I don't know the OVA's about Kenshin's past! Important for the following 
chapters!

ON WITH THE STORY:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's a devil waiting outside your door
(How much longer)
Bucking and praying and pawing the floor
Well, he's howling with pain and crawling up the walls
There's a devil waiting outside your door
He's weak with evil and broken by the world
He's shouting your name and asking for more
There's a devil waiting outside your door

Loverman! Since the world began
Forever, amen till the end of time
Take off that dress I'm coming down
I'm your loverman
Cause I am what I am what I am what I am


words by Nick Cave ("Loverman")

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER6: FIGHT AND TALK

WARNING: As usual: OOC, Violence, lemon (not very detailed)

I flew across the room, through the next wall, down on the street. We were on 
the first 
floor, I had a hard impact on the mud in the street. My cheek burned, my spine 
ached. 
ENOUGH! I stood up and started to walk down the street, ignoring his yells.

I felt tears raising, people were staring behind me, I had to look scaring. My 
hair
was messed up, I was covered with mud and was crying so hard, frustrated, I 
wasn't able to
see the street. I knew, I had no chance against him in a bare-handed fight, he 
was strong 
AND quick, I was only quick. Furthermore Okita was dying before my eyes, that 
was more 
than I was able to handle.

Where could I go? I knew nobody in Kyoto, was messed up and left my money at 
home. There 
was a temple I passed when I had entered Kyoto one month ago. Only one month 
past? My god!
The temple would be a good place for meditating and re-gaining control over my 
disturbed 
emotions.

I climbed up the hill, entered the temple area, refreshed myself with water of 
the spring.
That was good! I felt myself calming, my tears were drying and I looked for good 
place to 
meditate. There was one, between the bamboo in the garden and I settled down, 
trying to 
concentrate, focus.

What an idiot that Saitou Hajime! I was his wife, but he couldn't tell me what 
to do, with 
whom I talked. Okita was one of the few persons, that respected me, spoke with 
me and 
understood me. As I already said, I was an outsider from the day of my birth. 

***FLASHBACK***

I was six years old, I ran down the street, there were some children playing, I 
had to 
pass them.

"Look, there is the bastard!"

"Bastard, bastard!"

"Your father is nothing but dirt!"

"Your mother is a bitch!"

I heard them, but I didn't understand them, we were a perfect family. What was 
wrong?

"She thinks she is better than us!"

"She is nothing, her father was dishonoured!"

The children spoke out loud, what the adults in this district thought about my 
parents and
me.

When I came home I ran to my mother, wondering, I really didn't understand.
"Mom, the children in the street made fun of me and insult you and papa!"
When father was not around we always spoke French, she wanted me to remind my 
origins.

"O, Tokio!" she embraced me, caressed my hair, pressed me against her chest, she 
smiled 
one of her wonderful smiles for me.

"They say so much dirty things about us."

"Come on, Tokio, you are too smart, my little lady, to believe what they are 
saying. You 
are such a strong, big kid, You don't have to care about them. Come on I'll 
prepare you 
some sweet crepes."

She didn't understand me. I really didn't care what the other children thought 
of me, I 
just wanted to know what was wrong. But I stayed quiet, crepes!!

***end Flashback***

I smiled, remembering the sweet taste of crepes with sugar on it. Mmm, I'd like 
to have 
one now.

"Aa, here you are!"

I shrieked up of my daydreams "Hello, Soushi. What are you doing here? You are 
supposed to stay in bed!" That idiot would be dead earlier then the doctor 
assumed, if he 
didn't stay in bed. That reminded me, that he would die soon and there was 
nothing I could 
do to prevent it. No, I'd pull myself together! No moaning and crying!

He chuckled "I need the fight, I am a warrior, I can't stay in bed. I'm not that 
type of 
man."

Useless to discuss. If he wanted to jump around and got killed he would do that 
and not 
follow my advise. "How did you find me? Why did you follow me?"

He settled down beside me in a comfortable position, preparing for a longer 
talk. 
"I managed to calm Saitou-san."

I felt my anger raising again "That idiot had no reason to hit you or me."

