Kenshin and Megumi walked through the front door and she looked around for Sanosuke, frowning at the realization that the restaurant was too dark to see anything. Then a dozen lamps were turned up suddenly.

"SURPRISE!"

Megumi dropped her medicine box, staring in shock at all the people who were coming up to her, smiling. Kaoru, Yahiko, Dr. Gensai and the girls, Tsubame and Tae, and in the back, easy to see because of his height, Sanosuke.

"What….why…." Megumi stuttered, staring at the young man. "Sir Ken said you were hurt!"

He smiled broadly. "Well, we had to have some way to get you here."

"But what is this?"

Ayame and Suzume ran up to grab her hands. "It's a birthday party, Aunt Megumi!"

The young woman was deeply touched. Her friends knew when her birthday was-Ayame and Suzume had asked her one day at the dojo, and Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke had all heard her answer, but she never would have thought they would remember, let alone throw her a party.

They surrounded her now, congratulating her and hoping for many happy returns of the day, and there were gifts and good food and a lot of smiles and a few tears. During a lull she found a moment to talk to Sanosuke. "So this is what you were helping Tae with today?"

"That's right." The young man grinned, his eyes twinkling. "That's why I was in such a rush yesterday- Kenshin and Yahiko and Missy have been planning this for a while and they all figured I was the best one to help Tae with the arrangements."

Megumi shook her head. "I don't think I've ever been so surprised."

"Is it a good surprise?"

"The best." The young woman smiled. "Whose idea was it, anyway?"

Sano shrugged. "I don't know. They've all been talking about it and then Missy and Tae said I had to help if I ever wanted to eat again."

Megumi tossed her head at him and walked away and Sanosuke watched her go….

He landed hard, knocking the wind out of himself, and the cat dropped lightly out of the tree and came over to him, purring and rubbing against his face. The little girl's tears stopped and she scooped her pet up in her arms. "Are you okay, mister?"

Sano felt the air returning to his lungs and managed to say, "Sure, kid."

The child ran off and after a moment he sat up, noticing that he had cut himself when he fell. He shrugged-the dojo was only a block away and Missy always had plenty of first aid supplies.

"Sanosuke, I can't fix this!" scolded Kaoru, wrapping a towel around his arm. "You need stitches-go to the clinic."

Ayame and Suzume ran up. "Uncle Sano, while you're at the clinic, can you cheer up Aunt Megumi?"

Sanosuke squatted down to look the girls in the eye. "What's the matter with Aunt Megumi?"

Suzume whispered, "She's sad because it's her birthday tomorrow and nobody ever remembers. I heard her talking to herself in the kitchen. Can you make her feel better?"

The young man straightened up. "I'll do my best."

Tae caught Sanosuke's eye and gave him a big smile and he smiled back, nodding.

"Sanosuke, I have a business to run-I can't just close early and throw a party!"

"Oh, come on, Tae. It's one time. You can put it on my tab."

The young woman sighed. "If you ever pay off your tab I'll be able to open another whole restaurant."

"Then you'll do it, Tae?"

"Only if you help."

Tae worked her way over to Sanosuke and whispered, "It looks like your party is a real success."

"Just remember it's our secret, Tae."

"All right, but I don't understand why you don't want Megumi to know it was your idea."

The young man looked over at Megumi, flirting with Kenshin and laughing at Kaoru's stormy face. He could almost see the fox ears on her head and he smiled gently. "I don't want her to know whose idea it was, Tae. I'd rather she thought it came from all of us."