Haha, you thought it was over! I just thought a little more closure would be nice. Or maybe not "closure," just a little extra. Regardless of what you want to call it, I'm finally done!

One week later, after the misunderstanding of marriage had been cleared up (that had been a rough night for everyone), Kenshin was coming back from the grocers carrying a bowl of tofu while thinking about nothing in particular when he ran into someone, literally, just outside of the dojo. He threw a penitent "Suman, de gozaru!" over his shoulder while fumbling one-handed with the tofu bowl as it almost slipped from his grasp.

"Himura?"

Letting out a relieved breath as he regained his grip on the tofu, Kenshin turned to see who he'd crashed in to. His eyes widened and he almost dropped the tofu again. "Katsura-san!" Kenshin quickly recovered his composure and smiled. "You should have stayed longer at Kaoru-dono's dojo, if only to rest."

"I didn't want to impose any more," Katsura said, moving the staff he held to a more comfortable position. "Besides, I needed to get my kids away from all of that. Kaiba's attitude towards kenjutsu changed after he came back from Yama-chou."

"I noticed," Kenshin said.

"How are you doing?" Katsura asked, taking in the sling that Kenshin still had around his neck. "I was thinking after I got back from that battle . . . I was the one that invited you to come to Kyoto as a hitokiri, and here we are fifteen years later and it's almost the same story . . ." Katsura was fingering his katana. "I told Itsuma I wouldn't use it you know, for your sake. I don't know how much difference it made though. I think I knew it would still ruin you."

"It didn't ruin me," Kenshin said quietly after a prolonged silence. "Just . . . changed me. If I was ruined, I wouldn't be here now." Katsura gave a wry smile.

"I guess not. You've gotten good at cheering people up, Himura."

"That's all I ever wanted to do in the first place," Kenshin replied. "I just thought the only way I could do that was by using my katana. Hiko Seijurou tried to tell me I was wrong but I didn't listen." He gave a shrug that said what was past was past. "If it's anyone's fault for what I became, it's my own." Katsura looked thoughtful but didn't agree. "Katsura-san, why don't you come in for a little bit?" Kenshin asked, breaking the silence that had become too heavy. "We'd all like to know what you're doing."

Katsura shook his head. "No, I can't. I've already been away too long and I have work to do on the house. The old one was burned," He explained when Kenshin gave him an inquisitive look. "I'll see you later Himura. Try to stop by sometime." Shouldering his katana, Katsura turned and started down the cherry lane, holding a hand up in farewell. "Sayonara."

"Sayonara," Kenshin returned, watching while Katsura walked down the lane and turned right, humming to himself. A breeze blew a stray leaf across Kenshin's face and he brushed it away, turning to go inside.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru had come out to see why Kenshin was standing in front of the gate. "Who was that?" She asked, looking down the lane Katsura had just left. Kenshin walked towards her, smiling. Yes, his life wasn't ruined yet. He still had Kaoru-dono to come home to every day, and Sano and Yahiko and a host of other friends who made his path of atonement worth it.

"Just an old friend," Kenshin answered, meeting her at the gate. Kaoru accepted the response, holding her hand out to Kenshin as he stepped through the gateway. "Okaeri, Kenshin," She said, reaching to take the bowl of tofu from him. Instead of giving her the bowl, Kenshin cradled it against his sling and grasped her outstretched hand.

"Tadaima."

Just a little omake-ish ending. Thanks again for reading everyone! xZig-zagx: Your review wasn't taken at all as a flame, I sincerely appreciate your input! Yeah, for some reason I decided not to remember that learning the succession technique quelled the Battousai in Kenshin. Argh! Thank you for the reminder. As for Kenshin's pacifism after getting out of the boat . . . I was just thinking of the Shura episodes, where he seemed pretty complacent and willing to let his life be taken (but then I suppose that was becasue he was so grateful they took him instead of Kaoru). Hm, yes, if Kenshin could still make it through the woods to Tomoe after being half killed, he should definately be a little more resilient to being dragged behind a horse. Anyway, thank you so much for all your reviews and suggestions! Everyone else too! Stay tuned for (hopefully) soon-to-come fics!