From: "floribelle maximo" A PEACEFUL SLUMBER by flori-dono DISCLAIMER: This is a Rurouni Kenshin inspired fan fiction. Standard disclaimers apply. SPOILER WARNING: Stuff about Tomoe, so don't say I didn't warn ya! AUTHOR'S NOTES: 1.This is a side story to Arashi. Some parts from the OAVs were mentioned. 2.I would like to dedicate this fic to my friend Portia. It's her first death anniversary on January 21. Angel, I know the pain of losing you will stay with me forever but my fond memories of you and the lessons you had taught me will see me through. Portia, thank you for everything. Someday, I know we shall meet again. Until then. NOW FOR THE FIC: Tomoe awakened suddenly to the loud rap at the door. It was the first time something like this happened. Usually, Kenshin would just come home witbout waking her. She got up and approached the door, her small dagger in hand just to be sure. She slid the door open slightly and peered outside. She saw her husband. There was dried blood splattered on his clothes. His arms were full of nicks and scratches. On his forehead was a shallow wound which looked like the work of a katana. She wasn't actually surprised by that. Her husband was a hitokiri, what did she expect? Nevertheless she gasped. In Kenshin's arms was an unconsious woman dressed like a ninja with a black cloak about her. A part of it was draped over Kenshin's shoulders, cacading down his back like a waterfall. "Tomoe," Kenshin said in a soft voice. Tomoe snapped out of her trance and without a word opened the door. Kenshin stepped inside their small cabin. Tomoe re-arranged her own futon so that he could put the woman down. She stood up and went to the backroom and got several bandages and a pail of clean water. When she got back, she saw Kenshin removing the girl's cloak. On his face was a look of concern. She seldom saw him like this, emotion showing openly on his face. Somehow, she felt a little jealous of the stranger. Startled at the trend of her thoughts, she checked herself before kneeling down on the other side of the girl. Kenshin turned to her. "She's hurt," he said, motioning his hand to the girl's wound. It was a deep slash on her chest. Kenshin had already done first aid treatments but she still needed help. "She got that trying to save me." Tomoe nodded. She understood. Yet those words somehow brought pain to her. This woman saved his life while she, she... "What about you?" she asked softly while unrolling the bandages. He smiled. "This is nothing," he said. "I can clean my wounds myself if you'll give me some of the bandages." She handed him a roll. "Why don't you go and change?" she suggested. "Hai,"he answered. "I'll do that. Arigatou, Tomoe-chan." He stood up and went to the backroom, leaving Tomoe with the patient. She rolled the sleeves of her yukata and effortlessly did the task at hand. In a few minutes, she had stopped the bleeding, cleaned and dressed the wound. She had even bathed the girl's face and arms. With light in the room, she could now clearly see her face. She wasn't really what you would call beautiful but there was something about her that was really arresting. She was soft looking, but harsh lines of pain marred her smooth brow. She looked as if she was the same age as she was. Tomoe wondered what her name was. "I've set out another futon in the small room," Kenshin said. He picked the woman up and transferred her to the other room. Tomoe followed him. When he had set her down again, she heard him whisper something. "Arashi," he said. "That is her name." He turned towards his wife and told her what happened earlier. "So she is the cloaked assassin?" she asked incredulously. Kenshin nodded. "Actually, I have met her before." Tomoe waited for him to continue. "When I was a child, I was brought to a slave den. I met her there. She became somehow a friend," he said. "Our meeting was short because immediately after, she was taken away. I've never seen or heard from her until today." Kenshin's words were sparse but it said a lot. Tomoe understood that Arashi was a significant part of Kenshin's past. Did he love her? Does he still love her? Tomoe didn't have the right to question. Even if Kenshin was her husband, their marriage was still that of convenience for him. But for her... That was the problem. How could she finish what she had set out to do when although it was hard to admit to herself, she was already falling in love with him? She sighed. Kenshin heard Tomoe's sigh and mistaking it for tiredness said, "Gomen nasai Tomoe-chan, I didn't want to wake you up but I needed your help. You can go back to sleep now if you want to." Tomoe nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or insulted by that remark. Happy because he was being so considerate or insulted because if he wasn't so damn prude, he wouldn't need her help. Kenshin stared at her. Tomoe was lovely but when she smiled, she was beautiful. He hoped to see her smile more often. He hoped HE could make her smile more often. "It was nothing," she said. "Besides, you are the one who needs sleep. You go now and I'll take care of her." It was Kenshin's turn to smile. "Go on," Tomoe insisted, quite disturbed upon seeing that. Another minute with him, and her defences would break. He yawned. "I guess, I should have to obey you." He stood up and walked where Tomoe was. He placed a hand on her cheek, before saying goodnight. She touched the place where he touched her. This was getting difficult everyday. She must watch herself now, she must not get into this deeper than she already was. Kami-sama, why him? Why him? "No!" Tomoe turned hurriedly to her patient. Arashi was having a nightmare, she was thrashing on the futon