Hi everyone! I'm back (finally) with my first Hakuouki fic. I actually like several of the pairings in this show, but I just really wanted to write this ChizuruxSaito fic, so here it is :) The story picks up at the very end of the show. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuouki or any of its characters. I only own my own characters and ideas.

Prologue: An Unexpected Letter

Chizuru awoke to the sound of birds chirping happily outside the window. Despite the fact that today began what the entire government of Ezo believed to be the final battle, the joyful sound fit her mood perfectly. She buried her face in the pillow and deeply inhaled the smell of its owner. Hijikata smelled like freshly cooked rice, calligraphy ink, and blood, but she liked it anyway. It was the smell of the man she loved after all. Memories of the night before washed over her like a warm blanket. How one kiss had led to another, then another, and another, until finally their need for each other overwhelmed their sense of reason and propriety. They clung to each other desperately, their love and anxiety about the future culminating in a night of passion Chizuru was certain she would never forget.

She opened her eyes to gaze at the man in question, only to realize that he wasn't there. Of course, it was an important day for him, and he had likely risen early to prepare, but she still felt just a twinge of sadness that she couldn't kiss him just one more time in this bed that they had shared. And then she saw it. Lying on his pillow where his head should have been was a folded letter addressed to her, her name clearly written in his handwriting. A smile spread across her face as she reached for the letter. At least he had thought of her before he left, she reasoned, and given the circumstances, that was good enough for her.

She opened the letter and gasped. She knew that Hijikata loved her, but he was a stubborn man, a proud man, who usually expressed his feelings through anger and harsh words. She never would have believed him capable of writing something like this. Chizuru clutched the letter to her chest as warmth spread throughout her entire body. She would treasure this letter forever, she decided, no matter what the future held for them. And with that thought in her mind, Chizuru rose to greet the day.

In a darkened room

Your beauty in the moonlight

Fills my heart with joy

ooooooooooooooooo

It was seasickness, Chizuru decided, that was causing her nausea. The trip from Ezo to the mainland didn't take particularly long, but the sea was rough and the boat was rocking back and forth. She had never suffered from seasickness before, but, considering everything that had happened, she wasn't surprised. She hadn't felt herself for weeks. And who could blame her? It had been six weeks since Hijikata, the love of her life, died in her arms. Everything since then had been a bit of a blur. The republic of Ezo lost the war. Many of the officers either committed seppuku or were arrested. As a woman, and a clearly distraught one at that, Chizuru was overlooked as a simple servant when the imperial army raided the military headquarters, and so she was mercifully left alone.

Which left her in an awkward position. She knew she didn't belong in Ezo anymore, but she had nowhere to go. Hijikata was dead, her father was dead, and so many of her friends were either dead or missing. She had tried to remain strong throughout all of the loss and fighting, for Hijikata's sake. If he was going to bear this burden, then she would too. It was the only way she could justify staying by his side. She couldn't afford to let fear or grief or loss overwhelm her. But things were different now. Hijikata was dead. Chizuru had never felt so lost and alone.

Which is why it came as a complete and utter surprise when she disembarked and found herself face to face with someone she knew.

"Saito-san?" Chizuru exclaimed, bewilderment and relief flowing through her. "You're alive? I'm so glad to see you."

"Yukimura," Saito replied, his face impossible to read as always. "I apologize for my tardiness. I sustained wounds while fighting in Aizu and only just recovered. I came here to join the commander, but it appears I arrived too late. Where is Hijikata-san?" At the mention of Hijikata, Chizuru's face fell. She lowered her head, not wanting to speak the words necessary to deliver the devastating news, but Saito seemed to understand by her reaction.

"I see," he said, gazing skyward. "A great light has gone out. He will be sorely missed." That was an understatement if she ever heard one, but that much emotion coming from someone as stoic as Saito meant a great deal to her. It brought her a strange sense of comfort.

They shared a companionable silence, each mourning the loss of their fallen comrade.

"So what are you going to do now?" Chizuru asked. "With the war over." Saito didn't reply right away. Perhaps he was contemplating that very question, just as she was, or perhaps he was still processing Hijikata's death. But after a long pause, he replied.

"I suppose I will go to Edo to search for Nagakura and Harada. I have not yet heard news of their deaths, so there is hope that they are still alive." Saito turned to her and considered her for a moment. "Would you…like to join me?" Chizuru gasped. She had never expected Saito of all people to ask her to travel with him, but she supposed the circumstances were rather unique. And she was hopeful at the thought that at least some of their companions may have survived the war. But most of all, she was grateful that Saito had given her something to do, some purpose, some destination, to distract her from the sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her every moment.

"If you would have me, it would be an honor," she replied, deciding that formality fit the moment better. Saito nodded, and with that, they began their journey.

ooooooooooooooooooo

They traveled south, towards Edo, but with each passing day, it became clearer and clearer that something was wrong. Chizuru's nausea hadn't abated. If anything, it had become worse. She vomited several times, particularly in the morning. She tried to hide how she was feeling from Saito, not wanting him to think her weak, but he was an extremely perceptive man and could not fail to notice that she was feeling ill.

"I'm taking you to the doctor," he declared one morning during breakfast after they had been traveling for about a week. Chizuru had just pushed her nearly untouched food away, nausea and depression suppressing her appetite.

"I'm fine," Chizuru assured him. "Really. I haven't felt well since…well, since Hijikata-san died. It's nothing you should concern yourself with. I'll get better, I promise." But Saito would not be convinced.

"It would be troublesome for me if you were to fall severely ill on the road," he said. "Medical knowledge is not something I possess. We are in no great hurry. We will take a few days to tend to your health." His tone left no room to argue, and Chizuru decided that it would be better to give up and go see a doctor, to appease Saito if nothing else.

They found a clinic in the small town they were staying in and Saito told Chizuru he would wait while the doctor examined her. The doctor asked her many questions and gave her a thorough physical. After a while he smiled and said,

"Congratulations!"

"Huh?" 'Congratulations' was certainly not something she was expecting to hear. "I don't understand." The doctor smiled again.

"You're pregnant."

I will reiterate that this is in fact a ChizuruxSaito fic, despite the beginning. I mean, Hijikata's dead, so he can't do a lot more romancing, can he? Let me know what you think :)