Unmei no Haguruma: Jiten (Wheel of Fate: Rotation)

Part I: Missive

She was making breakfast when she heard the knock on the door. Curious, she left the kitchen to answer it.

To her surprise, Kaoru stood at the door, her eyes large and bright with unshed tears.

"Kaoruchan? What's wrong?"

"I… It's nothing, Megumisan, I'm sorry I bothered you!" Turning around, Kaoru ran off. Bewildered, she shut the door.

"Who was it?" her husband asked from the inner court.

"It was… no one important," Megumi said. "Breakfast will be ready shortly." She made her way into the kitchen to to check the soup pot.

"You shouldn't be doing that alone," came the reply. Warm hands were suddenly on hers, a warm masculine chest pressed up against her back. Warm breath tickled her ear. "This one will help you, Megumidono."

She turned her face to kiss the cheek that pressed against hers, tracing the scar with her lips…

"I love you, Kensan."

.oOo.

Megumi shot upright, breathing rapidly, eyes wide. She hadn't had a dream about him in many months, certainly not since Soujirou had begun courting her in earnest. He wanted to do it Western style, he had said, taking her out for entertainment and spending time in her company – sometimes without her brother's watchful eyes on them. Occasionally, she had even permitted him to steal a kiss… rarely. The concept of emotional intimacy unnerved them both, and they were perfectly content to take their time.

Her brother, despite his show of protective supervision, had made many unsubtle hints about them making it official. He had even offered to legally adopt the man now known as Semmai Soushi into the family. Takani Toshihiro was a very traditional man.

But neither Soujirou (now known almost exclusively as Soushi) nor Megumi was in any rush. It had been a year since Megumi's hurried trip to Tokyo. She had not returned for another visit afterwards; even with the three of them working full time, there was no time for any of them to take a true vacation.

She struggled for composure. In the year since she had resolved to take her time and let things develop with Soushi, she had accepted her feelings as best as she was able. She had acknowledged that her love for Kenshin was no longer a romantic love. Why, then, was he suddenly appearing in her dream?

Rubbing her eyes, Megumi got her breathing under control. Though it was still early, she rose. The idea of a long, hot bath was tempting, but she resisted, settling instead for a quick washup before going in to prepare breakfast.

She did not make soup.

She did, however, bring it out to a very appreciative if bleary eyed pair of men.

"You're up early, neechan," Toshi observed.

"Yes."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes."

"You're being terse."

"I'm sorry."

"Too early?"

"That too."

"Bad dreams?"

Megumi didn't answer immediately.

"Hmm. Nothing you care to talk about, I take it."

"No."

"That's fine, then," Toshi said comfortingly. He tucked into the meal Megumi had set before him, chuckling at Soushi's apparent dazedness. "Looks like you didn't sleep too well either, Soukun."

"You know I was out late on an emergency," Soushi muttered.

"I know. Just trying to keep it cheerful around here."

"Oniisama? Do us all a favor?"

"What's that, neechan?"

"Shut up."

Toshi pretended to recoil as if struck. "Oh, ouch! Harsh words from my little sister!" He smiled in apology. "I'll stop and let you two regain your feet."

"I hate working for a morning person," Soushi sighed.

"I hate being related to one." Megumi offered him a sympathetic smile, which he returned.

They finished the meal in relative silence, each wrapped in his (or her) own thoughts. Megumi had just risen to clear when there was a knock at the door and the postal carrier announced his presence.

"I'll clear, Megumisan. You get the mail." Soushi smiled at her again.

"Thank you," she said. She had been hoping to hear back from the Tokyo crowd. After last night's dream, however, she wanted to read their letter alone before her brother or her fiancé saw it. She was deeply disturbed by the dream, and by what it could mean.

When she had left the room, Toshihiro turned to their colleague. "Soukun, it's been more than a year. Don't you think you ought to get married already?"

Soujirou sighed. "Toshisan… Takanisensei, there is one thing that must be addressed before that can happen… and I'm not sure I'm ready for it.

"Megumisan is very important to me, but she has other important people in her life. I cannot in good conscience tie my life to hers without knowing that they approve… And I don't think I'm worthy of that yet."

