"Why don't you ask Kaoru-san?" Enishi suggested and pointed to the giggling girl.Iida trotted quickly to Kaoru's side, bowed quickly and asked politely if there was any food left. She glanced at Misao. "Misao-chan, do you think there's anything left for Iida?""Let's check, okay Iida-kun?" Misao said cheerfully as she rose and stuck her hand out for Iida to take. He grasped it eagerly and followed her into the kitchen.

While Enishi watched them go, Kaoru got up and walked quickly over to where Enishi sat. Settling herself between Kenshin and Enishi, she turned purposfully to the latter. He blinked at her in surprise when her stare finally got his attention."Something I've been meaning to ask you," She began in a firm voice. Enishi got a little bit nervous. The last thing he needed now was another catastrophy like they had a few weeks ago on the dojo steps. "What's this Otomi like?"

Enishi raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And how long have you been meaning to ask me this?" Kaoru gave him a glare. "Okay, okay. You mean personality, right?" Kaoru nodded. "Let's see, she's really cheerful most of the time. Sometimes she gets upset about her father and Iida and work..." He shruged his shoulders to emphasize the amount of things she worried about. "She adores Iida. He's her life. If anything were to happen to him she probably would probably break."That's why I had to bring him with me," Enishi said vaguely. "Otomi was in another city when her father died, she said. He never knew his mother. He stayed in that house, alone with the body, for almost a week, didn't eat, didn't sleep, just cried, until Otomi got back. He's really fearless," Enishi added proudly. "No things that go bump in the night, no worries about being out after dark, nothing gets to him. He's only afraid of being alone."

"Besides," Enishi said with a half-smile at Kaoru, "I've gotten attatched to him.""Nii-chan!" Iida called from down the hall. Enishi glanced up."I need to ask you something else," Kaoru insisted in an undertone. Enishi gave her a glare."I don't want him to get upset. Just wait." Kaoru glanced from the bright-eyed boy that appeard in the room and the young man next to her, and decided to keep her peace. "What'd you get?""Rice candy!" Iida chirped as he plunked himself down next to Enishi again. "Misao-san brought them from Kyoto!"

"Really?" Enishi said as he looked the brightly wrapped candies over. He shot a look at Misao. She raised her hands defensively. 'It's just candy!' She mouthed with an expression of injured pride."Mmmhmm! Why were you talking about Nee-chan?" He asked Enishi innocently around a mouthful of candy.

"You heard?" Kaoru said in surprise. Iida shook his head."Nii-chan only looks like this..." He dropped his eyebrows and pulled down the corners of his mouth into an exagerated frown. "...When he talks about Otomi Nee-chan." Across the table, Misao giggled."Looks just like you, too," She giggled. Enishi scowled. Iida pushed at his 'brother's' forehead between his eyes and smoothed out the creases. She giggled some more. Across the table Tsubame echoed her."What's so funny?" Enishi snapped."I remember before Yahiko-kun fought Kujiranami," She said from behind her hand, "He was talking to Shin'ich-san. He mentioned Saitoh-san, but Shin'ichi-san didn't know who 'Saitoh' was. Yahiko..." She burst into spasms of giggles again.

"Oh, that?" Yahiko said mildly. "I didn't know it was so funny." Tsubame nodded."Now I want to know, Yahiko!" Misao said enthusiastically.Yahiko obligingly scoweled like Saitoh, pulled some hair into his face and glared at Misao. She giggled some more. For her benefit, he added a haughty, "Ahou ga." Around the table there was the sound of muffled laughter. Saitoh loomed over Yahiko. He abruptly stopped his mimicry and, without taking his eyes off the man seated next to him, fumbled across the table towards Kaoru. "Umm, Kaoru? Why don't you give him his matches back now, okay?""Oh no!" Kaoru said with a teasing grin. She rested her head cutely in her hand and gave Yahiko an amused look. "This is just starting to get interesting."

"Maa, maa," Kenshin said quickly, placing a hand on Yahiko's shoulder as he tried to jump to his feet. "Why don't we turn back to the situation at hand, okay?" Yahiko grumbled and folded his arms sulkily across his chest. "Aoshi, did you find anything else in that report that is worth mentioning?"As Aoshi continued to tell Kenshin and Saitoh about the strange Amazons, Enishi managed to catch Misao's eye. He gave her a commanding glare. She replied with a look that said, 'Who the hell do you think you are?' He glowered and discreetly jerked his head, signaling for her to come over to his side of the table. Sighing, she rose, grabbing a beancake as she went, and sat herself down next to Kaoru.

"Here, Iida," She whispered. "Take this. I don't think I can finish it." Iida grabbed the beancake that Misao offered, whispered his thanks and went to talk to Tsubame, who was appearently more interesting company. Enishi watched him go."What do you want, Black-glasses boy?" Misao said with a glare.

"I'll make a deal with you, okay?" Enishi snapped, turning back to Misao. "You don't call me Black-glasses Boy and I won't call you Weasel Girl." Misao gave him a clipped nod. "Listen," Enishi said softly as he leaned a little closer, "I want to thank you for taking Iida's mind off his sister.""Huh?""Just now, when you said that he looked just like me," Enishi snapped."Oh..." Misao looked thoughtful for a moment. "Heey, why are you being so nice?" She gave the young man a suspicious glare.

"Are you always this trusting?" Enishi shot back."I'm a lot more trusting of people that aren't psychopaths.""I'm not a psychopath!" Enishi said indignantly."Oh, excuse me," Misao replied with mock grace, "Sociopath.""You seem pretty familier with that cop. Isn't he suppost to have more than one screw loose?""D'you think I-""Misao," Aoshi interrupted abruptly. Enishi and Misao slowly let their eyes rove to the Okashira. Without taking their eyes off him they slowly sat back up in their original possitions. Enishi pushed his glasses up with an annoyed snort. "We have to send a letter to Okina tonight. Preferably before we get settled in here."

"Alright," Misao agreed with a nod. "Kaoru-san, I'll be back as soon as I can." She rose quickly, waved over her shoulder and promptly left the dojo. Aoshi sighed a little and rose to follow her."We'll be back," He said, a slight emphasis on the plural. As he turned to go at a more sedate pace, he met Enishi's eyes. Blue locked on blue for a split second and Enishi felt a charge go through him. Then Aoshi turned around and left."I should leave too," Saitoh said, rising. He stuck his hand out in Kaoru's direction. She sulkily placed the matchbox in his palm. Just to spite her, he lit a cigarette as he left. "Battousai, see you tomorrow." He tossed one last smirk over his shoulder and exited.There was an uncomfortable moment of silence, then Yahiko said in a disgruntled tone, "And I bet you'll expect me to do the dishes too."

"Actually the thought hadn't occured to me," Kaoru said as she picked up her bowl, "But since you volenteered, I'll let you help.""WHAT!? Aw, damn!" Sano handed him a dish with a smirk. "Why me? Why not Sano?"