AUTHORESS NOTES: Erm...you're going to wonder why I named this chapter as it is, right? Well...my mind can work so evilly sometimes *grin*. For those who have read most of my works, I tend to have some angsty chapters at times right after some fluff. Well, this is one of those chapters. Life isn't fair...right?

Oh, I got a lot of comments and reviews about Enishi's personality. Yes, I know, he's acting SANE for once. You don't have to tell me that. I have a reason why he's acting sane. Besides, I like to think Enishi that he's your typical guy once you don't have the problems surrounding his past. The reason why he's acting the way he is: it's my secret ^^.

Oh, yes, sorry for the long delay! I was sick for the past two weeks and didn't have the heart to write (not to mention look at the computer). Enjoy or *hate* this chapter!!

Chapter Six ~ Ruined

Yumiko couldn't help but give a timid smile at her mother. "Tadaima, okaasan."

Yumiko's mother hesitated for a moment as if unsure of what to do. She then suddenly ran towards her lost daughter and gave her a fierce hug which startled Yumiko for a second.

"Oh, I'm so glad that you're still here! I can't believe that my little girl has grown so much, and ---" Yumiko's mother began to ramble on and on.

"Anno...okaasan," Yumiko managed to say. Her mother looked at her. "Air."

She was quickly released and then patted on the shoulder by her mother with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Gomen, gomen," Yumiko's mother apologized. It was then she finally noticed Enishi. She smiled warmly at him. "Now, who's this young man?"

Unsure of how to explain himself, he gave a quick look to Yumiko for help who noticed the pleading look in his eyes. She let go of her mother to wrap her hand around his.

"This is Yukishiro Enishi," Yumiko explained. "He's...been helping me out with the children."

Enishi almost forgot about Ran and Rikku who were using his tall stature for cover.

Swallowing for courage, Enishi finally managed to smile and say, "Konnichiwa."

He took a quick glance at the twins who were looking up at him, smiling, while clinging tighter onto his pant leg. And I thought that Yumiko would be the scared one.

Enishi also felt Akito's eyes boring into his head much like the one that Ayeka had given him only the day before. Unlike Ayeka, however, Akito's stare was more...friendly. It wasn't until Yumiko's mother was shaking his free hand vigorously that he realized that he had zoned out.

"...so glad to meet such a fine young man! Ayeka-chan was able to tell me a little bit about---"

"Okaachan, shouldn't you introduce yourself, first?" Akito interrupted.

His mother looked sharply at her son. "Of course. I was just about to, baka." She gave Enishi a polite smile.

Now I know where Yumiko's smiles come from, he thought.

"Excuse the peanut gallery over there," Yumiko's mother said, ignoring the small cry of protest from Akito. "My name is Miyamoto Myung, formerly Nagasaki Myung, and the mother of the beautiful young woman who's attached to your arm right now."

Enishi blinked a few times, flustered, while Yumiko's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.

"Okaasan!"

Ignoring the unusual atmosphere, Enishi slightly bowed at Myung and smiled as normally as he could without feeling uncomfortable.

"It's nice to meet you Miyamoto-san," he said. "Yumiko has told me a bit about you."

"Oh, she has? Well, that's good," Myung said. "Most people are afraid of me when they first meet me. And you don't have to be so formal, Enishi-kun. Call me Myung. Better yet, why don't you just call me 'okaasan' to get it over with?"

Then Myung went into a fit of hysterical laughter, one that made Yumiko's cheeks turn a bright red, made Ran and Rikku cling onto Enishi's pant leg even tighter for dear life, and made Enishi even more afraid than before. Yumiko had warned him that her mother was a bit...odd, but he wasn't expecting something like this. Myung's laughter soon subsided and knelt down to the twins' height to greet them.

"Konnichiwa, little ones," she said in a sweet voice. Ran and Rikku looked timidly at their grandmother. Myung smiled softly, her seagreen eyes warm with affection. "I maybe a bit scary to you at first, but I'm not going to bite."

After a few minutes, Ran got the courage to step away from his "father's" towering figure to look at Myung. He knew in his developing mind that he had to be the first to act because Rikku always followed her brother's footsteps. Matching pairs of eyes stared at one another.

"Why don't you say 'hi' to obaachan, Ran?" Yumiko suggested.

