Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ In These Final Hours ❯ When Everything Stills ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.

In These Final Hours: When Everything Stills

She was swimming through syrup. Her thoughts were mired and eyelids sealed with the thickness. And then, when she finally managed to open her eyes, she didn't know where she was. Everything was dark except for a bright square of blinding light. She moaned and closed her eyes again as the warmth bit into her senses. The darkness recognized her discomfort and she was pulled into its smothering embrace immediately.

Ghostly images and gray lights chased each other through her mind. She was barely conscious of them and not interested in trying to make out what they formed. She was just so tired. There was an absence of self awareness as she drifted through the apathetic mist that filled her brain. If she did exist, she wasn't interested in knowing. It was simple here. No thoughts, no voice, no anything. Just the overwhelming pressure of darkness.

Then she blinked and there was color. Deep maroon shaded even darker by a square of pale blue. Her mind worked to comprehend how this vibrancy could exist in her timeless solitude.

Window, something supplied helpfully. And then, sky.

She let her eyelids droop and tried to associate what she was seeing with the strange names. After a moment, reluctant memory surfaced and the images shifted into focus. It was the carriage door and the bright patch of blue was the afternoon sky shining through the window. A portion of her question was solved, but there was still more left unanswered. Her eyes drifted past the door, lower, and she saw a bundle of blankets piled on top of something long and lumpy. Her legs. One twitched at the ankle and a jolt of feeling ran up her body. She sighed in surprise and became reconnected with herself.

Kaoru blinked and scowled as the rest of her senses became oriented and aware of her surroundings. Her head felt like it was stuffed with mud and her throat was stuck shut and foul tasting.

She sighed deeply and realized in panic that she couldn't feel the right half of her chest and arm. She struggled a moment to rise and gave up when a wave of exhaustion swamped her. Small movements, she decided. She flexed her right hand and sighed in relief when the blanket shifted in response. For a moment she'd thought her arm was gone.

She frowned. Why would her arm be gone? And why was her chest numb? Something vibrated against her back and she gasped. It was unsettling to feel it through only half of her torso.

"Ms. Kaoru?" a tired voice floated near her ear and she croaked in surprise. A hand gripped her left arm and she realized that it and the voice belonged to Kenshin.

"What… happened?" she slurred. She would have felt embarrassed about it, but she was too damn confused to care.

"Are you feeling alright?" he ignored her question. The words vibrated through her back. Logic snapped things into place and she closed weary eyes.

"Maybe," she mumbled. Honestly, she wasn't sure how she felt. "Why am I lying on you?"

"Ms. Megumi said we needed to keep your wound elevated so you don't put too much pressure on it. We tried letting you sit by yourself, but you kept falling over," he chuckled.

"Wound?" she echoed. The word tasted foreign on her tongue.

"Ms. Kaoru… you were shot with an arrow," he continued slowly, "Ms. Megumi said you might have trouble remembering what happened for awhile. I'm surprised you remember me."

She rasped a small chuckle, "Why wouldn't I remember you, Kenshin?"

"Um… I don't know, that I do not," he confessed.

Silence settled over them and they lost themselves in different thoughts. Kaoru pieced together that she was lying lengthwise across one of the carriage seats, her upper body propped up against Kenshin's chest. There were three legs hidden beneath the blankets. A small flex of both of hers identified his as the one pressed against the outside of her right one. He was propping himself up against the floor with the left. Not a comfortable way to sit. Especially with his right arm tucked as far into the wall and away from her as possible. She drooped her head to the right and her forehead met the warm skin of his neck.

"How long have you been my pillow?" she asked, yawning. The steady rise and fall of his breathing was relaxing. He was comfortable for being a slender guy.

His head tilted in consideration, "Since lunch. Your brother was here this morning and Sanosuke and I traded last night while Ms. Megumi worked on you."

"Must be uncomfortable," she muttered, shifting to wake herself up.