"Soukun," Toshihiro had replied, "for an intelligent young man, you can be very dense sometimes."

The youth mulled it over. Six years had passed since the confrontation between Shishio and Kenshin. He hadn't wandered his intended full ten years, and sometimes he felt guilty about that, but he was twenty-four years old. He remembered still the dreams he'd once harbored as a little boy, working for his father's family as little better than a slave. More than anything, he'd wanted a simple family life. He'd dreamed of being a great samurai, as had every little boy for centuries, but he'd also entertained the idea of becoming a teacher, or a doctor, and doing something to help those who needed a way out.

He knew that the older man was right, and that he needed to speak to Kenshin and the others. The question was whether Himura and the others would be willing to speak to him.

Megumi appeared in the doorway, trembling and paler than usual. "Oniisama… There's a letter from Kaoruchan. They're coming up here to visit.

"They want to meet you," she said to Soujirou. "Both of you actually; Kaoru is very upset that I never brought my brother 'home' to Tokyo to meet them."

Instead of seeming pleased by the news, however, Megumi could not hide her distress. ~Why now? Why suddenly do they want to come here?~

"When will they get here?" Toshi asked.

"Within three days."

"Not giving us much time to prepare, are they," Soujirou muttered, not bothering to hide his irritation. As upset as Megumi was over the news, he felt torn; he wanted to go to her and comfort her, but he also wanted to run as fast and as far as possible.

"That's probably the point," Toshi pointed out. "They're no fools. I say let them come and take us as we are. How many are coming?"

"Kaoru, and Yahiko, and Kensan and Kenji of course, and they said they might be bringing someone else but they weren't sure yet if that person would come."

"Who?"

"They didn't say." Megumi was afraid she knew who the person might be. But why, then, would they keep it a secret from her? But then, it might be someone else – perhaps even Oguni Genzai, her mentor and friend. In which case, of course they'd want to surprise her!

The thought warmed her, and she decided to hold on to the hope. After all, he was unquestionably interested in her brother's practices, and the clinic, and everything she'd accomplished in the six years since leaving his clinic and coming to Aizu. Though they'd corresponded regularly, the doctor had not yet been able to come north to visit, and he had told her more than once that he wished to do so.

So that was it, she decided. The other possibility was simply unacceptable. She didn't want to see him; even if he was safely married to Tae, Sanosuke was worse in his way than Kenshin. At least the redhead respected when someone didn't want to discuss something. Sanosuke had a tendency to keep poking at it until the whole issue was talked out, usually with raised voices, dire threats, and frequent insults.

At least, that's how it was with him for her. She didn't know if he knew about her and Soujirou; she didn't really care if he did, but she suspected that the news would not sit well with him. For all his abrasiveness, Sano always did try to look out for her.

"It could be one of several people," Megumi said. "Perhaps Yahiko was able to convince Tsubamechan to come with them," she said, Fox ears up and a wicked grin on her face. Though the thought was not the first in her mind, it was entirely possible. Yahiko and Tsubame were sixteen now, and old enough to wed…

The thought tamped her amusement. Stifling a sigh, she glanced down at the letter in her hand again.

"They plan to stay at an inn rather than tax our hospitality, she says."

"If you like, neechan, we can put them up here," Toshi offered. "Four or five people is a lot, but at least one of them is very small." He grinned.

"You haven't had much exposure to small children lately, have you," Soujirou chimed in dryly.

"No, because I usually let you handle them." Toshi grinned briefly. "In all seriousness, Soukun, I'm blown away by how far you've come in the past two years. From the day Nubuokun dragged you to our doorstep, more than half dead from starvation and exhaustion, I've been amazed by you."

Soujirou blinked in surprise, his uncertain glance at Megumi telling.

"Yes," she said softly, with a gentle expression. His own eyes lit, happiness at her admission filling him.

"You've come a long way in many ways, Soukun. Your smile is a natural thing, these days." Toshi grinned. "So's your blush."

"Toshi!" Megumi's voice was chastising but her expression matched Soujirou's, her cheeks tinged with red.

