Subject: [kffdisc] Trust Part Four (final chapter) Date: Mon, 05 Apr 1999 18:00:49 PDT From: "Megumi Takani" Reply-To: kffdisc@onelist.com To: kffdisc@onelist.com From: "Megumi Takani" Trust Part Four Megumi Takani Disclaimer (See previous parts) Megumi brushed the little girl's hair. She smiled watching her beautiful daughter clap happily as she ran a brush through her daughter's shoulder length black hair. Megumi felt a sadness in heart when she looked at her daughter's eyes. They were her father's eyes. "Mama!" Mikomi cried clapping happily. "What Miko-Chan?" Megumi asked smiling as she tied her daughter's hair with a ribbon. Megumi's English was only slightly accented, she vowed she would speak perfect English, though her daughter would be raised speaking Japanese and English. It had been almost 5 and a half years since she left the dojo. She had kept in almost constant touch with Kaoru. She and Kenshin had postponed their wedding again. There was a knock at the door and Mikomi hopped of the little stool she had been sitting on and ran to the door. "Konnichiwa!" She greeted the man when opened the door. "Mikomi!" Megumi scolded as she came to the door. "Oh I mean hello sir." Mikomi said smiling. "Hello Mikomi. Hello Miss. Takani, I have only one letter for you today." The postman said handing the letter to Megumi. "Thank you sir." Megumi said smiling. She recognized the handwriting on the envelope. It was Kenshin's halting attempt at writing English. She opened the letter and found it written in Japanese. "Miko-Chan we got a letter from your uncle Kenshin," Megumi said talking to her daughter who had run off to find her little kitten. When Mikomi heard this she came running back in. "Please read it out loud mommy! I want to hear what uncle Kenshi says!!" The little girl cried her voice eager. "Ahem," Megumi cleared her throat and began to read. "Dearest Megumi and Mikomi, how are you both? I hope you both fare as well as Kaoru and I do. I have some exciting news. Kaoru and I have finally set the date for out wedding, it is to be the 16th of May. It would honor us both highly if you would attend." Megumi stopped reading. Return? To the land of her birth? It had been too long since she had been back and Miko-Chan deserved to see her own country. "Mama what's wrong?" Mikomi asked. "How would you like to see where mommy is from?" Megumi asked, letting the letter fall to her lap. "Oh yes mama!! I wanna see Japan!!" Mikomi cried delightedly. Megumi smiled and said. "Well tomorrow while you're at Elizabeta's I will go buy us two boat tickets and then we will come and pack alright?" Megumi said with a forced smile. Returning to Japan would be hard. Seeing Kenshin and Kaoru, would be nice and seeing what became of Yahiko and Tsubame-Chan. But seeing Sano would be more difficult, maybe he wouldn't even be at the dojo anymore. The evening passed quickly, Mikomi begged Megumi to tell her story after story about Japan. Mikomi begged her also to tell her the story about the princess, who had her one true love taken away by an evil witch. Finally, Mikomi fell asleep in Megumi's lap on her bed. She picked her daughter up and carried her to her room next to Megumi's. She looked at her daughter in the moonlight. Ara she does look like her dad. How will I ever explain him to her? Her mind wandered back five years to the days before she left Japan. She didn't know why she named her daughter Mikomi it had just felt right. Yes her daughter was most assuredly her hope. Megumi extinguished the lights and went to prepare for bed. Two weeks later Megumi and Mikomi stood on the deck of the ship that was to take them to Japan. Mikomi clutched tightly to her little kitten Esmeralda, as she waved to the friends she was leaving behind. Megumi looked at her lovely child and remembered how scared she had been when she had arrived here. Now she was leaving and she was even more scared as to what she would find when she got home. The day dawned clear and bright. Sano rubbed his eyes and swore to himself. Another hangover, but he really didn't care a whole lot. He ran his fingers through his hair and decided to wander down to his lake to take a bath. Yeah it was his lake. No one else went there. It was where he and Megumi… He hadn't thought about her in a few days. The pain that had once been a sharp stabbing was now just a dull ache. As stupid as he felt, he ached for her. Every part of his body wanted her. He needed her. Sano you baka!! He thought as he hit himself on the forehead hard. He disrobed and slipped into the lake. After his bath he wandered down to the docks to see if he could find any dice games. He saw a large vessel pulling into the harbor. He could tell it was an English ship. Damn westerners he thought. He meandered up to a group playing dice and he quickly joined in. "MAMA!!! WE'RE HERE!!" Mikomi yelled excitedly. She held poor Esmeralda tightly to her chest and pointed wildly to where they would be docking in an hour our so. They had to be checked out by some group calling themselves