The characters of Rurouni Kenshin do not be belong to me. They are the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, Jump Comics, Sony, Media Blasters....yada yada, you know the drill =D

Chapter 3:  Roads Crossing Again

Sanosuke strode down the busy Tokyo streets, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants and a grin on his face, drinking in the sights and sounds of a home he hadn't seen in over six years. If his memory served him correctly, Sanosuke figured he was maybe a ten or fifteen minute walk away from the Kamiya dojo. Though the atmosphere of the city had remained the same, the former street fighter couldn't help but notice the changes that had occurred during his absence. Western culture had been creeping in little by little, and the effect was quite surprising. A large number of people sported new western outfits, and Sano even recognized the similarities between the new buildings in the center of town and those he had encountered during his jaunt through Europe.

"Well, whaddaya know?" he murmured to himself with a deep chuckle. "So many changes in so little time..."

But despite the passage of years, one thing hadn't changed. Tokyo was still his home. A smile appeared on Sanosuke's face as an image of Megumi drifted across his mind. The Fox Lady had known it as well, but unlike him, it hadn't taken her six years of aimless wandering to figure out where he truly belonged. But Megumi was no longer here, and according to what he knew from Kenshin's letters, she was quite happy working as a doctor in Aizu.

A sudden shout dragged Sanosuke from his own reverie, and his head snapped up just in time to see a carriage careening down the road at lightning speed. But the horrified onlookers were staring not at the vehicle, but at a tiny figure who stood directly in the carriage's path.

Without a second thought, Sanosuke rushed at the small boy who stood paralyzed with fright, quickly shoving him out of harm's way even as he found himself colliding with solid ground. His dazed mind registered the crowd's collective gasp, and he vaguely heard the wail of a small child seconds before mind-wracking pain went shooting through his body. It was his last thought before he slipped into unconsciousness.

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Myoujin Yahiko pushed his way through the masses of people in a panic, dread causing his heart to pound even faster as he searched the streets in vain. There was no way he would find anyone in a crowd this large, especially on such a busy day.

"Excuse me," he called, grabbing the stranger next to him by the sleeve, "have you seen a little boy come by here? He's about four years old with red hair and violet eyes."

The man shook his head and continued on his way, much to Yahiko's frustration. Raking a hand through his hair, Yahiko cursed under his breath, berating himself for not paying enough attention to the boy in the first place. The fact that the child was almost as quick as his father didn't help matters any, and the young man grimaced as images of an irate Kaoru filled his mind. There was no doubt that she'd have his head on a platter for this fiasco.

Looking up, Yahiko suddenly noticed a particularly large crowd gathered ahead in the middle of the street. Curious, he pushed his way forward through the throngs of people and found a small boy weeping in the center of the street while a middle-aged man towered over him, waving his arms in agitation.

"Kenji!" The boy looked up, and seconds later he had attached himself to Yahiko's hakama, burying his face in the soft material and holding on like his life depended on it.

"I didn't mean it! I lost control of the horses and suddenly the kid was in the middle of the street..."

Lifting Kenji into his arms, Yahiko turned to glare at the blubbering individual who was speaking to him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Yahiko-niichan! That man tried to save me, and he got hurt!" Turning in the direction of Kenji's finger, Yahiko's eyes widened as he finally noticed the still figure laying in the middle of the road, half of his body caught underneath an overturned carriage. Stepping closer to get a better look, he could only blink in confusion as he took in the unconscious man's features. His rugged face was framed by a crop of spiky brown hair, and a red bandana was tied around his head. It couldn't be...

"Sano!"

Shock finally gave way to action, and Yahiko gently lowered Kenji to the ground.

"Kenji, stay put, you hear me? I'm gonna try to get him out from under that carriage."

The boy nodded, his violet eyes still shimmering with unshed tears as he continued to look on mutely.

Shoving up the sleeves of his gi, Yahiko turned to the carriage driver beside him, who seemed on the verge of hysteria. "Damn it! Will you quit that and make yourself useful? We have to get the man out from under there. Now hurry up and help!"

