Time Heals All

~.~

"My my, what a lovely lady you are, my dear," said Gensai-sensei, smiling genially up at the newly-arrived Megumi Takani. "You make even the most confident of men self-conscious, Takani-san. I'm ashamed to say I'm standing before you in my very best."

You're lucky you're pleasing to the eye, Megumi. I'd have kept you locked away otherwise.

Megumi forced a light chuckle. "You've nothing to be ashamed of, Gensai-sensei."

Both doctors heard a scoff and turned to look at the child standing next to the red-haired samurai. His spiky hair fell into his eyes, as he glared up at the elderly man. "Quit flirting, old man," Yahiko growled. "She wants to be your assistant. Not your woman."

"Yahiko!" Kaoru cried, mortified. Reaching back, she clocked him in the back of the head. "Speak with respect!"

"I'll be respectful when the old man quits acting like an idiot!" he yelled back, rubbing his head with both hands. Kaoru exploded in response and chased Yahiko away from the clinic and back toward the dojo, their screams heard long after they'd disappeared from view.

Kenshin looked back to the doctors and laughed nervously. "This one apologizes. Once they get started, it's hard for them to calm down. Isn't that right Sano?" he asked, looking desperately to the fish-bone-chewing giant behind him for confirmation.

Sagara finally turned his attention from the garden bed. Megumi dropped her gaze away as he grunted in affirmation. ("They're idiots," he mumbled.")

You can run, I suppose, my dear. Not that it'll do you any good. You'll be turned away from everyone's door. No one wants an opium witch in their home.

Gensai-sensei placed both hands on his belly and laughed. "Don't worry, Kenshin. No harm done," he reassured him. Giving his attention back to Megumi, he said, "I'd be more than happy to have an assistant. I'm getting old and my patients run me ragged. You can begin tomorrow!"

True gratitude inflated Megumi's heart until she felt she'd burst. Bending herself nearly in half, she said, "Thank you very much, Gensai-sensei. I will be here first thing."

~.~

Kenshin and Sagara walked with a hesitantly hopeful Megumi to her new home later that evening once everything had been finalized. Just before she opened her door she stopped and turned back to the men behind her. Kenshin looked at her expectantly, with a pleasant smile on his face; Sagara stared over her shoulder, his jaw clenching and relaxing repeatedly.

Humiliation lit her cheeks on fire. "I can never fully express my gratitude to you all," she began quietly, bowing low. "You've done me a great service, and I'm-," she swallowed thickly, "indebted to you. Should you need anything, never hesitate to call."

I saved your life, and now I own you.

Sagara snorted. "Don't hold your breath." Turning on his heel, he marched into the night with hands casually in his pockets.

Megumi sucked in a quiet, pained breath, her eyes falling to her feet. She deserved that. An awkward silence fell between the warrior and doctor.

"Give him time Takani-san," Kenshin finally said, drawing Megumi's attention to his sad smile. "He's not cruel. He's just hurt."

She nodded because it was expected of her. Kenshin spoke more kindness to her, because it was expected of him, and they both parted ways—Kenshin back to Kaoru and Yahiko, and Megumi to nobody and nothing.

Entering her bedroom, Megumi collapsed to her futon, curled beneath her blankets, and wept silently.

A/N: Thank you very much for reading! I hope you enjoyed. This is just a little something to get me used to writing Rurouni Kenshin again. I wrote his stuff years ago on another account, but I'd only recently realized how much I enjoyed this series.

For this little mini-series I wanted it to focus on Megumi growing closer to the Kenshin-gumi (especially Sanosuke cause I love their relationship :D) while healing from the effects being enslaved to Kanryuu had on her (because I really doubt all he had her do was make opium). I don't plan on getting too graphic. This will be challenging as I've very rarely written from the perspective of a victim of abuse, not to mention I'm trying to keep each chapter below 1,000 words. There are many authors on this site that have performed this exercise, and I'm amazed at how wonderful and memorable a story can be with so few words. I doubt I can do that on my first story in this style, but I have high hopes! I'm taking a lot of liberties with this, but I'll try and follow the Rurouni timeline as closely as possible.

For those of you who are following me and have been sending me questions about Life After, I've recently changed my mind and have decided to continue it. The next chapter is nearly finished-it should be done either today or tomorrow. It's a bit of a doozy! Be patient with me please!