Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Time Can Not Erase ❯ Chapter 1
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Silent Tears of Agony 
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.29.2006 | Updated On: 12.06.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 623 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Angst | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.29.2006 | Updated On: 12.06.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 623 | Status: Work In Progress
Author:Silent Tears of Agony
Title:Time Cannot Erase
Rating:PG
Chap:1
I think this is my favorite of all of my fics. (At least the idea of it is). So I am going to try to work really hard on it. Don't expect fast updates. Also if you could please leave reviews to let me know how I'm doing? Thanks!
Disclaimer: Sadly the only Kenshin I own is a handful of manga, some dvd's, and the uber-cool wall scroll my cousin got me. This story is based on "My Immortal" by Evanescence.
Many thanks to Night Imp and Pinay Tiger for beta-reading. :)
---------------------------
I'm so tired of being here
Kenshin looked at the ring in his hand as if it held the answers to all the questions of the universe. But right now he would settle for an answer to just one question. Would Kaoru say yes? Would she say no? Would she laugh at him? Turn him out? Would she even like the ring? Kenshin sighed. Did he even have a right to ask her to marry him? He raked a hand through his hair. All right so there was more than one question. But they were all so important.
"You gonna buy that ring son? I have other rings that might interest you." It was a simple ring; only a thin gold band with a single sapphire set in it. Yet he knew it would look beautiful on Kaoru's finger. Kenshin glanced up at the merchant, then returned his gaze to the item in his hand. He looked hard at the ring, his heart pumping madly. This was it. It was now or never. No, wait. This was only the first step. He still had to ask Kaoru if she would even consider marrying him.
"I'm sorry but if you don't buy something soon, I'm going to have to ask you to make room for paying customers."
Kenshin swallowed. Why did things have to be so difficult?
"I'll buy it."
Kenshin's voice came out surprisingly steady. It didn't waver or squeak like he'd feared it would.
The man went through the ritual of congratulating him on his great buy and wishing him luck with his lady. Kenshin had a feeling what he needed more than luck was a new set of nerves.
Or maybe a good strong drink.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kaoru absently stirred the liquid in the pot. Kenshin had been acting so strange lately. He would take off for hours and wouldn't tell her where he was going, insisting that he would be alright. Then when he was home it was like he purposely tried to avoid her. She sighed. She hoped he wasn't planning on leaving her again. If he did, she knew she would just die. She felt a few tears prick at her eyes.
She really couldn't blame him if he did decide to leave. He was the one who always did the cleaning and the cooking. She couldn't cook to save her life. She had no students, half the time she couldn't even get Yahiko to cooperate with her. Some teacher she was. And she usually dressed as a man.
Maybe Yahiko was right. She really was ugly. An ugly, silly girl who was too old to get married. Why should Kenshin want to stay with her? Why should any man? The fact that she had never had any previous suitors only confirmed her fears. She was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot about the pot until its contents boiled over. With a cry she removed it from the stove. She might as well add that to her list while she was at it. She couldn't even heat up a simple pot of soup.
"Tadaima."
Kaoru froze. Great now he was going to see the huge mess she made and think she was incompetent. She wished the ground would just swallow her up. Tears started to come into her eyes again but she fought them back. If she cried now, Kenshin might think she really was a little girl, crying over burnt food. She chided herself. Kenshin was sensitive. He wouldn't think that. Or at least he wouldn't say it.
"Kaoru-dono?"
Kaoru looked up to see Kenshin standing in the doorway, a confused look on his face.
"O-okaeri Kenshin." Kaoru squeaked out.
Kenshin tried to keep the smile on his face. The mess in the kitchen would take him hours to clean up. He heaved a mental sigh. Kaoru was a wonderful woman, and he loved her dearly. But he really did wish she would leave the cooking to him. It would make life a little bit easier.
"I-I'll get this cleaned up."
"I'll take care of it Kaoru-dono."
"No Kenshin! I want to do it. You shouldn't always have to do all the work around here." She gave him a trembling smile and shook her head when he started to protest again.
"Besides, Yahiko thinks I can't do housework and I want to prove him wrong." Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at him.
Kenshin smiled back at her. So that was why she was so adamant. Kaoru never could resist a challenge.
"Kenshin," Kaoru hesitantly started as they prepared to clean, "where did you go this afternoon?"