Soushi got serious, looking deep in my eyes "Don't behave childish, Tokio. You 
were in my 
room, I was lying in my futon and we were embracing each other. He had every 
reason to 
misjudge the situation, it was compromising. And he wasn't serious, believe me. 
Had he 
been serious, he had hurt us more. He had a bad day and that was a final blow. I 
believe 
he just wanted to show you who is the 'man' in the house or to provoke you."

That was not reason enough to punch his and my friend and to slam me on my cheek 
and throw
me out of the house. Soushi believed, Saitou had only played? What kind of game 
was this? 
"He had no right to do that!"

"He is your husband, Tokio, he has to take care of you. You behave stubborn and 
childish."

I laughed bitterly "Do you call this 'taking care'. This is possessive! I'm not 
his 
property and I'm not his underlining. I can take care of myself!"

Soushi sighed "Tokio, you are stubborn. Anyway, Kondou-sensei wants to see you 
both two 
hours after sunset and talk with you."

That shocked me a bit. Kondou wanted to see us? He would wash our heads! This 
meant
trouble. I must have looked scared, Okita chuckled, laughed about my expression.

"You shouted the house down, ruined one wall and two shouji's. He was not very 
pleased, 
believe me."

"Hajime should have talked with me. There was a chance to clear the situation!"

"Tokio, you both are hopeless. You both don't like to talk and there is too much 
tension 
between you both. Furthermore you lost your temper again."

Maybe he was right, there was too much tension. Saitou attracted me, and even 
when he 
threatened me, I felt myself being attracted by him. That was not a problem I 
could solve 
now and there was something more I wanted to know.

"Tell me, what about your marriage? Does Kondou-sensei still look for a woman 
for you?"

Soushi laughed loud, tears were coming in his eyes "Do you want to know the 
truth?"

That didn't sound like I really wanted to hear it, but I was nosy and suspicious 
now. 
"Yes, Soushi, tell me, please!"

"Actually, Kondou-sensei wanted to look for a wife for Saitou-san. He is quite 
old now, 
23, and it was time to get married. But he muffled something like 'keep this 
silly girls 
away from me. No need for a woman. Only trouble and nothing more. Love is only 
for 
weaklings and idiots, morons.' That was his summarised comment. Then 
Kondou-sensei asked 
me, he hoped, Saitou-san would change his mind during the introducing." 
Okita laughed loud now, tears running down his face now, holding his stomach.

VERY funny, Soushi! "What happened then?"

"You were the last woman, after you left, the broker excused for your behaviour 
and left. 
Kondou-sensei stayed quiet for a while, thinking and released Saitou-san, he 
wanted to
talk with me alone. After we were alone, Kondou-sensei told me that he wanted me 
to 
retreat and ask Saitou-san to marry you instead. He told me he knew your father 
from 
Osaka, that they had trained together and had founded that aku soku zan 
together. He said 
something about the spirit of your parents in you, I don't remember. Later he 
spoke with 
Saitou-san, Kondou-sensei must have been really scaring, that Saitou-san gave 
his 
agreement, I don't know, I wasn't around!" 

We both laughed, knowing that a scared Saitou was unimaginable, impossible, but 
the image 
itself was funny. Soushi always found a way to cheer me up.

"Come, Tokio, we must go back, you have to talk with Kondou-sama."

Oh my god, I nearly forgot about this one. There was some time left and I wanted 
to relax 
here.

"I'll follow, don't bother about me. I want to stay a little bit. No problem, 
Soushi."

"Really?"

"Really!" I wanted to enjoy he silence and peace some more time alone, before 
heading back.

"Bye, Tokio."

"Bye, Soushi."

After the sun settled down behind the mountains around Kyoto I left the temple 
area. I was
still messed up and had mud on my hakama and kimono, but what mattered. The moon 
was 
already high in the sky, red from the last sunbeams, it looked beautiful. 

What a wonderful city! STOP! What was that, that smell? BLOOD!! I rushed forward 
into the 
direction I heard the noises of a fight and were the smell was coming from.

There were the first dead men. Shinsengumi, low-ranked. There were the next 
three. Must be
many opponents or a VERY skilled sword-fighter. I turned around the next corner, 
there he 
stood.

