Spring of the 18th year of the Meiji Era ------- nearly two years to the day since their last picnic on Mount Ueno….
Aoshi was completing their packing when the urgent message arrived from his Okashira. The birder had sent only a small paper with a single word: Okashira. There was no more urgent or important message in their clan than this summons. It was something he had rarely used after the Bakumatsu, and as far as he knew Misao had never used it.
Now she was using it with him. To summon him with great urgency when she knew he was on his way to her doorstep already. He and Megumi were to take the next train from Aizu to Tokyo where they would stay at the Crane. Misao had to know that he could not arrive any faster than that, yet she had sent the message. It was a puzzle even the fine intellect of Shinomori Aoshi could not unravel.
Tucking the message into his coat, he completed packing for both of them and went to retrieve Megumi from the porch. He had insisted that she remain seated on the porch and wait for him to escort her to the front of the Koi. He had arranged for a carriage to take them to the Aizu train station.
Megumi sat on the porch and fumed, waiting for the most over-protective father-to-be in all of Japan to allow her to stand and walk all the way to the front of the Koi. Or maybe he would insist on carrying her. He was being so entirely unreasonable she was planning to ask Kaoru to borrow her boken to try to smack some sense into him while they were in Tokyo.
They were going to be in Tokyo for the duration of her
pregnancy, and she was beginning to feel that the next four months couldn’t fly
by fast enough. She had gone to see Dr.
Oguni in Tokyo early in her pregnancy
and taken Aoshi with her on a whim, a decision she had been regretting ever
since. Dr. Oguni had cautioned Aoshi
sternly against letting Megumi “do too much”.
And why was such caution needed?
Why indeed. Megumi fumed some
more as she remembered Dr. Oguni’s officious tone as he counseled the newly
married couple.
“Megumi-san is in
very good physical shape, of course, but still rather old to be having her
first baby. It could lead to dangerous
complications for both mother and babe.”
As her mouth hung open in total shock and dismay, he continued with his
lecture directly to Aoshi.
“It’s up to you to
keep her from doing too much, Shinomori-san.
I know all too well how far your wife will push herself for her medical
practice. That is not possible for her
during this pregnancy. If all goes well
this time, perhaps she may be more active next time. Bring her to stay in Tokyo no later than her sixth month so I can
watch her myself. She won’t be able to
do any work by that time anyway. Or
would you prefer to return to Kyoto? I
can easily refer you to a doctor there.”
The men had taken
over the entire conversation at that point, discussing and agreeing to her
upcoming limitations on activities, eating habits, and work schedule without so
much as consulting her in the matter at all.
Megumi had sputtered and railed at such high-handed treatment, finally
standing with her hands on her hips, ready to yell at both of them. It was then that Dr. Oguni had stood, taken
her hands in his and looked her deeply in the eyes.
“My dear
Megumi. Would you have me risk your
health and that of your unborn child?
You know I am correct in this.
Your dedication to your patients is admirable, but if you want to return
to them happy and healthy, with a healthy baby in your arms, you will heed my
advice. I have only your best interests
at heart.”
The warm affection
in his eyes melted Megumi’s ire. She
couldn’t argue with the standard medical practices at the time, no matter how
well she was feeling during this pregnancy.
She knew he was giving her the “safe” advice. One look at Aoshi told her she would have no further choice in
the matter.
So here she sat,
five months pregnant, well and healthy and waiting to see if her totally
pig-headed husband would “allow” her walk on her own or insist on carrying
her. They were going to Tokyo early and
staying at the Crane. This year, the
traditional Kenshingumi picnic would take place the following day at the Crane
instead of Mount Ueno, for a variety of reasons, including the one kicking
inside her at the moment.
When they reached
the front door of the Crane in Tokyo, by carriage, of course, Megumi didn’t
even attempt to try to manage the front steps.
She had barely smoothed her kimono over her expanding abdomen before
Aoshi scooped her up and swept her into the Crane; oblivious to the very public
spectacle she felt he was making of their entry.
Once Aoshi had her
tucked away in their room, he left to find the Okashira. He stationed Akoto in front of their
doorway. He knew Megumi would try to
escape while he was away. She was
extremely predictable in her reactions to the unwelcome restrictions this
pregnancy had placed on her. He didn’t
trust it to Makiko, either. She might
agree with Megumi or worse, be intimidated by his beautiful but sneaky
wife. She had used every trick she
could think of to try to gain more freedom from his “care”. He didn’t object to her efforts, they were
most entertaining and some were so inventive his admiration for her intellect
as well as her wiles had increased.
None had succeeded. That might
not be so with Makiko, but Akoto would not allow her to leave their room,
period.
He would have
preferred to have Sagara watch her. Who
better than the Oniwabanshuu Chief of Security? Then he smiled to himself.
Sano had his own problems, if the birders were right – and they usually
were.