Kenshin looked up at her anxiously, afraid that she might suspect something. But as he searched her face he saw no trace of suspicion, only worry. "Sessha had to get something important from town, that I did."
"Oh." Kaoru's face brightened, relieved that he wasn't leaving her again, or meeting another woman (another prospect her overactive brain had considered).
"Next time let me know if you're going to be gone a long time," she wagged a finger at him. "I was worried about you."
"Sessha is sorry for making you worry, Kaoru-dono."
"Just don't do it again, okay?"
Kenshin couldn't help but return her smile, it was so infectious. "Sessha promises."
-.-.-.-.-.-
"Hey busu, where's Kenshin?" Kaoru hit Yahiko over the head.
"I am not ugly! And I don't know where he is. He just said he needed to do some thinking."
"He's probably meeting his secret lover, and I bet she's way prettier than you are." Yahiko taunted. Unfortunately, he had just voiced Kaoru's secret fear, so of course he had to suffer her wrath.
Kaoru's eyes danced with fury and unfounded jealousy. "Brat! You'll do 500 practice swings today!"
"What for!" Yahiko squawked.
"You need to learn to respect your sensei, now get to it! Or do I need to make it 1,000?"
Yahiko's jaw clenched as he swung his bokken with extra force. Kaoru opted to ignore his muttered exclamations of "busu,” "hag,” and other names in between his swings. Instead she turned to look out the door of the practice hall with troubled eyes.
"Kenshin . . . "
-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin leaned back against the rough bark of the old cherry tree, twirling the ring between his fingers. The anniversary of his meeting Kaoru was coming up. He had been planning to ask her then to marry him. But maybe she would prefer it if he asked her on her birthday? Or better yet, Tanabata, so he could make up for last year!
'You're just stalling. It would be better to ask her sooner and you know it.' Kenshin shook his head. All of this thinking was giving him a headache.
He leaned his head back to rest against the tree, absently noting the rain clouds growing. It reminded him of when he and Misao had been caught in a rain storm on the way to fight Shishio. What if he was asked to leave Kaoru again? Would he leave her if they were married? What if he was asked right now, before they were married? What would that do to her? He already knew what it would do to him. Leaving her behind had felt like he was leaving a piece of himself behind. Kenshin rubbed his temples. He really was getting a headache from all of this thinking. And sitting here wasn't getting anything done. Heaving one last sigh he got up and headed back home.
-.-.-.-.-.-
"Kenshin. Buddy. Just the person I was looking for." Kenshin nearly pitched forward as Sano heartily thumped him on the back.
"I can't give you any money today Sano."
"But I really need it this time Kenshin. I'm leaving Japan." Kenshin looked at him suspiciously. Sano had come up with some fairly wild tales to get money out of him before.
"And what brought this on?" Sano pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
"The police have a warrant for my arrest. They want to arrest me for what happened in Shinshu."
Kenshin was shocked into silence as he took the wanted poster from Sano's hands. That the young man would be called to account for his past deeds hadn't really occurred to Kenshin.
"So how 'bout it Kenshin? I only need a little bit, I don't care where I go so long as it's out of Japan." Kenshin sighed.
"Sessha does have some money." 'I was only saving it for my wedding.'
-.-.-.-.-
"I really appreciate you doing this for me." Sano leaned against the doorway as Kenshin retrieved his money. Kenshin nodded his head.
"It's not much, but it should get you out of here." As Kenshin reached out to hand Sano the money, a small object fell from his sleeve, flashing as it caught the light. Sano bent to pick up the item, his lips quirking into an amused smile as he recognized it for what it was.
"I hope you didn't get this ring out of another catfish." Kenshin blushed in humiliation.
"Sessha isn't that dense Sano. I worked to buy that ring." Sano looked at the money in Kenshin's hand then back at the ring.
"You were saving this money for your wedding weren't you?" Kenshin had often believed Sano was more perceptive than people gave him credit for. This was just another example.
"It's okay Sano." Sano shook his head.
"I can't take this. It wouldn't be right." Kenshin put the money in Sano's hand.
"Sano for once you actually need it. Besides, I don't even know if Kaoru-dono will even say yes." Sano thrust the money back toward Kenshin.
"Believe me, she'll say yes."