It was a single man, his back facing me. He was definitely skilled, that would 
be an 
interesting opponent, I longed for my swords,..

WHERE ARE MY SWORDS? OH MY GOD! They were still in the dojo, where Soushi had 
broken down!

The man in front of me turned, he must have felt my ki, the bloodied moonlight 
shining on 
his features. He had red hair, bond in a high pony-tail and a crossed scar on 
his left 
cheek. I panicked. I noticed a disturbing influence in his ki, similar to my 
own, no 
mercy, killing cold-blooded, hiding a deep wound in his soul. He was different.

He must have noticed the same in me, we stood there, facing each other, staring 
at each 
other, nobody moved, I felt like facing death himself. I was dead. Why didn't he 
attack?

***FLASHBACK***

The katana was lying in front of me, in the middle of the room, the first 
assassin stepped
out of the shadows, I blocked every emotion. 'Focus, you can do that, Tokio! You 
have to 
stay alive for your parents, for their spirit, for their believe!'

"Look what we have here, the bastard. Properly she will be more fun than her 
mother, ne?"

A second man stepped into the light, now! I rushed forward, grabbed the katana 
and used 
the speed to dodge the first man while cutting his legs above his knees. He fell 
to the 
ground yelling, I used the wall and my speed to kick me back to the second man 
decapitating him. He stood for some seconds, before he broke down.

'Run, Tokio, there are some more, they are skilled and alarmed now, I will need 
the 
wakizashi, the element of surprise is gone.'

'Where is it?' I looked frantically around, there it was, pierced through my 
father's 
heart. 'His own sword! Focus, Tokio!' But this moment was enough, I wasn't able 
to evade 
the shuriken. 'Ninjas! Getting worse! How many?' The shuriken hit my left 
shoulder, it was 
supposed to hit my heart. 'RUN, Tokio!' I rushed forward and grabbed the 
wakizashi, 
ignoring the pain in my left shoulder and the sight of my father. 'I can stand 
this!'
The man, whom I had cut above the knees finally stopped yelling, he had probably 
lost too
much blood.

"Tokio!" Someone was calling me? My parents were killed, I had to be focused! I 
raised my 
hand to pull out the shuriken.

"TOKIO!" My shoulder ached, where was the shuriken?

***END FLASHBACK***

"TOKIO!!"

I was distracted for a minute, or longer, someone was searching me, I was 
standing in the 
middle of a street in a pool of blood in Kyoto. About six corpses lying around 
me. The man
in front of me had vanished. Why didn't he kill me? I was a witness and an easy 
prey!

Saitou and Soushi came across the corner, seeing me standing in the middle of 
the street, 
between the dead corpses, some Shinsengumi followed them. Saitou and Soushi must 
have 
realised, how disturbed I was, Saitou rushed forward and pushed me behind him.

"What happened here, Tokio?" He was alarmed, his fighting ki got stronger.

"Hm, I'm not sure, there was a man.." I felt safe having him around and began to 
be 
attracted by his physical presence and strong fighting spirit, despite his 
behaviour 
earlier that day.

"What man? Did he have red hair and a crossed scar on his cheek, Battousai?"
Saitou asked, his ki getting stronger and stronger, blood-thirstiness filled the 
air.

Oh my God! It was him! I felt my face pale even more.

Saitou got a glimpse of my face "What's wrong? Was he here?"

"He was here, just a moment ago!"

They both looked alarmed, prepared to draw their swords any second and fight.
"What?" Soushi asked "You saw him and he let you alive? Where did he go?"

"I don't know, he was too fast. I have never seen someone moving so fast 
before." 
No way I would tell them that I had been distracted.

"Tokio, where are your swords?"

"Back at home." I was an idiot running around this city without protection.

"Bad. You stay close to me, I'll bring you home. Okita-kun can you clear the 
situation 
here with Hijikata-san?"

"No problem."

"Wait a moment, please!" I looked around, there had to be a good one. There, 
this man had 
a good sword. I opened his still warm hand, took the katana and grabbed the 
wakizashi 
out of his hakama. He wouldn't need it any longer.

"Good idea, Tokio. Might be necessary to defend yourself."

