Love Is A Twisted Road

By Anime no Miko

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Kenshin: *very excited* "So, here's when I get all mad and turn into battousai and began cutting off heads leaving a pool of blood behind, right? Right?"

AnM: "Iie, Kenshin. Gomen, but this is an alternative universe A/U fic." *pats his back* "Battousai is not allowed here, at least not as an slaysman."

Kenshin: "How come? I thought you liked battousai."

AnM: "Ohh I do. I really do, Kenshin. You look just sooo cool and sexy like that! And your eyes, I simply loooveee them!!" x_X

Kenshin: "..cool and sexy? Orooo" @_@

AnM: *nods wildly*

Misao: "Ahem... AnM, on with the fic, ne?"

AnM: "Oooppss! Gomen minna-san. I was daydreaming about Kenshin. x_X"

Misao: "I bet they already knew. You are always daydreaming about Himura."

Kenshin: @_@

AnM: "Hehehee...I can't help it!! Oh well, on with the fic ... Wait, we're missing the disclaimer. Kenshin, please."

Kenshin: "AnM does not own Rurouni Kenshin nor its characters. I wish she did though (she made me say this, Watsuki-sensei. You know you'll always be our creator, we owe you everything that we are, we owe you this fic--- )."

AnM: "Ahem!! Kenshin, what the hell are you doing?? You're asking for it. Want me to make you be abused in the fic? I can change the storyline, you know, right?"

Kenshin: "Gomen-nasai, AnM. Don't do that, please. I'll behave." *makes puppy eyes*

AnM: *sighs* "It's O.K., Kenshin. I won't. Just 'cause you're such a bishie. Dammit, on with the fic!!"

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-- Perverts, Bai Kyoto! --

"AHHHH!!!!!!" A girl's loud scream resounded throughout the restaurant, as she grabbed a towel hurriedly covering her soapy form.

Someone had deliberately flung open the bathroom door while she was bathing. But who? It couldn't possibly be a thief, right? It had to be a pervert, and one particular name topped the list in her illustrated dictionary for the word pervert.

"OKINA!!! You old pervert!! Wait 'til I get my hands on you!!" the girl snarled running out of the bathroom in pursue of the presumed offender. She had almost reached the end of the corridor, when thanks to Omasu who had double-waxed the floor that morning, and to her soaped feet, she slipped loosing balance and falling back on her buttocks.

"Ouch!!! Chikuso!! That hurt!!" she whined rubbing her behind and tried to stand up without much success as she had to fight against wax and soap united.

The colorful parade of curses that followed added to the girl's initial scream, brought her older brother into scene. He was in his room at the end of the corridor packing up some final personal things for their moving out. Among these things, his laptop and the photographic camera. He was about to replace the used film of the camera for a new one when his sister's yellings caught his attention, and he being as curious as he was, went to her 'rescue' ...

The image his sister made caused the young man to burst into uncontrollable laughter. In front of him stood, no, tried to stand a growling Misao in towel with foam carpeting her head and bubbles popping above her.

Misao jerked her head up to the sound of her older brother's laughter, and sent him death glares. "What the hell is so funny??!!! Continue laughing and I swear your ass won't sit on Tokyo ever again!" she snarled.

He did not stop. The bubble pops acted as great substitutes of the steam he could imagine coming out Misao's ears. Click! Flash! The redhead instinctively took the camera hanging around his neck on his hands, and snapped some pictures. Misao looked really funny, and that had to be preserved for posterity. For posterior teasing, that is. "Gomennn...Misao- chan, it's just that y--" Kenshin couldn't finish his little apology because his mouth was shut closed by an unexpected flying soap, which sent him all "oro"- like.

"HENTAI!!!!" a really mad yet embarrassed Misao yelled at a confused Kenshin, walked off to the bathroom, surprisingly without slipping, and slammed the door behind her.

(~ two hours later ~)

After breakfast, everyone at the Aoiya, Omasu, Okon, Shiro, Kuro, Okina, Kenshin, and Misao, was reunited discussing the early incident. Misao accused Okina of having tried to spy on her while bathing and having actually flung open the bathroom's room, and Okon and Omasu were slightly taking sides with the younger girl, which pissed Okina off.