"I'm glad for your confidence. But even if she does, I can always save more. You need this now" Kenshin shoved the money back at Sano.
"I'm not taking your money, Kenshin."
"I never thought I would hear you refuse money. Especially when its being offered to you." Sano and Kenshin looked over to see Kaoru standing in the hallway, her eyes sparkling in amusement. She walked over to place a calloused hand on Sano's forehead. "Well, you don't feel feverish."
Sano scowled and slapped her hand away. "Very funny jou-chan."
Kaoru giggled and looked at Kenshin. "Hmm, why are you forcing him to take the money anyway? He's probably just going to gamble with it." Kenshin shook his head.
"Sano is leaving Japan. That's why he needs the money." Kaoru's eyes skittered between the two men.
"You're joking right?" When Kenshin shook his head solemnly, the smile fell from Kaoru's face. "B-but you can't leave Sano." If he left then Kenshin might leave. Yahiko would probably leave after that. And then she would be all alone again.
"The police want to put me in jail for what happened in Shinshu." Sano pulled out the crumpled wanted poster and showed it to Kaoru.
"Maybe the sentence will be short."
"I'd rather not find out jou-chan. Besides, the world is a pretty big place and I've been wanting to see it. I suppose I won't get a better reason than this one."
"Have you told Megumi-san?"
"I'm going to do that after I leave here." Kaoru turned away, her shoulder set in a defeated slump.
"We're going to miss you." Sano shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders.
"Me too."
-.-.-.-.-.-
Yahiko had remained surprisingly calm when he heard the news. He hadn't yelled or sulked. It was almost as if he was expecting it. Or maybe it was the maturity that came with growing up. Either way, everyone was grateful he took the news so well.
"Sano I packed some food for you. Make sure you don't eat it all at once." Kenshin's lips tilted into a teasing grin, but his eyes kept their usual polite blankness.
"I'll try." Sano swallowed the lump in his throat and gathered Kenshin in a bone-cushing hug. "I'm really going to miss you. You . . . are the first family I have had in a long time." Kenshin nodded his head in understanding. Stepping out of Sano's embrace, Kenshin smiled up at him.
"You take care of yourself." Sano nodded his head and looked over at Kaoru.
"Jou-chan, next time I see you I want to see you with redheaded kids." Kaoru's eyes slanted in anger and her face turned red.
"Sano," she growled. Sano smirked.
"Heh. You love me anyway." Kaoru found herself at the end of another one of Sano's powerful hugs.
"Yahiko," he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, "it's been fun knowing you. Maybe the next time I see you, you'll be the second strongest in Japan. In the meantime you can stay at my place. Kenshin and Kaoru need their privacy and I guess you're getting to the point where you do too." As he slung his travel bag over his shoulder, Sano took one last long look around the dojo before he left.
The minute the dojo gate closed behind him, Kaoru fled to her room where her muffled sobs could be heard. Yahiko quietly stared at the gate, his cheeks stained with the tears that had escaped. "It's not going to be the same without him." Kenshin put a comforting hand on his shoulder, closing his eyes against his own tears.
"I know." They stood in miserable silence before Yahiko spoke again.
"Do you think the police would ever come after me for my past?"
"No. I don't think they're even aware of it."
"Well even if they did, I would stay here. I wouldn't abandon my family."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin was making a final check of the dojo when he saw Kaoru sitting on the porch. "Kaoru-dono, are you all right?" Kaoru looked up in surprise.
"Kenshin! You scared me." Kenshin sat down next to Kaoru.
"Sessha is sorry, but that still doesn't answer my question." Kaoru smiled.
"I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep." She wrapped her shawl a little tighter as the wind picked up. "It's a beautiful night but its awfully cold." Kenshin wrapped an arm around her, just to keep her warm, he assured himself.
"Perhaps you should go inside. Sessha wouldn't want you to catch a cold." Kaoru turned to look at him with a warm look in her eyes.
"You take such good care of me Kenshin."
"It’s the least I can do in return for everything you've done for me." The spark in Kaoru's eyes died and she pulled out of his embrace. Kenshin scrambled to follow her as she walked away, confused with her sudden mood shift.
"Is something wrong Kaoru-dono?"
"No, the fresh air made me tired. I'm going to bed." Kenshin stepped in front of her and looked her in the eyes.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked softly. Kaoru sighed.
