably wouldn't be able to do much, but she could keep him company and stop him from being so lonely... hmm, and that might just be another nice relationship for her to try and help smooth out- though as young as the couple was, it probably would be difficult to push it very quickly. She'd have to think about it), but it might not be enough. She'd have to keep an eye on him, too, and make sure he ate enough... Saitoh, monitoring what was going on in the party from the shadows, unseen by all (well, by all except Kenshin, but Kenshin wasn't about to complain this time), couldn't believe he'd made that agreement with the Battousai. How could he have been talked into anything so foolish? Or expensive... Tokio was probably going to kill him. Well, maybe- she had a kind enough heart she'd probably tell him he should have done it without the agreement. Whatever, he still couldn't believe he'd made that agreement. Tsubame was happy and sad, nervous and shy. Everyone she loved was around her, even Yahiko. True, a couple of those people were about to leave on a journey for an undetermined period of time, but that was the future. The NOW was a happy time. And none were happier than Yahiko, which somehow made her smile that much more. Tae called her over and whispered a few words in her ear. Tsubame had been given the night off, but Tae needed her to do one little thing while she set up for dinner. Tsubame smiled- of course she would help. Kaoru was totally accepting of what was happening. She was standing in her place, behind Kenshin, letting him do the talking for her. She didn't know what to say any more- she certainly didn't have any right to give instruction to Yahiko, since she'd defiled the rules of her school. She couldn't say anything to Megumi- there wasn't anything more to say, really. She couldn't say anything to Tae- the other woman would be taking on more than her fair share of responsibilities by helping Yahiko out. She couldn't say anything to Tsubame, Ayame, or Suzame- she didn't want to corrupt the poor girl by being too near her. She was a murderer, she couldn't let those kids be too near a murderer. True, Kenshin had also killed before, and she couldn't help but imagine him with kids, but he was somehow... different. She didn't want to talk to Kenshin about it, right now- not in public, anyway- and she wouldn't feel comfortable around children until she did... until she found out whatever it was that made him so good despite the blood on his hands. The only person she thought she might be able to talk to was Sanosuke, but he was avoiding her and Kenshin, for some reason. Kenshin met with everyone and judged their moods instantly. Kaoru was... well, the same Kaoru she'd been since the incident had happened. Sanosuke was too embarrassed to meet his face. Saitoh, in hiding until he left as per their agreement, didn't know what he'd gotten himself into. Yahiko was delighted- and a little nervous- at being left on his own to fend for himself, for once. Kenshin allowed himself a slight smile- the boy was a very quick learner, and had a heart few could match. He'd do fine- especially with everyone helping him. Megumi was looking a little... angry. Not at him and Kaoru (though it was obvious she was annoyed that Kaoru hadn't snapped out of it, yet), but more at Sanosuke. Kenshin didn't even WANT to know what that was about. Dr. Genzai and the kids were having fun, blissfully ignorant of the seriousness of the parting. Tsubame and Tae were their usual selves- Tae was worrying over the food, and Tsubame was nervous about the company, a little shy about Yahiko's presence, but still happy to be around people who treated her as family. He saw Tae send the young girl off on a quick task before returning to her serving. Kenshin guessed why when he saw where Tsubame was going, and made a mental note to bring back something nice for them- they deserved it. He also made a mental note not to underestimate waitresses in the future. Once all the food was served (and Saitoh learned also to never underestimate a waitress when Tsubame showed up with a bowl full of steaming hot Sukiyaki for his consumption), the party started in earnest. Tsubame and Tae chatted politely with Yahiko, Ayame and Suzame ate settled down and proceeded to something they thought was very important- eating. Dr. Genzai was chatting politely with Megumi. Sanosuke was still sulking, and Kaoru and Kenshin were hardly a couple of chatterboxes, but everyone sensed their mood and, instead of letting it get them down, tried instead to cheer them up by being cheerful on their own. All too quickly, however, they