"I swear it wasn't me, Misao. I would never think of doing such things! You're my angel, my pure Misao" the old man cajoled.

"And besides, he's our grandfather, imouto-chan." Kenshin added too wisely for Misao's tastes.

"You shut up, oniisan hentai! You took pictures of me in nu..nude." the girl grumbled. Okina's nose blood-sneezed. The rest blinked at Kenshin, and he blinked at Misao.

"Demo Misao, I already told you the camera film was used. I clicked the button upon reflex. You looked so comical ..." The girl arched an eyebrow and opened her mouth to ...

"And besides, you weren't nude, you had a towel on." Kenshin stated bluntly before Misao could retort.

"Ahh! That's different then, Misao-chan." Okon concluded. Omasu nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah...a towel does make a difference." Shiro and Kuro said in unison.

"Demo minna-san, the towel ... it loosed up and slid down a little when I fell."

"It did?" The redhead asked with surprise, getting no response.

He then turned towards Okina, who had been lying on the tatami floor since the mention of the pictures in nude, and helped him up. "Oi you alright, Jiya?" Kenshin asked the old man. "H-Hai, arigatou." *coughs* "Kenshin, dear grandson, give me the film to develop the pictures before you two leave for the station. I know this place where they can do it in 30 minutes or so ..." Okina whispered to Kenshin who sweat dropped. "Iie, Okina. Forget it."

"So?" asked Okon. "What if the towel did slide down a little?"

"Well, how would you feel if that happens to you and suddenly a baka appears out of the blue and shoots pictures while you

try to prevent the towel from slidding down completely???!!!" Misao yelled freaking out. She reached for Kenshin and Okina determined to strangle them with her bare hands.

"Misao-chan, calm down. We're trying to settle this peacefully, remember? Like a nice family right, minna-san?" Okon said with an implicit threat in the tone used. Everyone caught the message, and with a gulp, sat back on their respectives places.

Through a family council. That was the way decisions were made in the household. The victim had to present his or her complaint before the council, which consisted of the members of the family not directly involved in the 'case'. Each of the parts would have equal opportunities to tell their version of what really happened, swearing upon doing extra household chores if lying, and the council would give a veredict based on the evidences or arguments presented. The veredict would be reached through a votation, in which the council members would vote in favor or against the victim. After the veredict was given, everyone had to respect it as the final word said on the subject.

(~ twenty minutes later ~)

"...due to the lack of evidences...and since Kenshin and Misao are suppose to be in the train station in forty minutes or they'll lose their train to Tokyo, the council has decided to close this case." Okon dictated to a jubilant Okina, a satisfied Kenshin, and a resigned Misao. She couldn't appeal the decision, and even if she could, she didn't count with the time to do so. Misao hadn't finished packing her things and inmediately after the family council was dismissed, she ran upstairs to pack her things, possesed by the procrastinator's assasin.

Meanwhile, Kenshin was in the backyard helping the women with the laundry while he waited for Misao to come down. He had already packed his remaining things in one suitcase and a small handbag; their other stuff having already be sent days before to their soon-to-be apartment in Tokyo. The women were giving him some final advices ...

"Hai, Omasu-dono. I'll take care of Misao-chan." Kenshin promised the caring woman. Omasu was their mother's youngest sister, and Misao and he loved her as they would have loved their deceased mother, about whom they remembered scarcely anything. She had died when Kenshin was five and Misao barely one year old.

"Remember Kenshin, DO NOT mingle with strange guys, you know, drug dealers, drug takers, alcohol and sex addicts, specially the wicked ones and ---"

The young man sweat dropped. "I got you, Okon. I promise I won't mix with any of those." he said with sincerity. Okon was their father's dearest cousin, from whom Misao inherited more than the black hair, the strong character and high spirits. Talk about Okina, not in vain was he their paternal grandfather. Yeah, he was a little bit ...O.K., he was a lot out of series, wicked is the word, but that was what made him unique and so special.