"Yes Kenshin." As she turned to leave, something on the ground caught her eye. When she saw it was a ring, Kaoru looked at Kenshin with questioning eyes. Kenshin panicked. He hadn't meant for her to see it yet!
"Sessha . . . sessha can explain."
-------------------
This story starts between Jinchuu and Reflections (I can't spell the Japanese name. I'm sorry . ) It goes past Reflections. In fact it doesn't even really follow the path of Reflections. You'll see what I mean later.
Sooo...what did you think? I'll accept whatever bones you toss at me. Flames...rave reviews...constructive criticism...death threats. Anything to let me know you read my story.
Ja!
Title:Time Cannot Erase
Rating:PG
Chap:1
I think this is my favorite of all of my fics. (At least the idea of it is). So I am going to try to work really hard on it. Don't expect fast updates. Also if you could please leave reviews to let me know how I'm doing? Thanks!
Disclaimer: Sadly the only Kenshin I own is a handful of manga, some dvd's, and the uber-cool wall scroll my cousin got me. This story is based on "My Immortal" by Evanescence.
Many thanks to Night Imp and Pinay Tiger for beta-reading. :)
---------------------------
I'm so tired of being here
Kenshin looked at the ring in his hand as if it held the answers to all the questions of the universe. But right now he would settle for an answer to just one question. Would Kaoru say yes? Would she say no? Would she laugh at him? Turn him out? Would she even like the ring? Kenshin sighed. Did he even have a right to ask her to marry him? He raked a hand through his hair. All right so there was more than one question. But they were all so important.
"You gonna buy that ring son? I have other rings that might interest you." It was a simple ring; only a thin gold band with a single sapphire set in it. Yet he knew it would look beautiful on Kaoru's finger. Kenshin glanced up at the merchant, then returned his gaze to the item in his hand. He looked hard at the ring, his heart pumping madly. This was it. It was now or never. No, wait. This was only the first step. He still had to ask Kaoru if she would even consider marrying him.
"I'm sorry but if you don't buy something soon, I'm going to have to ask you to make room for paying customers."
Kenshin swallowed. Why did things have to be so difficult?
"I'll buy it."
Kenshin's voice came out surprisingly steady. It didn't waver or squeak like he'd feared it would.
The man went through the ritual of congratulating him on his great buy and wishing him luck with his lady. Kenshin had a feeling what he needed more than luck was a new set of nerves.
Or maybe a good strong drink.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kaoru absently stirred the liquid in the pot. Kenshin had been acting so strange lately. He would take off for hours and wouldn't tell her where he was going, insisting that he would be alright. Then when he was home it was like he purposely tried to avoid her. She sighed. She hoped he wasn't planning on leaving her again. If he did, she knew she would just die. She felt a few tears prick at her eyes.
She really couldn't blame him if he did decide to leave. He was the one who always did the cleaning and the cooking. She couldn't cook to save her life. She had no students, half the time she couldn't even get Yahiko to cooperate with her. Some teacher she was. And she usually dressed as a man.
Maybe Yahiko was right. She really was ugly. An ugly, silly girl who was too old to get married. Why should Kenshin want to stay with her? Why should any man? The fact that she had never had any previous suitors only confirmed her fears. She was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot about the pot until its contents boiled over. With a cry she removed it from the stove. She might as well add that to her list while she was at it. She couldn't even heat up a simple pot of soup.
"Tadaima."
Kaoru froze. Great now he was going to see the huge mess she made and think she was incompetent. She wished the ground would just swallow her up. Tears started to come into her eyes again but she fought them back. If she cried now, Kenshin might think she really was a little girl, crying over burnt food. She chided herself. Kenshin was sensitive. He wouldn't think that. Or at least he wouldn't say it.
"Kaoru-dono?"
Kaoru looked up to see Kenshin standing in the doorway, a confused look on his face.
"O-okaeri Kenshin." Kaoru squeaked out.
Kenshin tried to keep the smile on his face. The mess in the kitchen would take him hours to clean up. He heaved a mental sigh. Kaoru was a wonderful woman, and he loved her dearly. But he really did wish she would leave the cooking to him. It would make life a little bit easier.
"I-I'll get this cleaned up."
"I'll take care of it Kaoru-dono."