customs. Seeing that she was a single woman with a child they left her alone. She had gathered their bags and waited to be told they could depart from the boat that had been their home for the past two and a half months. She sighed knowing the following days weren't going to be easy. Sano had gotten kicked out of the dice game and was now standing close to where the boat was docked. He watched all the westerners get off and he snickered slightly as the passed. He looked up to see a little girl that looked vaguely familiar run down the ramp off the boat. She was followed by a tall woman, with dark hair pinned up in an intricate bun. That woman looked so familiar. He squinted his eyes. It couldn't be her. Dressed as a westerner? That had him puzzled but so did the fact when she got to the bottom, she picked the little girl up and kissed her cheek. He decided he might just follow her. Mikomi was chattering excitedly in a mixture of Japanese and English. Megumi smiled down at her daughter had squirmed out of her arms moments after she had been picked up. Megumi had decided to get them both out westerner's clothes and into more comfortable and appropriate clothing. Mikomi was very excited about getting to wear clothes that she had only seen her mother in once or twice that she could remember. Megumi took her into the store where she used to buy her kimonos. Megumi stepped out of the store in a beautiful dark purple kimono with darker purple flowers embroidered on it. Her daughter was in a gold kimono with cherry blossoms on it. Mikomi looked absoulutely darling and it saddened Megumi just a little to think her father didn't even know about her. That secret tore Megumi's heart but some things are best kept secret. Megumi took the little girls hand and led her up the road to the dojo. Sano watched as Megumi and the little girl Sano quickly (well as quickly as a sake-clouded mind could) realized that was her daughter. Sano laughed at his own seeming pathetic self. The foxy doctor had moved on, so why hadn't he? Of course he knew why. She was beautiful woman, good at many things. MANY things. He thought with a grin. Why was she here with out the child's father? Was the child a bastard? No, he shook his head and sighed. Megumi had too much respect for herself than to do that. He saw they were heading towards the dojo and he turned onto the path that would take him to Megumi's, well his house now. Megumi approached a young man walking outside the dojo to ask if he knew if Kaoru was in. "Yahiko?" She asked her eyes widening. "Hai, can I help you?" He asked. He had gotten very tall, muscular and handsome. "Megumi-San?" He asked squinting just a little. She had become very skinny since the last time he had seen her. "Yes," she said with a smile. Mikomi was peering out from behind Megumi's legs. "KAORU!!!" He yelled much in the way he had used to when Megumi had last lived there. "Yahiko! You don't need to yell I am right… MEGUMI-SAN!" Kaoru yelled running over and giving her a hug. Both women started crying, and little Mikomi just stood there looking up at the woman who made her mommy cry. "Hey don't make my mommy cry!" Mikomi said trying to push Kaoru away from Megumi. "Mikomi, it's alright, this is your aunt Kaoru." Megumi said smiling. "She has her fathers temper." Was all Kaoru said. "Yes I know…" "Megumi-dono!" Kenshin said from the gate. "Hello Ken-San!" Megumi said with a smile. The group went up to the dojo and Kaoru made tea and provided rice balls for everyone. "Kaoru you have become very talented at cooking." Megumi said with a smile. "Thank you." Kaoru said. "Why doesn't Yahiko and Kenshin show Mikomi around the dojo and you and I can talk." Kaoru said. "Yes, that's a good idea." Megumi said. Knowing she wouldn't have to explain to Mikomi who was entranced watching Yahiko train with Kenshin. The two women went down to the gate and Kaoru looked at Megumi. "You didn't tell him you weren't planning on coming back did you?" Kaoru said. "I couldn't." Megumi said. "Did you know every day he came to the dojo and stood at the gate until night fall waiting for you. Finally after almost a year, he stopped waiting at the gate and went and slept in your house. He said that you most likely would go there first. And he didn't want to miss you in case you came back and left again. Finally after a year or so of that he continued to live in your house because he was gambling heavily again and drinking more than I think he probably ever had in his entire life. Megumi do you know how hard it is to watch someone you care about deteriorate in front of your eyes?" "But he hurt me…" "Did you know why he went to see Obachan that day?" "No," Megumi said shaking her head looking at the ground. "To tell her to stay away from you and him and he never even wanted to breathe the same air as her again." Kaoru said. "Oh," it took all the control Megumi had not to cry. "Eventually he stopped coming to the dojo all together. Kenshin would see him in town. But do you know what Megumi? He never loved a woman after you." Kaoru