"You're too old to blush, little sister." Toshi's grin widened. And, his sister and his protégé would have sworn that in that moment, Takani Toshihiro sported Fox ears not unlike his sister's, when she was at her wicked best – except that she was too busy fuming and Soujirou was caught between blushing, fuming, and laughing.

Megumi glared, red-faced, at both of them, threw a pillow at her brother, and stalked into the clinic to prepare for the day's influx of patients.

By the end of the day, Megumi went on a cleaning frenzy; Toshi and Soushi both offered to help and rapidly learned that staying out of the way was far more in their own best interests. For the next two days they handled the clinic while she attacked the living areas with a vengeance. Even though they generally leaved cleanly, she wanted her friends to see her living in nothing short of perfection.

The truth was she was terrified. Though they were always busy, they were not that wealthy; most of Toshi's money had come from Kyuushuu with him. Though the clinic was in good repair, in no small part due to the government funding that had been provided to them initially, they were far from the lap of luxury. For no sensible reason, she was afraid that her friends might think less of her for not living in luxury. ~Which,~ she would chide herself repeatedly, ~is quite silly considering the state in which the dojo was when Kensan and Sano first brought me there.~ The memory made her smile – and redouble her efforts.

They were expected late that evening, and Megumi gave the house a final inspection. There was nothing she could fault. There was no dust, the shoji paper in the screens, doors, and windows had been repaired, and the worn out tatami floor panels had been replaced. Not a thing was out of place, and yet the house still looked lived in and loved. The woman took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the place that was her home.

"No one can fault you on how clean the place is, neechan," Toshi said, coming up behind her. "Not that they ever could, but you've really outdone yourself.

"It'll be okay, you know." He draped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed, the rare intimacy making her blink.

"Oniisama…"

"Listen to me, Megumi. I'm your brother. I won't let anyone do anything to hurt you. Even the people you've thought of as friends… If they do anything that hurts you, anything at all, they're going to have me to deal with." Though his tone was soft, there was an edge to his voice that rivaled any blade she'd ever seen. "You're all the family I've got, and NO ONE is going to mess with you."

Megumi hugged him back, but gave him an odd look. "Oniisama, what's with you?"

He shrugged. "Just lookin' out for my baby sis, is all." He grinned guilelessly. "Hey," he said suddenly. "Do you think I should get glasses?"

"Glasses?"

"Yeah," he said, all trace of the protective older brother gone. "I think they'd make me look more distinguished."

"Toshiniisama, you are very strange sometimes." She tossed her hair. "You're a Takani. You don't need any help looking distinguished."

"Well, yes, it's true, we are strikingly attractive, aren't we?"

"Not to mention brilliant."

"And talented."

"And fair-minded."

"And if you two don't stop, I think I'm going to be sick all over your nice clean floors," Soujirou chimed in, having come in behind them.

"Why, Soukun, don't you agree that the Takani siblings are the most attractive, intelligent, gifted people in all of Aizu, if not Japan?" Toshihiro actually batted his eyes.

"I can only speak for one of them, and I don't mean you," he retorted, grinning. His eyes were on Megumi, who blushed.

It was Toshi's turn to roll his eyes. "Now I think I'm the one who's going to be sick," he teased.

"Megumisan, are you ready for dinner?"

"I was just about to start cooking," she said. "I know it's late. I'm sorry."

"Not tonight. Everyone will be here in a couple of hours and the last thing you need to do is work yourself to exhaustion. I'm going to take you to a restaurant for dinner tonight. If your brother is nice to me, perhaps I'll bring him something back."

"If I'm nice to you!?" Toshihiro affected indignation.

"We could just let him go hungry," Megumi said, moving to Soujirou's side. Though he was only a few inches taller than her at most, she looked up at him with a teasing smile.

"Oh, I am betrayed! And so swiftly!" Unable to keep up the act, Toshi laughed. "Oh, go on, get out of here. I can just as easily make something for myself."

Megumi paled. "Maybe I should make him something before we go…?"

"Already taken care of," Soujirou reassured her. "There are leftover onigiri from lunch; he can have those."

"Leftovers?" Toshihiro made a face, but they all knew he was perfectly happy to eat the onirigi that Soushi had made. Many times he had been heard to declare them "very almost as good" as Megumi's.