"No Kenshin! I want to do it. You shouldn't always have to do all the work around here." She gave him a trembling smile and shook her head when he started to protest again.
"Besides, Yahiko thinks I can't do housework and I want to prove him wrong." Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at him.
Kenshin smiled back at her. So that was why she was so adamant. Kaoru never could resist a challenge.
"Kenshin," Kaoru hesitantly started as they prepared to clean, "where did you go this afternoon?"
Kenshin looked up at her anxiously, afraid that she might suspect something. But as he searched her face he saw no trace of suspicion, only worry. "Sessha had to get something important from town, that I did."
"Oh." Kaoru's face brightened, relieved that he wasn't leaving her again, or meeting another woman (another prospect her overactive brain had considered).
"Next time let me know if you're going to be gone a long time," she wagged a finger at him. "I was worried about you."
"Sessha is sorry for making you worry, Kaoru-dono."
"Just don't do it again, okay?"
Kenshin couldn't help but return her smile, it was so infectious. "Sessha promises."
-.-.-.-.-.-
"Hey busu, where's Kenshin?" Kaoru hit Yahiko over the head.
"I am not ugly! And I don't know where he is. He just said he needed to do some thinking."
"He's probably meeting his secret lover, and I bet she's way prettier than you are." Yahiko taunted. Unfortunately, he had just voiced Kaoru's secret fear, so of course he had to suffer her wrath.
Kaoru's eyes danced with fury and unfounded jealousy. "Brat! You'll do 500 practice swings today!"
"What for!" Yahiko squawked.
"You need to learn to respect your sensei, now get to it! Or do I need to make it 1,000?"
Yahiko's jaw clenched as he swung his bokken with extra force. Kaoru opted to ignore his muttered exclamations of "busu,” "hag,” and other names in between his swings. Instead she turned to look out the door of the practice hall with troubled eyes.
"Kenshin . . . "
-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin leaned back against the rough bark of the old cherry tree, twirling the ring between his fingers. The anniversary of his meeting Kaoru was coming up. He had been planning to ask her then to marry him. But maybe she would prefer it if he asked her on her birthday? Or better yet, Tanabata, so he could make up for last year!
'You're just stalling. It would be better to ask her sooner and you know it.' Kenshin shook his head. All of this thinking was giving him a headache.
He leaned his head back to rest against the tree, absently noting the rain clouds growing. It reminded him of when he and Misao had been caught in a rain storm on the way to fight Shishio. What if he was asked to leave Kaoru again? Would he leave her if they were married? What if he was asked right now, before they were married? What would that do to her? He already knew what it would do to him. Leaving her behind had felt like he was leaving a piece of himself behind. Kenshin rubbed his temples. He really was getting a headache from all of this thinking. And sitting here wasn't getting anything done. Heaving one last sigh he got up and headed back home.
-.-.-.-.-.-
"Kenshin. Buddy. Just the person I was looking for." Kenshin nearly pitched forward as Sano heartily thumped him on the back.
"I can't give you any money today Sano."
"But I really need it this time Kenshin. I'm leaving Japan." Kenshin looked at him suspiciously. Sano had come up with some fairly wild tales to get money out of him before.
"And what brought this on?" Sano pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.
"The police have a warrant for my arrest. They want to arrest me for what happened in Shinshu."
Kenshin was shocked into silence as he took the wanted poster from Sano's hands. That the young man would be called to account for his past deeds hadn't really occurred to Kenshin.
"So how 'bout it Kenshin? I only need a little bit, I don't care where I go so long as it's out of Japan." Kenshin sighed.
"Sessha does have some money." 'I was only saving it for my wedding.'
-.-.-.-.-
"I really appreciate you doing this for me." Sano leaned against the doorway as Kenshin retrieved his money. Kenshin nodded his head.
"It's not much, but it should get you out of here." As Kenshin reached out to hand Sano the money, a small object fell from his sleeve, flashing as it caught the light. Sano bent to pick up the item, his lips quirking into an amused smile as he recognized it for what it was.
"I hope you didn't get this ring out of another catfish." Kenshin blushed in humiliation.
"Sessha isn't that dense Sano. I worked to buy that ring." Sano looked at the money in Kenshin's hand then back at the ring.
"You were saving this money for your wedding weren't you?" Kenshin had often believed Sano was more perceptive than people gave him credit for. This was just another example.