"Be careful," he cautioned and placed a hand on her arm again, "You do not want to pull the wound."

"Stiches'll keep it closed," she reasoned. She was already starting to slip back into unconsciousness.

"It doesn't have any stitches," his voice was suddenly nervous.

She frowned and sleepily nuzzled her cheek against his chest to find a comfortable spot, "Arrow wounds're deep," she protested.

"Mmm," he agreed and paused, "But Ms. Megumi healed it enough so it wouldn't need them. It is still very tender, though."

"Oh, well that makes sense," she nodded and pried his arm out of the seat, pulling it around her like another blanket, "She must've used a lot of energy to do that. No wonder I'm so sleepy," she yawned.

"Oro, Ms. Kaoru?" he tried to extract his arm from around her abdomen, but she found the other one and tugged it over her as well.

She fell asleep before he could say anything else.

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It was completely dark when the carriage rumbled to a stop. Kaoru roused as her bed shifted beneath her. With a grumble, she tugged it closer.

"Ms. Kaoru, I must take you to your room," Kenshin apologized. His voice brought her mind back into focus and she remembered her situation, if not the cause for it yet. She let go of his arms and he slid out from behind her. She focused sleep-glazed eyes on him as he knelt before her. He had to brace his hands against her shoulders to keep her sitting upright.

"Because of your injury, I'm going to have to carry you to your room," he said seriously.

Kaoru blinked at him and nodded her head silently. It was a silly statement, really. Of course he'd have to carry her. She was having trouble just keeping her head up.

She fell against him when he let go of her shoulders and whimpered at the answering throb of pain in her back.

"I will be quick," he reassured her, "It seems the numbing medicine is wearing off."

Kaoru didn't respond. Her attention was focused on the dull ache in her back. If what he said was true, it would only intensify with time.

He gathered her into his arms and she tried to wrap her arms around his neck. She stopped with a gurgled hiss of pain.

"I can't move my arm," she gasped weakly.

Kenshin nodded sympathetically, "It will improve in a few days."

"Ok," she muttered through gritted teeth. Her head lolled against his shoulder tiredly. She'd just woken up and already needed another nap.

"How is she?" a familiar voice asked as Kenshin stepped down from the carriage. Kaoru lifted her head at the worried tone and stilled. The entire Guard was gathered around the carriage. Sanosuke and Soujiro were foremost in the group. Megumi smiled at her weakly from where she was held protectively in Sano's arms. Saitou was nearby, trying to look disinterested. A warm feeling suffused her and she smiled at the group.

"I'm ok," she chuckled and let her head rest against Kenshin's shoulder again. A murmur of relief swept through the little assembly. They quickly parted and ushered Kenshin past to get her to her room.

She realized they were back at the palace when they entered the familiar halls.

"The treaty," she lamented. She didn't remember what it was for, only that there was supposed to be one.

"Postponed," Kenshin reassured as he padded down the dark corridors.

"I was…" she struggled to pull what had happened together. She sighed in frustration when all her brain came up with was "sleep."

"It will come to you," his voice was soothing, "Resting is more important right now, that it is."

"Will you still be my pillow?" she asked suspiciously. She hoped he would say yes.

He chuckled, "Of course not, Ms. Kaoru. I will let you sleep in peace."

She frowned. Trust Kenshin to completely misunderstand. But something told her it was better to let him think she didn't want him with her. Something Misao had said about being careful with him. Since she didn't remember why she needed to be careful, she tried making up her own reasons. She settled with the assumption that he must scare off easily. Maybe she would remember in the morning.

A few more turns and they were in a hallway she recognized. She smiled as she thought about the bed waiting for her.

Kenshin let them into her room and placed her gingerly on the edge of the bed. Once again he had to brace her shoulders and she leaned against his hands heavily. Her chin rested against her chest in exhaustion. Where had all of her energy gone? She remembered Megumi's drawn face in the courtyard and, with that, the healing spell Kenshin had mentioned.