said flicking a piece of dust off of her kimono. "I hadn't realized." Megumi said her eyes down cast. "Well you weren't the only one to be mistaken, I too underestimated Sano." Kaoru said smiling a little. Megumi watched her little girl trying to use Yahiko's sword it was a little taller than she so it made for a fairly comedic scene. Megumi smiled a little. "Should I find him and talk to him?" Megumi asked not looking at Kaoru. "I would have normally said yes go find him and hold him and never let go. But let him come to you Megumi, I think he will in his own time." "Kaoru you have become very wise. What happened?" Megumi asked with a raised brow. "I guess after living with Kenshin all these years has rubbed off on me." Kaoru said with her old smile. Both women laughed, though it didn't reach either of their hearts. Mikomi ran over to Megumi and tugged on her kimono. "Mommy I used uncle Yahiko's sword and beat him up with it!" Megumi looked past her daughter and laughed when she saw Yahiko on the ground rubbing his shins. He winked at Megumi to let her know he was playing. "Well you must be hungry, Kaoru how about I take us all out to the Akabeko for dinner?" "I am sure that will be wonderful," Kenshin said walking over with Yahiko. "Why don't you two go get cleaned up and then we will go?" Kaoru said. "Ok," both men said. While Kaoru and Megumi waited for the men Megumi asked what happened to Dr. Genzai and Ayame-Chan and Suzume-Chan. "Dr. Genzai died about 3 years after you left, and Ayame-Chan and Suzume-Chan went to live with an aunt who lives in Kyoto." Kaoru said her voice sad. "Who is the doctor now?" Megumi asked worried. "A pretty much incompetent man. Luckily there have been no life threatening emergencies." Kaoru said as Yahiko and Kenshin approached them. The group left for the Akabeko, it was almost like old times. Almost. The absence of one member made Megumi lonelier than ever. Hopefully she would get to speak with him tonight. The group arrived at the Akabeko and were seated by Tsubame. She and Yahiko had passed beyond the shy youngster crush and it was now common knowledge (common as in Yahiko admitted to it) how the two felt for each other. Kaoru and Kenshin were surprised that Mikomi knew how to use chopsticks. The dinner passed pleasantly enough, when it was over the group was pleasantly full and head out of the restaurant in jovial moods. Mikomi ran ahead with Yahiko, she was chasing fireflies. Yahiko ran ahead of Mikomi so he couldn't see her and Megumi took her eyes off Mikomi for just a minute, when they heard her cry out. "Mikomi!" Megumi cried running ahead. She saw a tall man holding her daughter at his hip talking to her. Megumi didn't need to get any closer to know who it was. "Sano…" Megumi whispered. "Mommy! This nice man saved me from falling down the big hill." Mikomi said playing with Sano's bandanna. "Thank you Sano," she said quietly as she went to get her daughter. Kenshin caught her eye and nodded, knowing she wanted to be alone. Mikomi had removed Sano's bandanna completely by this time. "I…" Sano began. A mix of emotions swelled through him. He was truly sober for the first time in countless months. "Her name is Mikomi…" Megumi began. "Hope? Why did her father let you name her a Japanese name? Surely a westerner would want good western children." Sano said trying to sound cruel. Megumi's eyes fell to the ground. Sano knew he had been successful and yet was instantly sorry he had hurt her. "Her father isn't a westerner." Megumi said, looking at her daughter who had fallen asleep in her father's arms. "He is still alive? Why isn't he with you then?" Sano asked. "I…" A tear slid down her cheek. Sano wanted to hold this woman his Hime-Chan. Why was it causing her so much pain to tell him Mikomi's father's name. "His name is Sanosuke." Megumi said. Sano opened his mouth to make a snide comment, then he closed it. "Oh." Was all he could get out. He should have by all rights been angry but for some reason he felt an incredible relief. "I am sorry I didn't tell you," she began. "Come here," was all he said. She walked slowly over to him and he took his one free arm and hugged her close. He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her. "I love you Hime-Chan." He said and with his arm around her waist. He led her to her old home. He put Mikomi in one of the back rooms and took Megumi into her old room that he had been sleeping in. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Hime-Chan, marry me." "What?" Megumi looked up at him not sure she heard him right. "I don't ever want you to leave my side again." "Ok," she said with a smile. He kissed her deeply and laid her down on the mat. Holding her close. Megumi for the first time in many years actually felt safe and warm. The tide recedes but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand, The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers on the land, The music stops, and yet it echoes on in sweet refrains... 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