Title: Witch of the West

Pairing: HijiGin

Warning: not yet, maybe?

Chapter 1 [Babysitter]

"Well then, be a good boy okay, Kanshichirou! Oka-san will come and get you when I return so stay behave at Yorozuya, okay?" Ofusa, the young mother of a year old baby coos as she hands the petite baby to the leader of Yorozuya, Sakata Gintoki who is still sweating as the request for babysitting the baby is too sudden. His body fidgets, still trying to grab the whole situation. Since when Yorozuya had become a child daycare? Oi mom, where are you going? We do you want to go? Why this little runt is on my arms?

"I'm sorry but my father and I are going for business trip for a week so it's impossible to bring Kanshichirou with us so will you please take care of him just for a week? We'll pay you though," Ofusa smiles, knowing that her precious baby is in good hand now. And just like that she disappears to nowhere while Kanshichirou waves his little hand towards his mother.

"…"

Gintoki looks at the baby in his arms and so do Kanshichirou. Thing will get hectic. Maybe not.

"We're home!" Shinpachi opens the door with Kagura by his side. They just return from grocery shopping. "We've bought the provi…" And just like that, the plastic bags fall from their hands. Their eyes widen. What…

Such bizarre scene they saw. Sadaharu is happily plays with a bay…who they remembered been a victim of a certain circumstance. That white perm. That dead fish eyes. That cute, round stoic face. There's no mistake, that's the same baby! But why he is here?!

"Gin-san! What is this baby doing here?!" Shinpachi yells, though he almost can guess the reason.

"Gabu," the baby coo as if trying to say hello. Sadaharu is happily playing upsy daisy with him that Shinpachi had completely freaked out while Kagura is obviously excited to see the baby is thrown to the air. Kinshichirou finally lands on Gintoki's arm as he falls like a boss.

"Oh!" Both Shinpachi and Kagura are amazed and giving them applauses until Shinpachi finally realizes the real situation. "Not that! Gin-san, why Kan-chan is here?! Don't tell me something happened again!"

"What? Ah, no. his mother hires us to babysit him for a week. And she just leave, without even asking for my agreement, can you believe that?" Gintoki lazily explains as he lifts the baby to the air and Kanshichirou spreads his hands. Both Shinpachi and Kagura are stunned to see how close they are. What is this? The baby is not only looks like him, but he also really, really likes Gin-san! Shinpachi is confused. They look just like a real father and child.

"Au."

"What? You're complaining?"

Shinpachi sighs. If that is the case, it's fine. Kan-chan can spends more time with his idol too. He remembers that Kanshichirou used to cry his lung out when he was separated with Gintoki. Kanchishirou is a smart and calm baby. He never cry, or make a fuse. Even when he's hungry or wet his pants he never cry, just complaining abu dabu. So it might no problem taking care of him.

"Oh, Toshi! You're going to Yorozuya?" Isao Kondo asks as he saw his underling, Hijikata Toshirou is walking opposite to the direction of Shinsengumi Headquarter, their main office, their home. The young Shinsengumi is petrified to hear that. How did he know? "No, don't make that face, Toshi. It's too obvious that the whole Shinsengumi know that you have some sort of complicated relationship with Yorozuya's Sakata Gintoki, right?" Kondo laughs.

Hijikata is shocked. The whole fucking Shinsegumi know?! "Damn it! Who spread the words here?! Tell me! I'll slaughter that bastard myself!" Hijikata screams in furious.

"Well, it's me."

Both Hijikata and Kondo are surprised to hear a voice from their backs and quickly turn around. It is Sougo who surprised them to death.

"Damn, so it's you Sougo! Don't scare us like that!" Kondo complains.

"You really like it, huh? Surprise attack like that from back? You really like it, right? Right?" Hijikata's veins appear as sign that he is angry. "And that's you, who spilt my relationship with Yorozuya around? Are you out of mind? We are not even going out!"

"What? So you're not going out? What a shame. I thought you made a baby or something," said Sougo, sneakily laughing to hide his excitement. But Hijikata is surprised to hear that.

"Baby? What baby?"

"Eh? Hijikata-san, you don't know? Not long ago, I saw him with a baby who looks just like him and just now, I saw them together again. They look very close. That baby seems to react on whatever he said. A very good boy and never cry. I thought he is yours," said Sougo again, making both of Kondo and Hijikata petrified. A baby? Are you serious? There's no way a guy can…

Without waiting any longer, Hijikata dash towards his…he himself don't know. Hijikata can't believe that Gintoki is having his child. He refuses to believe it. Because, there's no way a guy like Gintoki can get pregnant, right? He gulps and runs throughout Kabuki Street to get to Yorozuya Gin-chan. He must confirm it himself!