"I have to change your bandages," he said. His voice drew her from her thoughts. "I'd hoped your brother would follow us, but he was very tired and probably didn't think about it. The rest of the palace is asleep or I'd find your maid, that I would," he apologized and produced a small bag she hadn't noticed before. He set it on the bed beside her and faced her with a determined expression.

The dual severity of his look and his strange words made her blink. Why would she mind if he changed her bandages? The thought was interrupted as he climbed onto the bed beside her. Gentle hands maneuvered her limp body facedown onto the bed and slid her robe down over her shoulders so it bunched at the small of her back.

Oh.

"Please forgive me, Ms. Kaoru," Kenshin muttered again.

"It's ok," she said truthfully. Embarrassment was weighed down by drowsiness and the comforting touch of his hands on her back.

He hooked his left arm under her own and reached across her collarbone to grip her right shoulder. She wondered what he was doing, but relaxed when he lifted her a tiny bit off the bed and began to unwind the cloth that wrapped around her waist and across her back. When that was done, he slipped his arm from under her and helped position her head more comfortably. Then he turned to the bandage. He gently lifted the cloth away and she cried out in pain. She quickly bit her lip and tried to ignore the warm liquid spreading from the area. Kenshin murmured soothing things as he began to clean the wound. He even blew on it after dabbing it with something stinging. She whimpered a little, but remained mostly stoic.

"This is an ointment to keep it free of infection," he announced and something cool glopped onto her back, "It will also keep the wound from scarring too badly," he went on conversationally as he spread it with a soft cloth.

"That's nice," she muttered. Her jaw hurt from clenching it against the pain.

After few more minutes of odd juggling and carefully placed hands, she sported fresh bandages. Kenshin tugged her robe back up over her shoulders and lifted her into a sitting position. She pulled the soft material snug against her body and leaned against him gratefully. If she'd been exhausted before, she was deathly so now.

"How long will I feel like this?" She frowned when he tugged her off the bed and onto her feet. She slumped against his chest as he used one hand to hold her up and the other to pull down the covers and sheets. A feeling of déjà vu washed over her so strongly that she had to grab onto his shirt and lock her knees to keep herself upright.

"Ms. Kaoru?" he asked worriedly and leaned back so he could see her face. She found his purple gaze in the darkness and smiled.

"I protected you," she stated with quiet pride. Memories swirled fuzzily through her mind.

He nodded slowly, "Yes."

"I'm sorry," she said.

His eyes turned puzzled, "You said that before, too. Why are you sorry?"

She brought a hand up and touched his frowning lips, "Because I made you sad. If I wasn't such an idiot, it wouldn't have happened."

He shook his head and hugged her to him. She stared over his shoulder in shock and then hesitantly wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could manage.

"Do not apologize," he ordered softly, "You almost died, Kaoru."

"It was my fault, though," she insisted. She didn't want him to feel guilty when it was her fault she'd fallen right into the prophecy's little trap, "I should have realized-"

"Shh," he hushed.

She let it go after a moment and enjoyed the feeling of their embrace. Disappointment thrummed through her when he pulled back and helped her into bed. She turned her face on the pillow to look at him as he tucked the covers around her shoulders. She was lying on her stomach to keep pressure off of her wound. The stinging stuff would help keep it numb, but wouldn't last through the night.

"Goodnight, Ms. Kaoru," Kenshin murmured softly with a smile.

"Mmm," she responded. She wanted to say more but her eyes were already drifting closed.

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When she woke up, Kaoru wondered if her mornings would be normal anymore.

"'Morning, Kenshin," she greeted the redhead and rolled from her stomach to a sitting position. Rather, she grunted and struggled. She caught her breath against the pain and looked at him. He was standing, mid stride, in the middle of the room and looking very surprised. He was carrying the same black bag from the night before. A smile tugged his lips and he came to stand beside her bed.