The little boy glanced doubtfully at his mother before giving a big grin at his grandmother. " 'nichiwa, obaachan."

Rikku timidly stepped out and stood behind her brother, taking care to be the closest to Enishi if she needed him.

" 'nichiwa, obaachan," she repeated softly.

Myung chuckled to herself in delight at the sight of her first grandchildren she has never seen until now.

"Konnichiwa," she said happily. In one quick move, she carried the twins in her arms. "My goodness, we're going to have little munchkins all over the place! They look a lot like you, Yumiko-chan."

Yumiko smiled at her mother. "Arigatou."

"Saa, feel free to stay here as long as you like," Myung said happily as she and the twins walked into the next room. "Akito, you can close the shop tonight."

Akito's face fell. "Nande?"

"This is your punishment for leaving me all alone, so don't complain," her voice replied in the next room. Then they heard her address to the children, "Now, do you two like ohagi?"

Two little shouts of joy was the answer. Both Yumiko and Enishi chuckled at the expected response. Akito jumped off of the table, heaving a great sigh and walking over to fix one of the messes that his mother had made when he had returned.

"Damn, and I thought she forgot," he muttered.

"Akito," Yumiko addressed her brother, hands on her hips and a cross look on her face. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Akito stared up at the ceiling as if thinking of something. "Uh...I forgot?"

"Forgot? Forgot what?"

He shook his head, knowing that his sister wouldn't understand, and walked over to give her a hug.

"Istashiburi, oneechan," he said.

"Aa, you too," Yumiko replied as she ruffled her brother's dark mop of hair. She took a good look at him when they separated and frowned. "Mou, you're getting taller."

Enishi felt a bit out of place, witnessing the sibling reunion. A part of his mind reminded him about his dear sister Tomoe, but he quickly pushed that memory away. It was no use reliving the past when the dead remained dead.

He snapped out of his reverie when Akito stuck out his hand in front of him. Enishi stared into the teen's eyes. Akito grinned.

"Nice to meet you Enishi," Akito said as they shook hands. "Hope oneechan didn't force you to come into our household."

Yumiko glared menacingly at her younger brother. "Akito..."

Akito nervously smiled back at her, waving his hands innocently in the air. "Just kidding! Just kidding!"

Enishi couldn't help but laugh. He'd never seen Yumiko like this before. "No, actually I was the one who convinced her to come."

"Enishi!" Yumiko cried out, acting as if she were hurt.

The two men broke out into laughter, tension broken, as Yumiko put her hand to her forehead and sighed.

"Men," she muttered.

Enishi was beginning to like the younger man unlike Ayeka who was suspicious of him at first. He figured that Akito got his amiable personality from Myung who seemed to be a great influence on the entire family. Not to mention that he was also the youngest. Enishi began to think back on the day when he first met Yumiko.

Myung-san really is a great influence on her children...

"Don't be worried about me trying to raise living hell on you," Akito commented as soon as their laughter subsided. "I ain't like my wacky sister who ambushed you two yesterday."

"And what the hell is THAT supposed to mean??" came a very familiar voice.

Akito paled as he turned around to stare into the annoyed eyes of his sister Nagasaki Ayeka.

<Kamiya Dojo>

Kenshin and the others stood there in the middle of the dojo, absorbing what Yahiko had just finished.

"So, what are we going to do, Kenshin?" Sanosuke asked after what seemed like years of silence from his redheaded friend. "He could be coming here any minute."

Kenshin never looked up from his calloused hands.

"Did you say that he was with a woman and her children, Yahiko?" he finally asked.

Why's he asking me again for? the young boy thought as he slowly replied, "Aa...Yumiko-san has fraternal twins."

Kenshin looked up from his hands and smiled. "Then there's no need to worry about Enishi, de gozaru."

"But Kenshin!" came the cries of protest by his "family".

Kenshin shook his head, refusing to change his mind. "If he's not doing anything wrong, then there's no need to interfere in his life."

"So, you're saying that we should leave him alone," Kaoru murmured softly.

Kenshin nodded. "I think that this...Yumiko-dono is the reason why Enishi isn't bothering us, de gozaru na."

<somewhere ~ two weeks later>

"Okashira!!"

A man looked away from the beautiful view in the window of his Yokohama mansion to stare at his right hand man behind him.

"What is it?" the man asked, his voice deep and threatening.