"I'll go see what's taking Misao so long." Omasu volunteered and went inside hurriedly. She did not have to go upstairs because Misao was already dragging her suitcase down the stairs. "I was about to go look what was up with you, Misao-chan. You alright, dear?" Omasu asked the young girl, who just stared at her for few seconds before throwing her arms around the other's neck in an affectionate embrace.

"H-Hai, Omasu. It's just that ... I'll ... miss you very much! I'll miss all of you, even the old pervert Jiya!" Misao cried in Omasu's arms. Others would have been surprised and confused by Misao's sudden change of mood, but not her family. They knew Misao well. She could brag all what she wanted toof being strong and stuff, but deep inside she was a doomed romantic. She knew it, and she hated it.

"Shhhh, Misao. It's O.K. It's not like you won't see us anymore. You're just going to Tokyo, and we'll always be in Kyoto for you, ne?" Omasu said trying to soothe the girl's cries. They remained like that for some time and eventually, Misao's sobs stopped and smile began forming across her face. "Now, that's my Misao!" the older woman cheered. They walked outside to the backyard, where the rest, except Okina, were reunited for the final family mini-reunion. Now it was Shiro and Kuro's turn to give Kenshin some advices.

"... and that's how you ask a girl out in Tokyo. You took notes, Kenshin? If you follow this, I guarantee you'll be Tokyo's new casanova, young man." Shiro told Kenshin with confidence. "Hmmm...Kenshin, reconsider cutting that long hair of yours ... I'm not sure ... hmmm....but now that I take a closer look, I think it makes you look feminine, is not too effeminate already.

"Orooo... I'm NOT effeminate, Shiro-dono!! And no way, I'm NOT cutting my hair." Kenshin bellowed.

"Anou, Kenshin. I agree with Shiro --" interrupted Kuro. Kenshin raised an eyebrow. ".. but, if you like it that way, it's O.K. There're lotta girls in Tokyo, at least one ought to like long auburn hair, ne Shiro?" (A/N: Me! I do!!!! Specially Kenshin's ^__~ )

"Yeah...whatever ... But really, Kenshin, you should think of---"

"Iie! Non, nien (pronounced incorrectly), no (spanish). I said NO!" Kenshin stated with determination.

"Alright, oniisan. We got you. But it's nien (pronounces correctly), not the way you said it. Niisan, if you don't know how to pronounce the word, don't use it, ne?" Misao, back to her normal self, teased Kenshin.

"Imouto-chan, I'm glad you aren't mad at me anymore." Kenshin said and stroked Misao's messy hair messing it even more. That would demand an extra combing, but Misao liked it so she smiled sweetly at his brother.

"Misao-chan, do take care, ne? And if Kenshin doesn't behaving as a good brother, do make us know, O.K.? We'll miss you." Kuro said and gave her a strong hug. "I will, Kuro. Arigatou, I'll miss you too." Misao told the big man and stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Come here, Misao. Give Shiro a kiss too." She gave him two instead. "Take care, my dearest." he told the girl. "And warn all the boys in Tokyo to think it twice before laying a finger on you, because someone in Kyoto will be more than ready to break their bones ... and something else ..." he whispered into her ears releasing her from his fatherly embrace. She stared up at him in amusement, and Shiro winked. "Arigatou, Shiro."

"Misao-chan, study hard and take care. It's an order. Will you, my dear?" Okon uttered amidst sobs, and embrace the girl in an affectionate hug. "I promise, Okon. I promise."

"Beeeeepppppp. Beeeeeepppp..." Okina was going mad on the car's horn. "We'll put these into the car." Kuro said and started carrying the suitcases with Shiro's help.

"Anou, we better leave now or we'll miss the train." Kenshin said watching his watch.

"H-Hai." Misao agreed and whipped off the tears glistening on her eyes.

"Yeah, go guys. Take care, give us a call when you arrive. Don't forget about it." Okon told Misao and Kenshin who had already started walking towards the car. "Take care." Omasu added. They waved a final goodbye to their family, and got inside the car, with Okina as the chauffeur.

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Hope you like it so far! Review, ne? ^_^
Next chapter is arrival in Tokyo and meeting with certain icicle!