Akoto surprised him
by saying that the Okashira was expecting him and pointing to the room across
the hall. They were staying in the
family area of the Crane, the same room, in fact, that Megumi had occupied on
her last trip to Tokyo. He had not
realized that Misao was across the hall.
He closed the
distance quickly and executed a rarely used knocking signal of the Oniwabanshuu
to let his Okashira know that her summons had been answered.
The door opened
very quietly and Shinomori entered the room.
It was dimly lit and he could see Misao propped in a chair in the corner
with the sunset filtering over her. He
tried to decide if he had seen her in a kimono since she was a very little
girl. It was a nice enough kimono, but
Misao did not look at all comfortable in it, nor was the obi tied with any
artfulness at all. He imagined she
would have tied it in the front for convenience if that didn’t have such
unsavory connotations. Her face was
mostly shaded by the shadows of the fading day, but the feel of her ki was
vibrant and anxious.
Aoshi crossed the
room and executed a formal bow. “How
may I serve, Okashira?” It was the only
possible response to the message she had sent.
He sensed Sagara closing the door and moving to stand behind him.
The Okashira
motioned him to sit in the chair provided across from her, and Sagara moved
again to stand behind her, assuming the most formal protective stance Aoshi had
ever seen him take.
“There is a small
matter I wish to discuss with you, Shinomori.”
She paused, but
Aoshi waited with mystified patience to see what she would say. This could be no small matter. He began to wonder if she was going to
dismiss him from the clan, her face was so austere and Sagara’s behind her
matched it in being both stern and unreadable.
“I wish you to
assume the Okashira position of our clan, Shinomori. This is not a request, as I have made of you in the past that you
can choose to deny. If you wish to
remain within the Oniwabanshuu you will agree to both my wishes and my
conditions.”
“I live to
serve.” Again, it was the only response
for an Omitsu.
“Indeed. And serve you will.” Misao squirmed in her seat, and looked
extremely uncomfortable. Sagara’s face
darkened at the action and he barked out, “Two minutes, Misao. Finish it.
Now.”
Aoshi raised an
eyebrow to regard the scowling former street fighter. He was still dressed in Oniwabanshuu blue, a color that suited
him exceptionally well. He looked very
comfortable in his role as Misao’s Chief of Security, not to mention her
husband. No other could have addressed
her in this fashion before a clan member.
Even so, Aoshi was surprised that she permitted it. Her next words started him on the road to
understanding.
“I wish you to take
over the clan with two conditions. Your
efforts in Aizu have been noticed and greatly appreciated by the other branches
of our clan. Your security procedures
and training program have been greatly admired and followed. While your other activities are not
generally known, I appreciate the bonds you have forged with members of the
Meiji government and your recruitment efforts. I assure you the original
members at the Aoiya have agreed.”
“Okina and the
others have agreed? Do I have their
full support?”
“Perhaps in
time.” Misao squirmed again and
Sanosuke’s scowl deepened. He gently
laid a hand on her shoulder and she leaned forward to permit him to place a
small pillow behind her. It made her
obvious discomfort lessen just a bit.
“Your conditions,
Okashira?”
“Are to be accepted
without question, Shinomori. First,
Sanosuke will be your Chief of Security and second in command. I know of your relationship with Goro and
his talents are without question, but Sano stays. This is not my choice, it is the will of the clan.”
“Why not allow
Sagara to be Okashira? I will fully
support him.”
“He refused. You’re our second choice. Deal with it.”
“And the last
condition?”
“If, at any time in
the future I decide you are not acting in the best interests of the clan, you
agree to relinquish the position to me immediately.”
Shinomori had never
heard his Okashira, Misao, be so abrupt with anyone. It was not in her nature.
He was becoming truly concerned for her welfare.
“Can I assist you,
Okashira? You seen quite unwell.”
“Yes, you can
assist me by agreeing to these conditions and getting the hell out of my
bedroom Shinomori. I’m in labor you
idiot and this baby isn’t going to wait for you to meditate about it!”
A shocked Aoshi
muttered, “Agreed.”
Immediately, Sagara
ushered him out the door and a waiting Dr. Oguni hurried in. Just before he closed the door, Sano turned
to Aoshi and gave him a brief smile and a wink. “Who’d of thought a kid of mine would be early? You’ve got my full support, Okashira. We’ll talk later.”
Apparently, the
picnic would be delayed a bit. It was a
pity. Megumi had been looking forward
to seeing the newest addition to the Himura family.
December 23, 2003
Author’s Note:
Many thanks to all my readers and reviewers!
Thanks for all my wonderful reviewers who inspired me, helped and made some wonderful suggestions. You’re the Best!
Special Thank You’s to my friends who gave me lots of
support and feedback and took their time to care about my little story:
Susan, Midori Natari Himura, Firuze Khanume, Gochan,
MightyMightyMunson, and my wonderful beta reader, AutumnFire.
My heartfelt thanks to all of you!
On to new (and hopefully better written) RK fanfics in 2004!