The other man swallowed nervously at his boss as sunlight lit the dark room and heightened his boss's physical features. Fukihara Youji was a man of tall stature, his shadow elongating outwards toward his fearful yet trustworthy right hand man. His shoulder length, unruly, dark hair covered most of his facial features unless he moved his head, but one could tell that underneath the darkness was a handsome young man in his early twenties with bright, inquisitive sapphire eyes. A well-trained and well-disciplined body was hidden underneath a dark mass of Western clothing topped off with a black trenchcoat.

Youji's right hand man took in a deep breath, knowing that his superior hadn't been in a good mood ever since they had arrived in Japan the day before. Although Youji had trusted the man with his life, the man couldn't help but be a bit nervous around him. Fukihara Youji wasn't a man with infinite patience.

"Sir, we've been able to find Yukishiro Enishi's whereabouts," the man answered.

"You don't have to be so damn formal with me, Tsuke," Youji replied irritably. "You know that."

Tsuke cleared his throat, looking away as sun temporarily blinded his sight. "Right..."

Youji continued to stare at Tsuke, unhindered by the sun. "So? Where is he?"

"According to the spies that I sent out, he's at the Rakinunmura. Been there for about a month and a half," Tsuke replied. He paused for a moment before smiling sinsiterly. "They also found something else that you might be interested in."

Youji arched a curious eyebrow. "Go on."

"He's with your former woman."

Youji's handsome face remained emotionless for the moment as if he had never heard the last response. Then he broke into a malicious grin, his sapphire eyes gleaming in delight.

"Is that so? Yumiko thinks that she can get away from me by having him for company?" he said more to himself than to Tsuke, letting out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Well, this makes payback a little bit more interesting."

"What do you suggest?" Tsuke asked.

Youji whipped out his pair of katana hidden underneath the long trenchcoat and crushed the wodden desk next to him, grinning even wider as sawdust sprinkled the room with a pale glow.

"Enishi should've known not to mess with me after he left the organization," he said, staring at the remains of the desk. "It's time that I pay a visit to my dear family."

<Rakinunmura ~ Yumiko's home>

It had been two weeks since the visit to the Nagasaki hime and Yumiko and Enishi had made frequent visits since then. When she had the time, Myung would leave the shop in either Ayeka's or Akito's care to come and visit them for a change. Like the twins had acted when Enishi began to settle down, they absolutely loved their grandmother's arrival. Myung had a knack for children, and when she was around, it freed up a lot of time for Yumiko and Enishi. It was one of those times when Myung stayed well after dark.

"Wow, time passes so fast nowadays," she commented as she gazed into the night sky. "I guess I better leave before the children know that I'm gone."

"Are you sure about that, okaasan?" Yumiko asked worriedly as they stood up. "It's pretty late outside."

"I can walk you home if you'd like," Enishi suggested, something that he wouldn't have done two months ago.

"I appreciate your concern, you two," Myung replied, smiling, "demo, I'll be fine walking home alone." She winked. "I'm not the first female martial arts winner for nothing."

Yumiko sighed knowning that her mother was just as stubborn as Ayeka was. They were the types who would never give up youth.

'I'll go check on the children," she murmured softly and left the room, leaving Enishi to escort Myung.

<outside>

"I've never seen my daughter so happy like this before," Myung said as she and Enishi were walking outside. "Arigatou, Enishi-kun."

"Ie, I should thank you, Myung-sa...Myung," Enishi pointed out with an absentminded smile on his face. "If I hadn't met your daughter, then I...I would have still been in a living hell."

The elder woman noticed a flicker of pain flash in his eyes. She remained silent for a moment before giving a soft smile at him.

"She tends to do that sometimes," she replied. "Helping those in need. I guess she saw that inner torment in your eyes." At this, Enishi looked up in surprise. "A kind heart in a tortured soul. You two match up together well."

Myung continued on her path home, leaving her words for Enishi to ponder on.

<inside>

Enishi quietly enterd the room where Ran and Rikku slept, lost in thought. What did she mean by those words?

Yumiko sat by the twins, watching them sleep. She looked up from them to Enishi as he entered. Seagreen locked with coal black.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a softer tone than usual.

Enishi couldn't help but smile. "No, nothing. You're mother's very..."