"Good morning," he set the bag between them and began pulling out supplies. "How is your back feeling?"

"Like hammered meat," she shot back grouchily. Having a persistent throbbing pain just to the left of your shoulder blade did that.

He chuckled, "I see you have regained some of your energy."

"Not really," she sighed and leaned forward to brace her elbows on drawn up knees. With a hiss, she tucked her right arm back to her side and balanced all of her weight on her left. "But I do remember everything," she added.

"Can you keep sitting up?" he ignored her statement and the questions behind the tone. She didn't know what had happened after. Was Enishi dead? How had they escaped so many troops?

She nodded and wiggled until her back was to him. This time she tugged the robe off her shoulders herself. She batted his hands away when he tried to help. It was hard to do with only one arm. She had to be careful, too. Normally she wore bindings over her chest, but the wound made that precaution impossible. So she had to settle for holding the robe to her chest and the trust that Kenshin wouldn't look.

Silence settled over them as he quickly redressed her wound. She winced and gritted her teeth but didn't cry out. But she couldn't hold back the sigh of relief when the numbing medicine took hold.

"What happened?" she asked when she was fully clothed. Kenshin shrugged and scooped her up into his arms. She yelped in surprise, but he gently deposited her into a chair before she could protest.

"Nothing, really," he took the seat across from her.

The reprimand for carrying her died at the blasé response. Instead, she frowned, "We were in the middle of a confrontation with a man set on murdering you, and nothing happened? Do you expect me to believe that?"

He held his hands up in appeal, "Oro, let me explain, Ms. Kaoru."

She glared at him and shut her mouth with a click of teeth. She knew she was being childish, but she couldn't lift her arm to throw something at him and that was making her itchy.

"I do not know what his intentions are," Kenshin admitted after a moment. Kaoru stared at him in surprise. The hard edge was in his eyes as he gazed at the far wall. A shiver tickled her spine watching him. The assassin was speaking. He was silently calculating his opponent's strategy. Or lack of one.

"So what happened?" she pressed, "Did he just leave after his plan failed?"

"Yes."

"What?!" she shrieked, "But he had you right there! The Guard was completely outnumbered! Why didn't he strike?" As grateful as she was that that hadn't happened, it didn't make sense.

Kenshin shook his head, "He was very upset about the assassination attempt."

She blinked, "That it failed?"

"No, that it happened at all," his eyes narrowed, "Enishi fights his own battles. I think if the archer had not interfered, he would have fought me right there."

She digested the information slowly. From what she remembered of the battle, Enishi had looked ready to start a private duel. That didn't explain the archer, though. The drone-like obedience of his men suggested complete loyalty and control.

"Once you fell, there was a moment of fighting, but he called his men off. He said he did not wish to fight me on tainted grounds. Then he and his army left."

"Did you send anyone after him?" she asked as she tucked her feet beneath her.

"No."

"Why not? What if it had been a trap?" she berated.

"He is planning something else," Kenshin stated firmly, "For whatever reason, this battleground was not satisfactory. He will pick another time and place. We will just have to be more wary now that we know he is moving."

She shook her head and let it drop against the back of the chair. It was hard to discuss enemy tactics with someone more informed than you. Kenshin sounded sure of himself, but she couldn't reconcile any of it. But Kenshin knew a lot more about Yukishiro Enishi than she did. And with good reason.

"What was he talking about then?" her voice was quiet, "What happened to his sister?"

His eyes darkened, but he didn't hesitate, "I destroyed her happiness and stole her from him."

She felt her heart constrict at the admission, "Kenshin," she breathed.

"At least, that is what he would have you believe," he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head ruefully and she felt a few veins pop in her forehead.

"IDIOT!" she lobbed a pillow at him. Even using her left arm, her aim was very accurate.

"Oro!" he rubbed his nose tenderly. His face was the picture of innocent confusion. "What did I say, Ms. Kaoru?"