"Let's go, Soushisan," Megumi said, pretending to ignore him.

"We won't be long," Soujirou said, his eyes not leaving Megumi's. "But I do think Megumisan needs to relax away from here for a little."

"No, I won't argue that," Toshi said, nodding. "You two enjoy yourselves… But not too much!" he added, the grin creeping back onto his face.

Megumi followed him out. Toshihiro watched them go, then turned to the kitchen to see what had been left to him.

His sister might not seem – or choose? – to remember, but he had not forgotten how she had once spoken of the redheaded wanderer called Himura Kenshin. He had not forgotten the sadness that she had felt, even five years after having given up hope of him. He viewed Soujirou's arrival as a blessing in more ways than one, but he had other concerns about their relationship – not the least was the length of time they were taking. Clearly, they were besotted with one another; clearly, they wanted to be together – so why were they taking so long? Even if he wanted to court her Western style, they should have made more progress in the last year… And Toshihiro was more than half convinced it was all the fault of that redheaded guy.

~Just a few more hours until I meet this guy… And just as soon as is seemly, I am going to get him alone… And let him have it.~

.oOo.

Dinner was a quiet affair, as both Megumi and Soushi had their minds on the upcoming visit. They both ate lightly, each a bundle of nerves. They didn't discuss it until they were on the way back to the clinic.

"Megumisan?"

"Hai?" Startled out of her own thoughts, Megumi glanced at Soujirou to see his eyes full of trepidation.

"Megumisan, I'm not sure this is a good idea," he said finally.

"What isn't?"

"Having them stay here."

"You know as well as I do that it was my idiot brother's idea."

"He's trying to look out for your best interests," Soujirou reminded her.

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" Megumi grumbled.

"Heh. Sometimes even I'm not sure of the answer to that question."

"Soushisan…"

"No, it's true. Ever since the first time I confronted Himurasan I've done nothing but question myself."

Megumi smiled wryly. "He has that effect on a lot of people."

"Heh. There is that," the young man concurred.

"They don't know you're here," Megumi said softly. "I've only ever talked about you in my letters as Semmai Soushi, the new assistant. I've only… Well, when I left without a word a year ago, I went to Tokyo. I needed to talk to Genzaisensei. Kensan was coming into the clinic. He heard everything.

"He didn't seem to be angry, mostly surprised and concerned… For both of us." She looked at him, gave him a second to absorb her words. "I doubt he's told the others you're here. I'm sure that he read my silence about you in the letters as my not being ready to talk about you to the others. It isn't that I don't trust them, but some of my friends do have a slight tendency to jump to conclusions…"

"And I was their enemy for a long time," Soujirou concluded. "They might not be ready to accept that I'm not anymore."

"You're not at all who you were before," Megumi said softly.

"No," Soujirou said, a slight smile on his lips. "But I think I'm finally starting to be the person I was meant to be."

"The person you always were, you mean?"

Soujirou nodded. "The person I am when I'm with you."

They had reached the Takani Clinic, and were standing outside it, looking into one another's eyes. The sun was setting, casting a fiery glow over everything, and the streets were momentarily empty.

Soujirou took a step closer, his hair falling forward to partially obscure his face. "Megumisan…"

"Soushisan…" She took a step closer to him in turn. They were standing so close… He tilted his head slightly. Her chin came up a little.

The kiss began tentatively; they kept a little way apart before Soushi's fingers entwined themselves in her hair, loosening her coronet of braids, and Megumi's hands rested themselves on his shoulders. For that moment, the rest of the world faded out; nothing existed except that moment, and the tenderness they'd found in one another's arms.

[AN] I apologize to my readers; the surname for Soujirou was supposed to be Semmai, not Senmai as it appears in Unmei no Haguruma. The new surname means "washed rice" and was inspired by the original meaning of Seta, the kanji for which essentially translate as "turbulent rice paddy".

I also want to thank those of you who encouraged me to explore this relationship further; I'd wanted to but wasn't entirely sure where to start. More than one person wanted to know what happened when Kenshin met Soujirou again – and what Megumi's brother would have to say to our favorite rurouni. Thank you for your support. It truly is deeply appreciated. [/AN]