I walked behind him, we were both alarmed and watched our surroundings 
carefully. We 
headed down some streets, when he suddenly stopped, there were the first men, 
blocking our
way, I could feel two more behind us.

"Can you take the two in our back?" Saitou whispered to me, I turned, facing 
them, judging
them. They were skilled, but it was not impossible.

"No problem." I felt him concentrating on the men in front of him.

"Aa, the miburo using little boys now, are you out of men?" 

WHAT? I was NOT a little boy, idiot.

"Stop talking and fight!" I felt Saitou challenging his opponents, entering the 
battle and
concentrated on my own fight. 

I would probably need a special attack, but I wanted to see their first move and 
prepared 
for the attack.

There the first man came yelling, the katana out of my sight behind his back. 

He raised his arm, 'to early, boy', I thought.

I realised he was aiming for my left shoulder, he increased the speed during his 
final
blow, I managed to evade in the last moment. 

He wanted to cut me up from left shoulder to my hip, he only cut my kimono. BAD 
for him, 
he was distracted, seeing I was not a small boy, and I took the chance to slam 
my katana 
right between his eyes. EE, I hated when the brain came out, it looked a bit 
freaking. 

The other man had realised by now, underestimating me would be a mistake and 
stared at me,
trying to judge me. Attacking might be a possibility to reveal more about him 
and I took 
an offensive stance. 

By his eyes I could tell he knew what I was up to, I preferred the direct 
approach. I 
leapt forward, raising my katana, pretending to slam it down on him, he made a 
defensive 
move with his katana, NOW. I kicked him my foot in the face, but he was quick 
and realised
my intention. He hit me with the hilt in my knee before I reached his face and 
threw me 
aside, I landed in the mud and blood on the street, in an instant I was back on 
my feet.

OUCH, my knee. FOCUS. 

I had to end this fight quickly, I could not move properly with this knee. 
Special 
technique! I drew my wakizashi, and challenged him again, katana in my right 
hand and 
wakizashi in my left hand. 

He smiled, he thought I would not have enough strength in my arms to handle both 
swords 
and he was right. But it would be enough to finish him. I bet you had never seen 
someone 
using both swords, guy! 

He attacked once more, not caring about hiding his aim, I blocked his katana, 
not 
completely, I was too weak and knew that, it brushed along my right arm. Nothing 
compared 
to victory, he was wide open and now he realised what I was up to. 

To late, I already cut his throat with the wakizashi, blood raining down on me. 
There 
came always a lot of blood out of these wounds. 

I had to look awful! I glanced down on me, I was covered with mud and blood, my 
kimono 
gaping in the front. I sheathed the swords, it had been a good idea to pick them 
up, they
had been useful, and I managed to arrange my kimono in a way that it was closed.

I turned around to look for Saitou, he just sheathed his katana.

"Ma, Hajime, that was a good kick." I started to approach him. 

My knee! I suddenly remembered my injury, the excitement of the battle and the 
near 
victory had made me forget about it. No way, I would not show, that I was hurt!

"There are a lot Ishinshishi on the street tonight." He continued to search the 
surroundings, but there was no one left, hiding.

"I think they aren't a real threat for us, but Battousai scared me, he had a 
strong 
influence on my ki."

"Yes, that's part of his style."

"Why he didn't kill me?"

Saitou jerked his shoulders "Ask him." VERY FUNNY, Saitou, very funny. I 
actually started
to laugh, imagining me asking Battousai, why he didn't kill me.

Still laughing, I looked up to him "I must look awful, ne?"

Saitou took a closer look at me "You look terrible, you need a bath."

"WHAT?" That was not polite! I knew that! He didn't have to tell me that 
directly.

"You look like something the cat dragged in, kitten."

Idiot, he was making fun of me, it couldn't be THIS bad. I tried to kick him 
playfully, 
ouch! The man had hit me harder than I thought, my leg gave in, I broke down, 
again I was 
lying in the mud and blood. 

I needed a hot bath! Ouch, my knee hurt. SHOW NO WEAKNESS IN FRONT OF HIM! 
Teeth-grinding
I stood up, trying to evade his look.