She struggled to her feet and towered over him. Since he was sitting, the move was almost imposing. But the effect was diminished by the waver of the finger pointed in his face and the sway of her legs as she tried to keep balanced.

"Tell me clearly what happened," she demanded. He stared at her worriedly and her knees chose that moment to buckle. She expected to land with a painful thud, but instead found her face mashed into Kenshin's shoulder.

"Ms. Kaoru, you shouldn't push yourself so much, that you should not," he scolded. She protested, but it was muffled by the cloth of his shirt. He scooped her wilting legs under an arm and returned her to her chair. She let him set her down, but grabbed a handful of red hair before he could back off. If he thought he could avoid explaining by being a gentleman, he was sorely mistaken.

"Kenshin," she growled warningly.

"Oro, I will explain!" he wailed. His hands hovered around her clenched fist of hair.

"Promise?" she tugged to emphasize her seriousness.

"On my honor as the prince of this land," he said fervently, "Please let go, Ms. Kaoru."

She released his hair and relaxed into the chair, "Fine. Talk."

He rubbed at his offended scalp as he returned to his chair. But when he turned to face her, the expression he wore was grim. She absently rubbed a temple at the change. He was a very difficult person to understand.

"Yukishiro Tomoe was engaged to her childhood sweetheart, a man named Kiyosato Akira. During the war… as the Battousai, I killed him. When she learned what had happened, she vowed to find the man who had stolen her happiness. She eventually found me."

Kaoru was on the edge of her seat, breathless, "What… what happened?" she murmured.

He shrugged and a quirky grin tugged at his features, "She infiltrated the court and gained my trust over a few months."

"Did she try to hurt you?" she guessed.

He laughed, "When she revealed herself, she told me she'd come planning to kill me."

"Oh," her fingertips froze at the careless statement. Someone had tried to kill him, once. Someone in a position not so different from herself. She had only been here for a handful of days and knew she had his trust. Though taking an arrow for his life had tipped the scale in her favor, no doubt.

"But," his gaze softened, "We came to an understanding."

She nodded her head numbly. She felt she'd just stepped into territory too personal for her to tread. The meeting between a woman and the man who had killed her love couldn't be anything less.

A sudden thought caught her, "So… she's not dead?" she realized what she'd said, "I mean, Enishi made it sound like she was."

Kenshin shook his head, "No, Tomoe is very much alive. Enishi is a little dramatic. He thinks I must have brainwashed her for her to have forgiven me."

Kaoru remembered those cold eyes. No, Enishi didn't seem the type to understand forgiveness.

"Do you understand now, Ms. Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, his voice low again.

She started at the change and read the underlying tones. She gave him a reassuring smile, "Of course I do, Kenshin."

"I am glad." He breathed in deeply and smiled, "Now it is time for you to begin your day, that it is. First breakfast and then a bath."

She sputtered, "Wait, why are you deciding?"

"Because I feel responsible for you, Ms. Kaoru," his eyes were large in his deceptively innocent face, "And because I want to make sure you feel better quickly."

Well, she couldn't argue with something that sweet.

"Fine," she grumped.

What she didn't realize was that when Kenshin said he felt responsible for her it meant he would be her personal nurse. She protested long and loudly at being carted everywhere like a doll, but the insults fell on deaf ears. Through the course of the morning she was carried to the kitchen for breakfast, the barracks to say hello to the Guard, then to her room for a quick nap. He'd postponed the bath when a yawn had interrupted her reassurances of good health to the nervous soldiers. She nearly had a heart attack when the bathing room finally loomed into view.

"Kenshin, what are you doing?" she asked and had to fight to keep her voice free of panic. They'd just marched into the large room and were fast approaching a private stall. Surely he didn't intend to bathe her himself.

"Taking you to your bath," he glanced at her curiously. He didn't understand her sudden nerves.