ran out of food and the goodbyes had to be said. The first people to go were Dr. Genzai and his two young charges, since they needed to go to bed early. It wasn't until they had to go home that Ayame and Suzame realized they weren't going to be seeing Kenshin or Kaoru for quite some time. They reacted... predictably. "Ken-ni! Don't go!" Ayame cried, clamping on to his leg. "Pwease? We want you to stay here, with us! Pwease stay?" Suzame sobbed, clamping on to a leg as well- thought the leg she grabbed belonged to Kaoru. Kaoru felt like the physical contact stung. She had to go now, more than ever, to keep from corrupting these little darlings with her presence. However, she couldn't get away as long as Suzame clung to her like that. She couldn't do anything to get the young girl to let her go- that would just mean touching her with her blood stained hands all the more, and she couldn't do that. Desperate for a rescue, she looked to Kenshin, who was having his own problems in the removing-little-kids predicament. Ayame was holding him too tight for him to pry her off without hurting her. Thankfully, Dr. Genzai came to their rescue. "Now, kids," he said. "Kenshin and Kaoru are going away on a very important trip. They may not be back for a long time, but if you don't let go then they aren't going to be able to get started on their journey, which would mean they'd NEVER be able to come back." Despite the flawed logic of the statement, that caught the two little girls' attention. Tears in their eyes, they released the two adults and joined Dr. Genzai. "Bye Ken-ni! Bye, Kaowu-neesan. We love you!" Kenshin, sensing Kaoru's discomfort, decided to answer for the both of them. "Don't worry, you two- we'll be back before you know it. And when we get back, we'll hold an even bigger party in honor of our return." That gave the girls two really big smiles. "Pwomise? Kenshin smiled back and nodded. "Promise." The next to go was Tae, with the similar excuse of taking Tsubame home. She approached Kaoru, her arms outstretched, and took her into a gentle hug. "You be careful now, okay?" Tae said. "Quit blaming youself for something you had no control over... and," here her voice descended into a whisper, "Try to remember not to do anything I wouldn't do... at least, not until the two of you get married, okay?" If Kaoru had felt up to blushing, she would have. However, the sympathetic hug Tae was giving her helped relieve some of the dark cloud hanging over her shoulder, and so the embarrasment that she would have usually felt was absorbed by other emotions. After disengaging herself from Kaoru, Tae turned and hugged Kenshin, as well- much to his and Kaoru's surprise. "Bring her back safe, okay?" Tae said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Letting her voice fall into a whisper again, she added, "You might want to look for a ring while you're out there, okay?" Kenshin looked a little abashed, but when Tae backed off he gave her a short- and very quick- nod. Tae was taken a little aback- she was just joking, but he seemed to take her seriously... which was definitely a good thing. Tae turned to go, and Tsubame followed. "Tsubame?" Kenshin called, stopping her before she got too far. "Yes, Kenshin-san?" she asked, turning to see him. "Keep Yahiko-chan out of trouble while we're gone," he instructed, grinning slightly. "Hey!" came a voice from the other side of the room. "I'm NOT a chan, got it!?" Blushing, Tsubame nodded. "I will, Kenshin-san." Turning back to follow Tae, she nearly stumbled over her own clothing before rushing up to the Akebeko's matriarch. Sanosuke had tried to slip out while Kenshin and Kaoru were distracted by the others' leaving, but Megumi had grabbed him before he could leave. She was going to make SURE she could talk to him about all this, and the only way she could make certain she had that opportunity was to keep him in sight until she had that discussion. However, it WAS getting late, and she would probably have a long day coming up, and they definitely would, so she should probably leave soon, as well. And take that troublesome drunk, Sano, with her. "Come on, let's get out of here," she said to Sano, standing up and dragging him along by the collar of his gi. He nearly tore out of her grasp when she came up to Kaoru and Kenshin. "Bye, you two... We'll see you when we get back. Try not to get in too much trouble- I don't want to have to work too hard when you return," she winked. "Bye, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said. Kaoru mearly nodded. Sano said nothing, trying to hang off in the background. Megumi prompted