Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters aside from my OCs.

Spring of the 16th year of the Meiji Era was just like any other. The sakura trees were in full bloom and many were starting to arrange viewing parties for the lovely pink flowers that decorated the trees. A lone woman made her ways through the tree, the only thing that separated her from the others wandering Mt. Ueno to find their companions was the fact that her presences was well hidden. She moved through the trees with the grace of an assassin, her blade latched firmly behind her back to make room for the child that was clinging to her neck.

Her short, dark blue hair fluttered against her eyes as she approached the swordsman sitting in a clearing just outside the range of a normal person's vision. But the swordsman still had his instincts from the years of war that he had suffered through. He found her presence long before it was verbally announced. Knowing that she had been found, she decided to draw her blade nonetheless. With the speed that only she possessed, she made herself known. A blade pressed threateningly at the back of the man's bare neck.

"Kyoka-dono." He addressed her as an old friend would, not a single ounce of fear on his youthful features, "You've improved your speed again."

The woman replaced the blade in its holder, a smile on her face, "I see I'm not the only one who had a haircut, Kenshin."

The former manslayer put his hands out for the child that clung to his mother with a smile, "He's grown since I last saw him."

"Well that's what happens to kids when you take your eyes off them." She said, leaning down to put her son in the safety of her old friend's arms, "Where's Kenji?"

"Kaoru-dono has him. They went to pick up the sake, that they did." The man smiled at the child in his lap, "Hello there. Do you remember me?"

The boy's dazed expression became one of helpless fear, his chocolate brown eyes filling with tears. He whined in warning before letting out a loud wail, "Okaa-sama!"

A shoe met with the back of Kenshin's head as the child's wails echoed off the trees, "Who's hurting my nephew?"

As if the boy recognized the voice, he immediately stopped crying and began to smile, "Yahiko!"

"That's right. Come to me." The new dojo master of the Kamiya Dojo leaned down to scoop the boy into his strong arms, "I stopped by the Akabeko to get the food and I took the chance to bring Tsubame with me."

"You took the chance?" Kaoru had returned with impeccable timing, a few bottles of sake in her hands and her son, Kenji, at her feet.

"Oh shut up." Yahiko snapped at the implication, the young lady behind him simply giggled at the reactions and leaned down to ruffle the small child's spiky blue hair.

"Ah!" Kaoru shouted, waving her arms at the approaching woman, "Megumi-san, over here!"

Kyoka turned her sharp eyes into the distance, hawk-like vision spotting the person she was looking for, "Okashira."

As if her voice had been blown to his ears by the wind, Shinomori Aoshi responded with an equally carrying yet quiet voice, "Kyoka."

Not so quietly, his companion, Misao, shouted and ran her way down the length of the path, "Good afternoon! What a wonderful gathering this is!"

"You're as cheerful as ever." Yahiko snorted, as the child in his arms began to squirm at the presence of his favorite Oniwabanshu member.

"Okashira!" The boy cheered, hurrying over to the former ninja.

"Now that we're all here…." Kaoru paused, "Actually, there is still someone missing. I wanted to invite him too but I don't know where he is."

"Oh. That rooster head." Megumi snorted.

"I almost forgot!" Yahiko pulled a well folded letter from the sleeves of his clothes, "He sent us a letter. It was delivered to the dojo so I brought it with me."

A small smile graces Kyoka's much more mature features as she looked over the confused expression on her child's face. The boy looked up at his mother for an explanation, "Who's rooster head?"

"That would be your father." She told him softly.

"Read the letter!" Misao cheered, "Hurry it up, Himura!"

Hey,

It's been a long time. No one's dead yet, right? I'm having a lot of fun here in Mongolia.

After that departure, I took a tour of America, Europe, and Arabia. I'm going to be around here for a while and then I'll make sure to come back to Japan. Make sure you guys have a nice bowl of steamed rice and some hot miso soup ready for me when I come back, okay?

See ya,

Sagara Sanosuke

P.S. Remind Kyoka-chan that I haven't forgotten.

The little boy tugged at his mother's legs, "Okaa-sama, why doesn't otou-sama have the same last name?"

Joining the police force as a female would've been a highly impossible factor but with Saito's authority and her disguising expertise, she had changed her name and even her appearance. Cutting her hair short and binding her chest, Myojin Kyoka had become Fujita Sozo and her son had been formally named Higashidani Tetsuya.

Aside from the companions here and Saito Hajime, no one knew that Tetsuya was her son. She had taken the utmost care to hide their relationships at work and it was even more secretive when she was in public simply because she had to keep up her disguise of being a man. He was never allowed to call her his mother in public simply calling her by her alias 'Sozo' whenever they were in out and about.

Kyoka smiled and leaned down, running and affectionate hand over her son's head, "For the same reason that you and I have separate surnames."

"Where is he?" Tetsuya peered curiously at the letter, "Can I see him?"

"He's in Mongolia, Tetsu. Wait patiently. Your father is a man of his word. He's made his promise and he'll be back." And she truly believed those words. She had waited for five years and she was certain that she would be able to wait another five if it meant that he would come back to her. And he would come back.

Well guys, thanks for sticking with me until the end. This is how I chose to end the tale because that was the nature of this story from the start; to follow the story line as much as possible. Depending on how I feel later on there may or may not be a continuation but would anyone be interested in reading a sequel or is this a satisfying ending? I'm open to suggestions or criticisms.