and she was crying. "Shh, Arashi-chan,"she soothed her, trying to still her movements. "It's just a bad dream. Sleep..." Surprsingly, Arashi quieted down. She held on Tomoe's hand and clutched it hard, making it's owner winced in pain. "Okaasan," she whispered. "Tell Otousan to keep me. Tell them not to take me away!" Tomoe's heart went out to the poor girl's. Arashi must think that she was her mother. Tomoe realized she was far luckier than her. At least she had a family when this girl must had none. It must had been painful to be sold by your father. Tomoe thought about her own father and her brother. They were still alive and well. Then why did she allow herself to be a pawn? Of course she loved him, and the pain she felt when he died was unbearable. But was it reason enough to kill another man? And where was that pain now? It had been replaced by another. The pain of loving someone and knew that that love had no place in this time or place. How the gods must be laughing at her now. She watched Arashi sleep. Her dreams were still troubled but not as much as earlier. In an unselfish act, she hoped she would find peace, even only in her sleep. She watched her until the sunlight filtered through the window. She only went away to prepare some breakfast. She put them on a tray to bring to Arashi, just in case she'd woken up. She was right. She watched her as she traced her fingers over her bandaged wound. She saw the girl winced in pain. "Ohayou gozaimasu," Tomoe greeted her. Arashi looked up startledly. Tomoe could see she recognized her. "Ohayou gozaimasu," Arashi retuned. "Good, you're already awake," Tomoe said. "I brought you breakfast and some tea." "Demo sumimasen, but..." "Eat first before you ask questions," she said. There was an iron will in Tomoe. Arashi realized that she wouldn't be anwered if she asked so she obeyed her. After drinking the last drop of tea, she cleared away the utensils and stood up. "Wait..." Arashi stopped her. She smiled at her faintly. It was a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "I'll call my husband and he'll be the one to explain." Tomoe closed the door.She heard footsteps behind her, then suddenly she felt a hand gently alight on her shoulder. She looked up and found herself staring into her husband's face. "You've stayed up all night," he said. "You should take a rest." "Hai, but maybe later," Tomoe answered. She motioned to the door. "She's fine but she needs more rest. And the wound's deep, it would still take a long time before it can fully heal." Kenshin looked at her with fondness if not really love. Tomoe caught it as she looked up to him. She almost gasped out loud. She should be happy but again there was that pain. And that pain was more unbearable now. "Arigatou," he said then urged her to sleep. "There is no point in arguing with you is there?" she said. "Hai!" he said. They both chuckled then stopped. They gazed intently at each other's eyes. Their faces drawing closer to each other. Tomoe closed her eyes. They shouldn't... but she wanted to. Then they heard her moan. They both snapped back to reality. "Come on, I'll see to her. Go and rest," Kenshin urged. She smiled faintly and obeyed him. But she couldn't sleep. They had been talking for a while now. What were they talking about? Perhaps, they were catching up with what happened after they last saw each other. Tomoe was envious, Kenshin never told her about his past. She smiled ruefully, well, she never did tell him about her past either. Fair is fair. But was it? She recalled the time when they were planting vegetables in their little garden. He told her that he used to help his otousan in the garden when he was a child. That was about the only time he told her about his childhood. Aside from that, she only caught glimpses of the childhood he had missed. She remembered seeing books and his toy top that up to now, he'd still play in between resting, helping her with the housework and being hitokiri. Her heart went out to him. She heard the door open. She hurriedly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. Kenshin walked softly towards Tomoe's futon. He had grown to love her in the short time they'd been together. But he wasn't sure if she had too. Though he could swear sometimes that she would look at him with a soft light in her eyes. But that look would always turn to pain. A pain which he didn't really understand. He only loved a few people. His parents for being his parents, the other slaves who protected him and told him to live, Arashi who was a friend, hard to admit it but even his shishou for being a father to him, and now Tomoe. Most of them were either taken away from him by Death or by Fate. But would Tomoe be taken away from him too? His heart broke at the thought. Hesitantly, he brushed her hair with his hand. Doing it again and again as if he was putting a child to sleep. Tomoe almost cried when he brushed her hair. How could he do this to her? How could he care for her when she could only hurt him? Such troubled thoughts, which she casted away for the time being. She'll worry about them tomorrow, but for now she will just let things as is. She was too tired to do any more thinking or worrying. She just cherished this moment as Kenshin touched her gently... lovingly. Slowly, and for the first time, she drifted away into a peaceful slumber. Kenshin saw her smile in her sleep. He couldn't help but smile too. "Oyasumi nasai," he said softly as he bent down to kiss her lips. ~OWARI~ I KNOW I PUT ARASHI IN THERE IN THE START BUT I HAD A HARD TIME THINKING ABOUT AN ENDING WITH HER THERE SO I JUST ENDED THIS WITHOUT HER. 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