him with a slap to the back of the head. "Um, yeah, bye," he muttered. Megumi looked at him in frustration before grabbing his arm and dragging him off. Kenshin chuckled a little watching them head off. He knew Sano was a little embarrased about missing the fight, and that was why he was avoiding them, but it seemed like Megumi would straighten him out quickly enough. He, however, would have a much harder time straightening Kaoru out. With everyone gone who was going to go, his attention returned to the problem of helping her deal with having killed a man. He wasn't entirely sure if what he had planned for her would work- after all, it had been several years since he last killed a man, and he still wasn't entirely over it. Then again, he'd killed many, MANY more men than just one. Yahiko approached the two of them, yawning. "Well, I'm going to bed. G'night, you two. See you in the morning." Kenshin sighed. "Actually, Yahiko, I don't think you will." Yahiko looked stunned. "You mean... you're leaving tonight?" "No," Kenshin replied, shaking his head. "But we're going to be leaving very early tomorrow. Before dawn. You won't be awake by then." "Then maybe I should stay up a little later," Yahiko said. "I was hoping to have a chance to talk with you two about some things before you leave." Kenshin smiled. "Go on to bed. Megumi and Tae will be around to help you out with anything you might have questions with." "But... then I-" "Yahiko," Kenshin said. "I know you just don't want to say goodbye. Well, don't worry- as we told Ayame and Suzame, we'll be back before you know it." Yahiko wasn't buying it. "And how long will that be? Months? YEARS? How will I get in touch with you if I need to you?" Kenshin sighed. "Yahiko... I wasn't planning on this, but you do make a good point. Regardless of whether we're ready or not, we'll be back- at least for a short time- in six months. Okay?" Yahiko didn't move. Kenshin offered a hand to shake. "Okay?" Yahiko hesitated, then grabbed the hand... and pulled himself into a big hug with Kenshin. "I'm going to miss you two," he said. Kenshin returned the hug, smiling. Usually, Yahiko would be struggling to get out of one, not giving someone else one. "And we're going to miss you." Yahiko broke her hug off from Kenshin and went over to Kaoru. "You get better FAST, okay?" Kaoru couldn't help but smile, even though she couldn't see herself getting better EVER. "Goodbye, Yahiko," she said, taking him into a hug. "As Kenshin said, we'll visit." "I'm not going to give up my training, you know," Yahiko noted. "I'll practice every day, just how you told me to. We can pick up right where you left off when you get back." Kaoru stiffened at the mention of training. She couldn't teach anyone any more- she'd disgraced her art. But now was not the time to say that, so she just kept silent. Once she released him, Kenshin knelt down to ruffle Yahiko's hair. "You go on to bed now, okay?" Yahiko nodded. "Okay, Kenshin... Good bye." After he left, Kenshin turned to Kaoru. "Why don't you go to bed, as well? I've got some last-minute things to pack still, but you should get your rest. It's going to be a long day for you, tomorrow." Kaoru nodded, and went off to her bed. Once she was out of sight, Kenshin walked over to where Saitoh was still standing. "I hate you, you know," Saitoh said. "I'm sorry for forcing you into this, Saitoh. But there was no-one else I knew of who could do this job." Saitoh shook his head. "Tokio is going to kill me- this is going to take away a lot of our little time together... and a large amount of our money." Kenshin nodded. "It may. It might not, you know, if you do it right." "Well, I made an agreement. I don't have a choice, now, do I?" Kenshin smiled. "Excuse me, I have to pack up a few things before I leave tomorrow." Saitoh merely nodded. "You're going to take her to see it, aren't you?" Kenshin shook his head. "Perhaps. We shall see." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- desaix@sysnet.net Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee fanfics available at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm David A. Tatum's Used Anime Trading Post http://www2.sysnet.net/~desaix/shop.htm Want money for surfing the web? Go to http://www.alladvantage.com (and use my ref. id number: GJV-454) --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- GRAB THE GATOR! FREE SOFTWARE DOES ALL THE TYPING FOR YOU! Tired of filling out forms and remembering passwords? Gator fills in forms and passwords with just one click! Comes with $50 in free coupons! 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