As soon as he reaches in front of Gintoki's house, he stops dashing. He quickly climbs the stairs and finally reaches in front of the entrance door. He is hesitates to open the door. What if…what if the baby is really here? What if the baby is really his? He can't even think what will happen next. But he needs to be brave! He needs to confirm this! Maybe Gintoki is only babysitting the kid. Yes, it is not weird at all. They are Jack of All Trade, Yorozuya after all. He hope that's the case. But what if the baby is theirs? Then…

Suddenly the door is opened. Hijikata frowns. The one who appears in front of him is the giant furry white dog, Sadaharu. Eh? There's something wrong here. There must be something which is wrong here. No matter what, isn't it's weird a dog can open the door by itself? Like a fucking human being? Oh wait, Hijikata heard Sadaharu is a smart dog. So if Sadaharu acts quite unlike an ordinary dog it will be not unusual at all. Wait, that's not the issue here now, but…

"Ah, Hijikata-san. Please come in."

Hijikata is shocked to hear the familiar voice behind the giant fluffy dog. Shinpachi appears and Sadaharu moves to give Hijikata space to enter the house. Good dog, Hijikata thought as he sweats.

"So, what makes you coming for today?" Shinpachi asks as they walk to the living room.

"Ah, you know…" Hijikata can't find any suitable words for excuse. The truth is he just wants to see the baby.

"Oh, yes! We just got a good paying job. Gin-san is doing it now," said Shinpachi. From his voice, Hijikata can see that Shinpachi is excited.

"I see…" Hijikata sweats. Then, the job is…

"Gin-san, Hijikata-san is here!" said Shinpachi as he slides the door to enter the living room. Hijikata is shocked to see the view in front of him.

Gintoki is rocking a baby (God, he really looks like him just like Sougo said!) and the baby seems to be very happy playing with Gintoki. What…wait a minute…this kid looks like a year old already, but he never seen Gintoki pregnant…but this baby looks just like him, but…

Gintoki blushes to see Hijikata staring at him. He knows what the man is thinking. He must thought that he knocked out any girl outside, right? He must protect himself from accuse this time! "Ah, this…this is our client's son. He kind of took liking on me the last time we met, so his mom dropped him here for a week, haha…ha…"

Hijikata is speechless. So the baby is not theirs? But it did not explain their resemblances at all!

"So that's how it is…"

Hijikata sweats. So that's how it is. The baby's late father resembles Gintoki and it's a pure coincidence. However, according to Shinpachi, the baby, aside of his father's hair, didn't take anyone side but Gintoki. Maybe the baby has gone through a lot since he was an infant that he becomes…sadly like Gintoki. If he remembers, Gintoki also, have a rough childhood. Ah, it's good that the baby is not theirs. If he is really theirs, Gintoki should had dragged him for responsibilities long ago.

"However, this little runt really likes you. What did you do to him after all?" Hijikata asks as he lifts Kanshichiro to air to look at his face closer.

"Like hell I know. He called me himself to make me notice him when we first met and I found him in the basket under the stair. I nearly thought that he's mine himself at first but it turned out that he's that Ikedaya's grandchild. That time that old man seems to be a bad guy but who knows that he had repented? Right now, he and this kid's mother are going for business trip and it's hard to bring him along so his mother dropped him to me, knowing that her kid likes me. They even paid us a good price too. So why should we reject this offer?" Gintoki explains. He is glad that all the misunderstandings have been solved.

"It's because Gin-san protected him like his own father! He never seen his father so maybe he mistook you as his father because of your hair? You even gave him a lot of motivations, right?" Shinpachi smiles as he serves a few cups of tea on the table.

"Shinpachi, you're wrong! Gin-chan never look like a father at all! He's more like a mother to us!" said Kagura while hugging Sadaharu. Both Hijikata and Gintoki are shocked to hear Kagura's comment and it doesn't take a long time for their face to blush like a monkey's ass.

"MO…MO…MO…MOTHER?!"

Both Kagura and Shinpachi laugh to their content until the TV suddenly changed the program. All of them look at the TV,

"Attention! A car was found at the nearby forest. It was reported fall from a high hill. There's no survivor found. Two passengers and the driver were found dead. The car is believed was belong to Hashida Kahei and his body and his daughter-in-law's were found among of the victims. The victim leaved behind a year old grandson, Hashida Kanshichirou…"

…

"Eh?"

