The Faerie Chronicles of Kenshin & Kaoru, a Rurouni Kenshin fanfic series by Raberba girl

Omake [ABRIDGED VERSION]

For kokoronagomu

A/N: Takes place directly after chapter 16 of The Sleeping Prince.

o.o.o

Fureddo and Haari didn't usually have to sneak into their master's bedchamber at insane hours of the morning anymore - Kenshin was depressed enough these days to the point of sleeping in every day, or at least what counted as "sleeping in" for him.

"Good morning, Your Majes- Guh!" Haari hastily yanked the bed curtain closed again.

Kaoru stirred and grumbled in her sleep. Kenshin reached out to open the curtain again. "Good morning."

"Ah - good morning. Should we come back at a...more convenient time for Your Majesty?"

Kenshin couldn't stop smiling. "Yes. Thank you."

The servants bowed and politely started to close the curtain again.

"No. Let the sunlight stay."

"As you command." When they left the chamber, they were smiling, too.

Kenshin studied his wife for a minute, then leaned to kiss her awake.

When she opened her eyes, she found her husband lying beside her, and for a while she just gazed at him and relished him. "It's a miracle," she finally said. "You're still in bed."

"A difficult feat," he responded with gentle playfulness, "but for you, this one seems to have managed it." They kissed again.

After breakfast, the girls were playing with Sôjirô in the garden, and Kenji was anxiously going over papers with an indulgent-looking Katsura.

"...but I can't think of anything else to do, so they're just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it, because they're not the only people who live here and the merchants have rights, too."

"Kenji, whatever you do, someone or other is going to be resentful. You have to keep the good of the whole in mind, and never stop showing that you care."

"Man, being a grown-up isn't as fun as I thought it'd be."

They both noticed the king and queen at the same time. "Hello," Katsura greeted. "Saitô has had his hands full with today's business."

"This one is sure he has been up to the task," Kenshin said tranquilly.

Kaoru went over to put her arms around her son. "How have you been making out, my love?"

"I did it," Kenji announced. "Had to pull an all-nighter, but I have a plan! Look." He showed her the stack of papers covered with his half-legible scrawl.

"I can't wait to hear your proposal," Kaoru said, kissing him. Then they went out to join the girls.

"Daddyyyyyy!"

"Mommyyyyyy!"

They raced toward them and were scooped up by their laughing parents.

"Daddy, we found a frog!"

"His name is Toady!"

"No, his name is Robert!"

"Toady!"

"Robert!"

"Toady!"

"Robert!"

"Let's name him Primrose," Kaoru teased.

"Okay," the girls agreed readily enough. Then, "Hey, look, Suzume, Mommy and Daddy are together again."

"Forever," Kenshin affirmed, kissing them.

"Ayame-chan," Kaoru said, "Suzume-chan. How would you like to be bridesmaids?"

Their eyes lit up. "In a wedding?"

"Pretty dress?"

"Bridesmaids?" Kenshin echoed in mild confusion.

"Yes," Kaoru said. "Mommy and Daddy are getting married again."

"Getting married!"

"Yaaaayyy!"

Kaoru glanced over at her husband and grinned. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

He set down Ayame and clasped Kaoru's hand in response. "Kaoru-don- Kaoru."

Her smile grew wider.

"You would do this one unfathomable honor by granting him the privilege of once again becoming your husband."

As royal weddings go, it was a small one. Called on such short notice that the castle staff was dismayed, since two weeks was not nearly enough time to do justice to such an event; the ceremony attended only by the most important officials and the couple's closest family and friends; the people massed eagerly outside to see the (re-)newlyweds...but Kenshin had never been one for pomp, and Kaoru was inclined to keep the whole thing as intimate as possible.

As far as they were concerned, it went well. Titania, insisting on attending Kenshin alongside the grumbling Sanosuke, behaved herself when she saw how little resistance her grandson made to her presence. Kenji (not realizing that he was being closely guarded from the yearning Faerie Queen by Sôjirô) behaved himself as well, mostly because he wanted to prove to Hiko and Saitô that he wasn't a clueless forest brat. Hiko quelled any rowdiness from the fae, and though it tickled a bit to have a curious fairy tucked under her veil ("I'm gonna have a wedding just like this when Aoshi-sama's ready!"), Kaoru forgot about little Misao's presence as she clasped her husband's hands and began to exchange vows with him.

"Suzume," Ayame whispered as they stood watching with Megumi and Tomoe, "Mommy looks really pretty, right?"

"Flowers," Suzume said, holding up the one she had saved.

"Hush, loves," Megumi whispered. Ayame clasped her hand and leaned against her.

"Happy ever after?" Suzume inquired of Tomoe, taking her hand as well.

"Forever," she murmured in confirmation.

The end

Author's Notes: Kenshin/Kaoru fans, do not make me regret posting this. I have told you repeatedly to stop reading my stories, so you should have nothing to complain about.

This omake is for kokoronagomu, the one RuroKen friend who stuck with me despite everything. Here's my very last KK, written solely for you, kokoro, since God knows I wouldn't have been able to write it otherwise~