"Let's go home!" Ouch, every-time I stained that leg, it ached, nearly giving 
in. I was 
too proud to show my pain.

Where was Saitou? Why he wasn't following? I turned looking for him, he stood on 
the same 
spot.

"What are you waiting for, come on!" I waved him to follow me.

"You are hurt!"

"No, I'm not. I'm o.k." I was not that weak! I was strong! It was only a small 
bruise!

"Let's see how long you can pretend this, kitten. It will getting worse, with 
you walking 
around on it."

"I'm not that sensible." I turned around and started to walk, ignoring the pain 
best I 
could, when I suddenly felt him picking me up.

"A good fighter has to care about his health, you are making it worse." 
He threw me over one shoulder, my head hanging down on his back.

What was that? Couldn't he carry me like a normal human being?

"What? Can't you at least carry me like a normal woman? I'm your wife and not a 
package!"

"Don't complain, you are too dirty. I'll have to wash you first."

What? I was too dirty! That moron! I tried to free myself, but his grip was too 
strong and
I tried to wind myself out.

"Stop that, Tokio, or I set you back on your hurt leg."

I had a long, hard thinking about pain and pride and decided, it was time to 
stay quiet.

He carried me the whole way till the bath-house and dropped me in front of the 
bathtubs.

"Here's your bath, kitten."

"Can't you pay more attention? That hurts!" I opened my hakama, dropped it and 
had a look 
on my knee. It was swollen, in some days it would be green and blue, but I saw 
no outer 
injury. Perhaps it hurt because it was twisted during the attack and the hit of 
the hilt.
Saitou looked down, slightly concerned, or was I imagining things? 

"That looks like you can't walk for some days. You'll have to see the doctor."

The doctor? No way! He would kill me for scaring him this afternoon and this 
would be a 
good chance for a revenge for him. I decided to discuss this later.

I slipped out of my kimono, inspected it, it was ruined like my hakama. No 
chance to get 
the mud and blood out of the clothes and the cut was too long. I'd have to wear 
kimonos 
from now on or borrow me some clothes.

Saitou inspected the cut and said with a sarcastic expression on his face 
"I'd like to have seen the man's face."

I let myself glide in the warm water, giggling. I was rather tall for a average 
Japanese 
women and slim, but I had a very womanly frame, I guess that's my European 
ancestors 
fault. I paid attention to wear kimono and hakama in a way that hide my body, 
what was
not easy.

"He was quite surprised, believe me. Distracted enough to get defeated by me."

Aa, the water was relaxing! My muscles loosened up, my knee felt better, the 
scratch on 
my arm had stopped bleeding, I closed my eyes and dived.

I felt him coming in the tube, I dived up, my eyes snapped open, looking 
directly at him, 
his eyes were gleaming. What an impressive man.

He grabbed me and pulled me close to his chest, I was too tired and exhausted to 
protest 
and to struggle.

"You don't bare your teeth, kitten?"

"Come on, this was a hard day for me." He was attracting me too much, there was 
no way I 
could pretend different. I sat down on his lap and leaned my head against his 
chest.

He hissed me a bit and entered, I was so relaxed, that it felt great, I just 
wanted to 
enjoy the feeling of him inside me.

He began to change the position, leaning forward, kneeling in the bath-tube.
I closed my eyes, started to move, raising, sitting down on him.

When I felt him getting more aroused, I quickened my movements. I was too tired 
and 
exhausted to have an own climax, but I liked the feeling of him near and his 
dependence on
my motions.

I fastened, it took some time, but I was satisfied when I felt him releasing his 
seed.

We stayed in this position for some time, I was clinched to him, enjoying the 
closeness 
and nearly fall asleep.

"We have to go to Kondou-sensei." Saitou raised, me sticked to him.

Mmm, I wanted to sleep. WHAT? Kondou? OH MY GOD! I forgot everything what 
happened today! 
Wide awake again!

***

Saitou carried me to Kondou's audience room, I clapped in my hands in front of 
the shouji.
Hearing the permission to enter, I shoved it aside and we entered. Saitou sat me 
back on 
my feet and somehow I managed to kneel down with my twisted knee.