Everything goes dark. It's so dark. It must be a lie. Kanshichirou, he…right now, he just loose his whole family. There's no one left. Only him. He is all alone. Gintoki hesitates as he turns to see the baby's expression. The baby looks shocked. Everyone is speechless. There's no word come out from their mouth until…

"UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone is shocked. As if he had already known about his mother and grandfather's death, Kanshichirou screams his lung out. He can't stop crying. His chest hurts. He can't talk properly yet so crying is the only way to let all out. He can't believe this. He just lost all of his fucking family! His grandfather just turned into a good man and accepts him and his mother, but now…look at them now! Doesn't he is all alone right now?

Gintoki doesn't know what to do. All he can do is to take Kanshichirou from Hijikata and rocks him to calm him down. He himself is lost. Kanshichirou…this little baby just lose his whole family. They promised to take him back after a week but now they can't anymore. They have gone forever. "Shu…please calm down…" Gintoki pleads.

Soon, the police come to their house for testimony. It seems like Kanshichirou doesn't have any relative anymore.

"So, what are you going to do? Don't tell me that you're going to take in that child," said Otose. All of them are at Otose's Snack Bar. Kanshichirou refuses to let Gintoki go now that he had lost his family. Gintoki is the only one he had left. If he too, leaving him, he doesn't know what to do.

"I don't know. I'm still thinking," Gintoki bows his head, trying to think, trying to make a decision. He himself is aware that he can't afford a baby since he is very poor. Both Shinpachi and Kagura are an exception since they can manage by themselves. But Kanshichirou is different. He is just a baby. Though he can already walk, he still can't talk and can't sort himself yet. Someone must bear responsibility and take him in.

Gintoki got up from his bows to ask anyone to take him in until Kanshichirou grips his kimono, refuses to let it go. With that, Gintoki had known already. Kanshichirou refuses to leave him. He doesn't want everybody but him.

"Are you…sure?" Gintoki hesitantly asks.

"Da!" Of course Gintoki can't understand the word came from the baby. But Kanshichirou's determined expression is enough for Gintoki to understand. It can't be helped then.

"Okay, you can stay with us!" said Gintoki, smiles as he lifts the baby to air. Kanshichirou laughs excitedly. As soon as Gintoki put him down from air, a bear hug is wrapping his body. Everyone is speechless.

"Gintoki, are you sure about this?" Otose asks, sweating. She knew it. Just look how close they are.

"Yahoo! We are going to get another family!" Kagura cheers.

"It can't be helped, I'll help too," said Shinpachi, weakly smiles.

Everyone is cheering for new family member. Otose keeps teasing Gintoki for being an incompetence father. That night, Otose's Snack Bar is having a party to celebrate Kanshichirou.

A lone eyes watches Gintoki lifting his new baby to the air as the baby cheering in excitement. Things will definitely not going to be smooth for Gintoki after this. Gintoki needs to double or even triple his effort to support that little runt. It's good that Kanshichirou is well behave, but being too behave and rarely cry is not baby like. This kind of attitude might stress up the baby so a lot of problems might wait them in the future.

"Hijikata-san, you're thinking about them don't you?" Sougo suddenly appears and asks. Hijikata is surprised and returns to earth.

"You want to help them don't you?" Sougo asks again. Hijikata can't answer it. He can't find any suitable words to describe this situation.

"You can go ahead and help them if you want to, you know?"

Sougo's words is carved deep into his heart. Why must he helps Yorozuya? What is he to him? What is Gintoki to Hijikata? Why…why he feels like it is necessary for him to help Gintoki? Do he really wants to help that much? Do Gintoki really needs him that much? It can't be that bad. Gintoki has used to live in poverty, unlike Hijikata who has stable job and income source. However, things will get even more complicated. Gintoki is raising a child here now. He needs help. Hijikata repeats, Gintoki NEEDS help! But how? He can't just go ahead and directly help them. Gintoki will never receive help from him without reason. Sorry, reasons. He needs to think of something. But first, he must think carefully.

What is Gintoki to him?

And so, this is the end of chapter 1. Actually I'm having two types of story in mind. One are Gintoki having sum of heritance and another is…well, Kanshichirou matter of course. But I don't want to write separate stories for them so why not combining them? Sorry that I can't write much in this chapter. Usually I use my phone to write and it is faster and more ideas will be in my mind when I use phone rather than using PC. I use PC only when to edit my story as well uploading to . And so, I'll write the second chapter after I got my phone back from being repaired. I also need to continue writing my Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live and One Piece fanfiction. Feel free to go to my profile to read them. Okay then, please review!