The man nodded and rushed forward, galvanized into action by Yahiko's stinging tone, and suddenly the rest of the crowd was also rushing forward to lend a hand. After a few moments of tugging and pulling, they managed to slide Sanosuke's limp form out from underneath the wreck. Releasing a sigh, Yahiko leaned back on his heels in an attempt to calm his ragged breathing. He couldn't see how anyone could survive such an accident, even if the person was as strong as Sanosuke.

"Is he okay?" shouted a woman worriedly.

Yahiko leaned his ear against the unconscious man's chest. "He's still breathing. But we've gotta get him to the clinic, fast."

Lifting Sano's arm and settling it around his shoulder, Yahiko staggered back under the considerable weight. Gritting his teeth, he straightened and motioned for Kenji to follow, and the three headed towards Genzai-sensei's clinic as quickly as Sanosuke's injuries would allow.

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"How are you doing, Megumi-chan?" Megumi looked up from a mixture of herbs and smiled brightly at the elderly man in front of her.

"I'm fine, Genzai-sensei," she replied. "But shouldn't you be resting? I don't want you to tire yourself, especially since you're not supposed to be working anymore."

The doctor dismissed Megumi's concern with a wave of his hand. "I'm not that old yet, and I know you could use a hand with the patients. After all, I get bored without anything to do all day. Unless, of course, you don't think you need an old man's help anymore."

"Of course not! You're a great help," Megumi reassured with a twinkle in her eyes. "And you're not old, Genzai-sensei."

"Old or not, the clinic now belongs to you, Megumi-chan. I couldn't have found a better person to take over for me. However, I sometimes wonder if you regret leaving your family in Aizu behind."

Megumi looked down at her hands with a soft smile. "I do sometimes miss my brother and his family," she murmured. "But I also have family right here in Tokyo."

Genzai-sensei beamed at the lady doctor's words, but the conversation was suddenly interrupted when a pounding was heard at the door, and then a shout. "Megumi-san!"

Megumi rushed towards the door, throwing it open to find a frantic Yahiko standing with an unconscious man slung over his shoulders. Next to him stood Himura Kenji, whose eyes were wide with fright as he continued to stare at the injured man worriedly.

"What happened?" asked Genzai-sensei, who had appeared at Megumi's side.

"He got hit by a carriage while trying to save Kenji," replied Yahiko as stepped through the door and lowered his burden onto one of the beds in the clinic. "He hasn't woken up since."

"I'll get the medical supplies," called Genzai-sensei over his shoulder as he rushed out of the room, while Megumi continued to examine her patient's wounds. With a calm gaze, she started at the man's injured legs and her eyes continued to travel upwards, only to stop as she found herself gazing into a face that was all too familiar.

"Oh my..." Megumi gasped as she finally realized the identity of the person laying unconscious before her. "Sano!"

For a brief moment she could only stare numbly in shock. A hand came to rest on her elbow, and Megumi glanced up to see Yahiko looking on with concern as well.

"Take care of him, Megumi-san. I'll take Kenji home and let Kenshin and Kaoru know what happened."

Megumi nodded, wiping away a single tear that had managed to slip down her cheek unnoticed. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and began to work, gently removing the street fighter's clothes in order to examine the wounds more closely.

Biting her bottom lip, she looked up and found herself staring into a pair of deep brown eyes which were glassy with pain.

"You haven't changed a bit, Fox," came the hoarse whisper. But before Megumi could find her voice to reply, his eyes had drifted closed and he lost consciousness once more.

"Damn you, Rooster-head," she muttered. "I'm going to make sure that you survive, do you hear me? You promised to come back in one piece, and there is no way in hell I'll let you die now."

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Notes -

The plot has taken a horribly cheezy twist, and I might have to rewrite this part. However, I'm fresh out of ideas so it will probably stay this way for now ^_^ Any comments will be greatly appreciated.