"Eccentric? Strange?" she suggested with a teasing glint in her eyes as she giggled quietly. "It's all right; you can say it. I know she is."

Enishi shook his head, still smiling, and sat down next to her. "Ie, she's very...insightful, I guess. I can't put it in words."

Yumiko remained silent as she held his hand and looked at him, bidding him to go on. These were one of the few times Yukishiro Enishi's heart was ever vunerable to her.

"My mother died soon after I was born, so my sister Tomoe took care of me. She was...a second mother and older sister at the same time," he began.

"What about your father?" she asked.

Enishi let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "My old man? He never looked after the two of us. We had to survive on our own while he was away gambling or at the whorehouse or whatever he was doing. It was just me and oneechan."

Yumiko was about to ask another question but stopped in mid sentence when she and Enishi heard a strange noise.

"What was that?" Yumiko whispered.

Enishi's eyes narrowed into thin slits as his sensitive hearing heard whispers from outside. His grip on Yumiko's hand tightened. She looked at him in concern.

"Enishi?"

"Yumiko, blow out the light," he murmured to her.

She did as she was told. Once the light in the room burned out, they could see shadows flying across the rice paper screen by the moonlight. Enishi instinctively pulled Yumiko closer to him.

"Enishi, what are tho---" Yumiko began to ask.

"Yumiko, listen to me," he cut her off in a hushed whisper. "Take Ran and Rikku with you and hide."

She began to protest, but he cut her off again with a kiss. When their lips parted, Enishi whispered again, "I'll be fine. Now just go and hide."

Reluctantly, Yumiko roused the twins from their slumber and picked them up in her arms. She gave one last look at him, her midnight hair perfectly framing around her face, and left through the adjoining room. Enishi took a deep breath and waited for attack. Soon enough, the screens burst open and the moonlight reflected about a dozen ninja figures surrounding him.

"What do you want?" he asked them, fists clenched tightly by his side. He wondered to himself if he could still fight like the way he used to after more than a month without training. He quickly pushed the thought aside as the ninja around him attacked.

Crushing the skull of his first opponent within range. Enishi quickly continued with the rotation of his body to spin kick and take out the other two closest to him. Ducking under the blade of one, he kneed one in the guts and then took out the one with the blade with a swift and powerful side kick. Suspicions began to grown in his mind. This is too easy...way too easy.

While in the midst of the fighting, Enishi didn't notice that one of the ninja had taken out a pipe hidden in its robes. He took off the top with his teeth and, finding the right moment, flung it towards Enishi. Its grayish white contents spilled out in front of him. He guarded his eyes, but it wasn't enough as he accidentally inhaled the toxin and coughed up his lungs with a fury. A few of the ninja took this to their advantage and landed a couple of blows on his body. Enishi had seen them coming from a long way, but his legs had gone numb and couldn't cooperate with his brain. He was soon knocked to the floor and gritted his teeth as blow after blow landed upon his body. Soon he couldn't feel anymore pain.

"Yukishiro Enishi!" called out a voice.

As the beatings stopped, Enishi strained his neck upwards. His eyes widened and then flared in anger as he saw Yumiko helplessly trapped by a man that he thought he would never see again.

"Fukihara...Youji," he growled.

Although his body was completely numb, he could clearly see Yumiko's filled with tears and fear. She tried to speak out, but Youji harshly yanked her back by her hair. A sinister smile played upon his face.

"You should have known that I would come back to find you," Youji said in a mocking and loud tone. "You owe me a devestating reward for ruining the organization in Shanghai. How convenient of you to take my wife."

"Bastard! I'm NOT your wife!" Yumiko hissed before her arm twisted even tighter. She yelped in pain.

Youji chuckled in delight as he watched his opponent struggle to get up.

"I'll give you a week to consider your options," Youji said. "Either pay your price or I'm going to have some fun with my little Yumi-chan again."

He and the surrounding ninja jumped away into the night.

"ENISHI!!!!" Enishi heard Yumiko cry out as his vision began to blur.

Although now standing, the toxin was too strong for him to do anything.

"Yumiko..."

Darkness became his ally.

AUTHORESS NOTES: ^_^ Two psychos meet! Even though I love Enishi to death, I still call him "psychotic bastard". *clears throat* Anyhoo, Ayame-chan going to have some fun with the next chapter ^^. R&R!!