"Look," she pressed a firm hand to his shoulder and struggled to free herself from the basket of his arms, "I appreciate you being such a good nurse, but this is where I draw the line. You may not come into the bath."

"But Tsubame isn't strong enough to lift you in and out," he protested. His face had that innocently dopey expression again.

"Tsubame?" she pounced on the name hopefully.

"Yes, she will be giving you your bath. I am just dropping you off, that I am," he said cheerfully.

And, true to his word, there was little Tsubame waiting for her in the stall. A gently steaming bath was there as well and the scent of jasmine filled the room.

"Tsubame," she was surprised, "How did you know I take my baths with jasmine oil?"

The maid placed the towel she was folding onto a chair and smiled, "I did not know, Ms. Kaoru. The prince was the one who told me."

Kaoru processed the information and turned a pink face on the man holding her. He blinked down at her.

"You always smell like jasmine," he explained simply, "So I guessed, that I did. It does not displease you, does it?" he quirked his head to the side like a bird. Kaoru resisted the urge to giggle at the ridiculous expression.

"No. It's just strange for a man to notice something like that," she said. She was fighting to keep her heart rate normal. It was a strange thing for a man to notice. But not if that man was very sensitive to a particular woman. Not if that man lo-

"Out," she commanded and pointed a stern finger at the doorway. No time for those thoughts now. Not when he was holding her so closely.

Kenshin chuckled and moved to the bathtub. He placed her into the steaming water, robe and all, and left the girls in peace. Kaoru watched him go with wary eyes.

All through the bath, his easy words tugged at her mind. She hardly noticed when Tsubame removed her robe and bandages. She did notice when the blasted stinging medicine was applied to her wound, however.

She brooded in the water as the little maid washed her back. She handled the rest herself with sloppy movements. Being left handed was a pain. It brought her thoughts back to the wound, and with that, the battle.

The prophecy was over. She'd done her duty to the prince and suffered the consequences of her stupidity.

By every right, she should leave.

The thought brought goose-bumps to her skin despite the warm water. Leave? That would mean she wouldn't be able to see Kenshin anymore. She could come back to court, yes. But she'd lose the casual intimacy of seeing him first thing in the morning. Lose being able to knock on his door at any time and see him. It wouldn't be a fraction of what she had now.

"Hey, Tsubame," she called over her shoulder quietly.

The rustling of cloth stilled, "Yes?"

"Do you think I'm doing a good job as escort?" she asked with false casualness.

The maid laughed, "Of course you are, Ms. Kaoru! You even saved the Prince's life. Would you like to get out now? The water is probably getting cold."

The rough softness of a new robe brushed her shoulder. Kaoru reached up and grasped the realness of it between her fingers. The thought wouldn't leave her alone.

What if she stayed?

"What if I did?" she murmured to herself. The fabric of the robe bunched under the grip of her fingers.

"Ms. Kaoru?" Tsubame asked.

"… Nothing."

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"Sanosuke. I've come to a decision." Her hands clenched against her legs.

"Eh? What's that, missy?" he asked over the edge of the chair. One of his legs was dangling over the armrest and she was counting the scuff marks on his shoe. She didn't want to see his face when she said this.

"I'm going to stay here longer."

The shoe disappeared from her vision as it came crashing to the ground. And she'd almost gotten through most on the toe of it, too.

"What? Why?!" he leaned forward in the chair, "You've done your prophecy thing. It's time to go home, Kaoru."

She winced. He only sounded stern when they both knew he was right.

"But I'm a good escort. I could stay and protect him," she argued. The reasons she'd been working on since the bath were slipping through her fingers like soap. "I mean, what if Enishi comes back?" She was left grasping at thread.

"Yeah, we all saw how well you handled that situation," his voice was cold. She whipped her face up and stared at him. He hadn't said the words, but the meaning was clear. He thought she was an idiot.

