Disclaimer: I do not own RK.

Inspiration: Bravecows

The Himuras are all busy people, with two kids a year apart from each other, both have to work to keep the bills paid and food on the table. Their close friend Sano (aka free loaner) showing up every now and then for dinner doesn't really bother them but Rooster head still want to help out when he can; while the foxy lady keep rejecting his proposals.

Therefore, when both parents had to go out of the town for a night, Sano volunteered to watch the children.

"No need to worry about anything," Sano was loved by both Kenji and Tomomi, "I will be here till you both come back tomorrow."

And that was the night before Halloween.

Sano watched as two children giggled at the TV, they were watching a cartoon program he didn't even understand what was going on. One second they were fighting and the next someone would transform into an animal he couldn't identify. He gave up after 5 minuets and just blindly looking at the TV screen without following it. At one point, two dragons (or were they dinosaurs) suddenly kissed and both turned back into human forms.

Even they got a kiss. Sano recalled what had made him grumpy and depressed that night. "I will never marry someone like you." "Insensitive, inconsiderate, unemployed…" she said so when he got jealous over someone she was having dinner with, he had just wanted to say hi to her but things turned ugly when he got the "look" from the other guy…

"Gave it up buddy, she was born a swan, and your just a frog" the sissy looking guy had mocked him when they were taking the matters up in bathroom, "I didn't think a pretty doctor like her would know someone like you…" and it had gotten even uglier afterward.

Sano's thoughts were interrupted by two kid's loud argument; he felt the beginning of a migraine behind his eyelids.

Taking another sip of the sake he had found (apparently Kenshin does keep some goodies around the house), he got up to break them apart before they could hurt each other. Then he noticed how much he had drunk from his unsteadied steps.

"Yo, Kenji, stop fighting with your sister." Kenji was one year older, with flaming hair just like his dad and stubbornness could shadow the Battousai.

"Uncle Sano, I want a costume for Halloween tomorrow." Tomomi was only 5 years old but she could be exceptionally clear about what she likes and dislikes for her age.

"Sure princess, what ya have in mind?" Sano grinned as he finally set down his sake.

"I want to be a swan!" She waved her arms and twirled.

Kenji rolled his eyes the exact way his mother does, "You are too ugly for a swan, " he crossed his arms, "You can only be a duck!"

And they picked up where they had left the argument again; Sano sighed and swallowed more of the clear liquor.

"Alright, we will do something about it tomorrow when mom and dad come back." Its time for bed even it's not time for bed yet.

"But I want to be a swan!" the little girl understood the power of her tears, she learned from the best.

At least Kenji stopped shouting. His face showed more guilt than his words.

"We can't dress up this year, mom is busy." He suddenly sounded more mature than Sano remembered.

With both men's join effort, the swan-want-to-be was settled in bed; Kenji went to get his sister a glass of water when Tomomi asked the drunk Rooster head, "Will I be as pretty as swan one day?" She was getting sleepy. Sano chuckled and pulled the blanket over her shoulders, "You are pretty just the way you are now." Watching her drifting off he added, "You don't want to grow up to be a swan," he was just talking to himself then, "Swans are bitches."

Kenji always wanted to know more about his father's legend since Kenshin wouldn't talk about it.

"So, where did he learn to fight?" Sano was his most reliable sources.

"How fast is he?"

"Who is stronger, you or dad?"

…

Sano hadn't want to answer anything, but to make the little warrior happy, he told him about master Hiko and the training days in the mountains as a tale from long ago.

"And that's why your dad is faster than anyone in Japan." Kenji was amazed.

"Uncle Sano, what did master Hiko look like?" Kenji got an idea.

"I want to dress up as master Hiko." There was a gleam in his eyes.

Sano scratched the back of his head,

"I suppose it's easy, you only need a cape, a sake jar and a sake cup." Sano had only heard of what Hiko looked like, "And he calls your dad 'baka deshi.'"

The Rooster head wouldn't have added the last part if he didn't finish most of Kenshin's sake in one night.

"Uncle Sano, how do you write 'Hiten Mitsurugi'?" Kenji asked seriously.

The older man scrambled it down on a piece of paper so the boy would go to sleep.

Himura's house calmed down soon after that, Sano snored on the couch and murmured in his dream "fox… swan… my ass…"

Mom and dad didn't come back till noon. Even Sano didn't have much to do that day, he was happy to see Kaoru took over the kids before they could get hungry again.

"Tomomi, look what I got you!" Mother is mother after all. Kaoru took out a white skirt that had a bird-shape hat to go with it, also an egg-like hand-beg.

"Will you look at that!" Sano beamed, "Now you can be a swan!"

Kenshin was checking his phone messages when he heard his daughter's innocent voice,

"I don't want to be a swan anymore!" She shocked everyone with her declaration, "Swans are bitches!" Tomomi was very serious.

Silence was broken by Sano's quick goodbyes and opening of the front door.

Kenshin turned off his cell phone.

The parents shared a knowing look before Kenshin went after the ex-gangster.

For some reason, Kaoru didn't know what to say to her little blue eye angel. She found herself agreeing with her somewhat.

Kenshin was more than a little angry; his quick steps took him around the house as he lost the sight of his friend.

No one was there except Kenji.

A Halloween-ready Kenji.

Kenshin admitted his boy's get-up looked vaguely familiar, like a bad memory he tried to forget.

Kenji was trying his best to pour some clear liquid from a cookie jar into a paper cup, his white bed sheet tided around his neck with his mom's old bokken hanging on his belt—his father's belt.

The boy spotted his father and stopped whatever he was doing,

"Dad!"

There were some mark on the white sheet; Kenshin stepped closer to take a better look at it.

"Hiten Mitsurugi…" which was poorly written on it.

"What…" something clicked in Kenshin's mind, but he was sure no one in the family had told his son about all these.

And Kenji's next words made him want to slap himself,

"Where are you going, baka deshi." his childish tone didn't help at all.

The horror.