Can't Be What I Want

"Finally! A home cooked meal for once!" Yahiko Myojin shouted happily as he broke apart his chopsticks.

"Hey!" Kaoru yelled angrily. "I fix you dinner every single evening!" Yahiko chomped on a bit of rice and smiled.

"I wouldn't call that dinner, poison is a better name for it!" Kenshin and Sanosuke snorted into their soup as Kaoru whacked Yahiko over the head angrily. A crashing noise caught everyones attention. A group of men slammed they're fists into their table, laughing hysterically. They were all obviously drunk.

"Just ignore them," Kenshin turned his back to the group, when something caught his eye. It was a girl, a women that he had never seen before. She had her back to them, her long red hair nearly touched the floor. Something about her made him wonder, he flagged down Tsubame quickly. "Do you know who that is?" Tsubame looked over to where Kenshin was pointing.

"Well of course I do, that's Nina Melanee, she's a regular customer here."

"Funny, I've never seen her in here before."

"Well, usually she's in that book over there," she pointed to where the group of men were sitting. "I tried to tell them that that particular table was reserved, but they insisted on sitting there."

"Hey pretty lady," one of the men staggered over to Nina's table. "Mind if I sit down?" His words were slurred, but she didn't move. "Hey! I said stand up so I can sit!" The woman moved her arms and Kenshin's eyes widened. Nina backed up and pushed herself into the open, this woman was in a wheelchair.

"I would if it were possible," the man didn't hide his shock. Kenshin's eyes traveled over her slowly. She was very beautiful, with deep set blue eyes that stared deeply at the drunken man. Even in the wheelchair, she still had a certain class in her movements, a super model elegance he had never seen in a woman before. Anger shot through him like a shock, the man was advancing on her, but she didn't back down. Instead, with quickness unmatched, she took her plate and threw it. Glass rained to the wooden floor as the man crashed to the ground. Then yelled as she rested the right wheel on his hand. "Learn some respect."

"Don't even think about it," Nina looked behind her, a man with long auburn hair had stepped in front of the group of men that had sat at her table. "Ganging up on a woman is inexcusable, that it is. I suggest you back down, and leave that I do."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Just a man," he brushed the tips of his fingers against the hilt of his sword.

"You wanna fight?" Before a full scale fight could take place the owner, Tei, walked out from the kitchen, wielding a butcher knife.

"I suggest ya'll leave now," the gang looked at the owner, then at each other, and thought it best to leave. Leaving their friend behind, they walked out of the restuarunt. Tsubame ran over to Nina, picking up the plate pieces.

"I'm so sorry about that, Nina. I'll get you another plate right away," Nina sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Tsubame. I had my fill."

"Are you sure?" Nina nodded and wheeled herself towards the door. Kenshin watched out of the corner of his eyes as she stopped by the table. She looked at him slowly, as if trying to sort out what she wanted to say.

"Thank you," was all she could think of, and Tei opened the door for her.

"I hope I get to see her again, that I do."