"I saved him," she was too shocked to give the words any conviction. Heat uncurled in her gut and she shifted on the bed uneasily. Her reasons for staying were dubious, but certainly she'd earned this small reward. And now Sano was attacking the only sturdy leg of her reasoning.

Sanosuke scoffed, "You really think you're that special? Anyone could have done what you did."

She gritted her teeth, "I know I was stupid, but I'm paying for it now. Just like the old hag said."

"Did she also tell you you'd turn into a sneaky court bitch?" he surged to his feet and began to pace the room. "Are you even thinking? You're lying to him, Kaoru. That's treason. Do you know what that is?" he turned to the bed abruptly and leaned over her. She backed away from his mocking face. "It means you've turned into the hypocrite I keep warning you about."

"Shut up," she whispered, "I love him."

He rocked back onto his heels and stared at her in amazement. She met his gaze defiantly and ignored the tears threatening to spill over her eyes. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd struck a nerve. Everything he was saying was true. But…

"I won't give him up," she stated. It was that simple.

He broke her gaze to glare at the floor. "You don't have a choice, Kaoru," he said harshly.

"Yes I do and I've made it. I'm going to stay here," the nervousness returned, "I… I think he might feel something for me, too. I can't leave before I know if it's real. If he really doesn't feel anything for me, then I'll come home." She nodded firmly. It made perfect sense in her head if she ignored the sinkholes.

He flinched, "Kaoru, you think…?" he shook his head, "I'm sorry, Kaoru. I shouldn't be such an ass."

She blinked and stared in surprise. He leaned down again and wrapped her into a sturdy hug with one arm.

"Sano?" she returned it hesitantly. He rarely hugged her. It just wasn't his style.

"Um," a hesitant voice called from the doorway. Sano released her and they both turned to stare.

Kenshin stood there looking very embarrassed, "I did not mean to interrupt anything, that I did not."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. She should go home if only to get away from all of this misunderstanding.

"Don't be an idiot, Kenshin," Sano quipped easily and headed toward the door, "Now leave missy alone. She's tired."

"I am not," she protested hotly.

"Oh, then I will leave her to her rest," the red head nodded cheerfully. She blinked. He was positively glowing.

"Ignore the rooster," she dismissed her brother with a flick of her hand, "What happened, Kenshin?" she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Maybe she could convince him to let her walk to the kitchen once he let her in on the secret. She was feeling a little hungry.

He beamed, but didn't move from the doorway. Having it filled with a Sanosuke made it difficult. "I spoke with my Lord Father after the meeting this afternoon and he gave me a message."

"It must be good news," she laughed. A part of her always warmed when he was happy.

He rubbed the back of his head self consciously, "Yes, it is. Tomoe has found some time away from her court duties and is coming to visit. It will be good to introduce you to each other. I think you will like her very much, Ms. Kaoru."

She smiled. It would be nice to talk to someone who knew about Kenshin's past. And now she'd have a female's perspective. "I didn't realize you two visited so much," she remarked conversationally. She wondered what the older girl would look like. Nothing like her brother, she hoped.

"Of course they do, idiot," Sano remarked. His voice didn't have its normal bite, though. "People who're getting married like to see each other, right?"

…

"Ms. Kaoru, are you alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine. Didn't I already tell you that she's tired? Do you listen when people speak? No wonder King Hiko calls you Stupid."

"That is not very nice, Sanosuke, that it is not."

"Hey, let's just get out of here so missy can sleep, ok?"

"Of course. Goodnight, Ms. Kaoru. I hope you feel better in the morning."

"Yeah… 'night, missy."

The door clicked softly as it shut.

"Thank you, Sano," the words were harsh against the quiet of the room. But she was just so grateful. She wouldn't want Kenshin to see. She wouldn't want him to know. Not when she'd discovered who the real idiot was. Not when…

She cried.

A/N: Right off of one cliffhanger into another. I'm so evil.