Kondou sighed deep, looked at us, we kept our heads lowered, he sighed again. 
This was
our first talk with him and it wouldn't be our last. 

"I was afraid something like this would happen, but you two are sure quick." 
He paused sighing, "I can ignore a lot of things, for example your clothes 
scattered
in the house, you waking us up in the morning or the evening." He paused again 
"But I can't close my eyes, when you both shouting at each other like idiots and 
ruin the 
house."

Saitou and me bowed deep and said in one voice "We apologise, Kondou-sensei."

Kondou sighed once more, this was not his day. "You can sit up, you two." 

"Tokio-san, what have you done in Okita-san's room?" HELP! I could't tell him. I 
had 
promised not to tell that he was ill and nobody had been in the house when I had 
looked 
for a doctor. In addition to that, no one noticed, when the doctor had left.

"I'm sorry, Kondou-sensei, I can't tell you."

Kondou slammed his hand on his forehead.

"Tokio-san, that's enough! You are worse than your parents together! And I 
thought THEY 
were complicated. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO BE IN HIS ROOM. So tell me, what have you 
done 
there!"

"I'm sorry, Kondou-sensei" I bowed deep again "I can't tell you. I promised. I 
can't break
a promise that I gave. But I assure you, that it was completely harmless and not 
what it 
looked like."

"Saitou-kun?" he addressed him.

"I came home, was looking for her, she was not in our room, I heard her in 
Okita-kun's 
room. I opened the shouji, there she was, Okita-kun was lying on his futon and 
she was 
lying in his arms."

Oh,oh, this was worse for me. "You didn't open the door, you slammed it open. It 
is 
damaged. I was so shocked I couldn't move." I wasn't able to keep my mouth shut.

Kondou interfered "Calm, Tokio-san, and apologise." 

"What for, Kondou-sensei?"

"This was a compromising situation and Saitou-kun had every right to judge as he 
did."

"He had no right to punch Okita-san or to throw me out of the window!"

"APOLOGISE, TOKIO." HUH, he sure was threatening.

I bowed deep in front of Saitou "I apologise, Saitou-san, I'm sorry."

Kondou looked relieved and turned his concentration to Saitou.

"Saitou-kun, did you punch Okita-san and Tokio-san?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"She has to learn where her place is. She needs to be reprimand. She can not do 
what she 
wants, she has to ask me first."

"WHAT?" Who he thought he was?

"Tokio-san, apologise!" WHAT? Kondou was on his side? THIS WAS NOT FAIR!

"WHAT? I have to apologise? WHY?"

"Tokio-san, you have to stick to the rules. I know, your parents were different, 
but I'm 
sure you know the tradition. He has every right to do what he did, he is your 
husband."

He was right, I knew it. Stupid Japanese tradition. In this point I was his 
property.

SHAMING! I had to lower myself in front of him! I felt myself bowing deep in 
front of him,
my cheeks were burning and I heard myself whispering

"I apologise, Saitou-san, I'm sorry. It will never happen again." 
NO, I didn't want to raise and see his self-confident and arrogant grin!

"By the way," Kondou continued "Didn't I tell you to stop using your father's 
swords?"

I felt the world crashing on me. NO! He couldn't do this!

"I told her to go on with training and fighting, Kondou-sama. I'm sorry!"

Saitou bowed and apologised. What? Why he did this, he told me nothing! 

Kondou stared at Saitou, saying "Why did you allow her to go on? She is a woman, 
she can 
not use the swords any longer, she won't need them any more!"

"You said it before, she is MY wife. I want her to continue."

He had done this whole scene on purpose! He was playing with my feelings! But he 
had 
managed to get Kondou's permission for my training and fighting. 

My pride or my father's swords? It was not an easy decision.

A promise is a promise.

An obligation is an obligation.

Honour, duty, pride, justice, the way of a samurai.

Passion, obsession. 

He had won this fight.

I felt myself falling completely for him.

But he had not won the battle.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------


What's on next chap?
Next chapter is dedicated to hundreds, no, thousands of BORING, ENDLESS, 
STUPID, USELESS, UNINSPIRED school lessons, university courses and discussions.