"It's okay Sano." Sano shook his head.
"I can't take this. It wouldn't be right." Kenshin put the money in Sano's hand.
"Sano for once you actually need it. Besides, I don't even know if Kaoru-dono will even say yes." Sano thrust the money back toward Kenshin.
"Believe me, she'll say yes."
"I'm glad for your confidence. But even if she does, I can always save more. You need this now" Kenshin shoved the money back at Sano.
"I'm not taking your money, Kenshin."
"I never thought I would hear you refuse money. Especially when its being offered to you." Sano and Kenshin looked over to see Kaoru standing in the hallway, her eyes sparkling in amusement. She walked over to place a calloused hand on Sano's forehead. "Well, you don't feel feverish."
Sano scowled and slapped her hand away. "Very funny jou-chan."
Kaoru giggled and looked at Kenshin. "Hmm, why are you forcing him to take the money anyway? He's probably just going to gamble with it." Kenshin shook his head.
"Sano is leaving Japan. That's why he needs the money." Kaoru's eyes skittered between the two men.
"You're joking right?" When Kenshin shook his head solemnly, the smile fell from Kaoru's face. "B-but you can't leave Sano." If he left then Kenshin might leave. Yahiko would probably leave after that. And then she would be all alone again.
"The police want to put me in jail for what happened in Shinshu." Sano pulled out the crumpled wanted poster and showed it to Kaoru.
"Maybe the sentence will be short."
"I'd rather not find out jou-chan. Besides, the world is a pretty big place and I've been wanting to see it. I suppose I won't get a better reason than this one."
"Have you told Megumi-san?"
"I'm going to do that after I leave here." Kaoru turned away, her shoulder set in a defeated slump.
"We're going to miss you." Sano shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders.
"Me too."
-.-.-.-.-.-
Yahiko had remained surprisingly calm when he heard the news. He hadn't yelled or sulked. It was almost as if he was expecting it. Or maybe it was the maturity that came with growing up. Either way, everyone was grateful he took the news so well.
"Sano I packed some food for you. Make sure you don't eat it all at once." Kenshin's lips tilted into a teasing grin, but his eyes kept their usual polite blankness.
"I'll try." Sano swallowed the lump in his throat and gathered Kenshin in a bone-cushing hug. "I'm really going to miss you. You . . . are the first family I have had in a long time." Kenshin nodded his head in understanding. Stepping out of Sano's embrace, Kenshin smiled up at him.
"You take care of yourself." Sano nodded his head and looked over at Kaoru.
"Jou-chan, next time I see you I want to see you with redheaded kids." Kaoru's eyes slanted in anger and her face turned red.
"Sano," she growled. Sano smirked.
"Heh. You love me anyway." Kaoru found herself at the end of another one of Sano's powerful hugs.
"Yahiko," he laid a hand on the boy's shoulder, "it's been fun knowing you. Maybe the next time I see you, you'll be the second strongest in Japan. In the meantime you can stay at my place. Kenshin and Kaoru need their privacy and I guess you're getting to the point where you do too." As he slung his travel bag over his shoulder, Sano took one last long look around the dojo before he left.
The minute the dojo gate closed behind him, Kaoru fled to her room where her muffled sobs could be heard. Yahiko quietly stared at the gate, his cheeks stained with the tears that had escaped. "It's not going to be the same without him." Kenshin put a comforting hand on his shoulder, closing his eyes against his own tears.
"I know." They stood in miserable silence before Yahiko spoke again.
"Do you think the police would ever come after me for my past?"
"No. I don't think they're even aware of it."
"Well even if they did, I would stay here. I wouldn't abandon my family."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin was making a final check of the dojo when he saw Kaoru sitting on the porch. "Kaoru-dono, are you all right?" Kaoru looked up in surprise.
"Kenshin! You scared me." Kenshin sat down next to Kaoru.
"Sessha is sorry, but that still doesn't answer my question." Kaoru smiled.
"I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep." She wrapped her shawl a little tighter as the wind picked up. "It's a beautiful night but its awfully cold." Kenshin wrapped an arm around her, just to keep her warm, he assured himself.
"Perhaps you should go inside. Sessha wouldn't want you to catch a cold." Kaoru turned to look at him with a warm look in her eyes.
"You take such good care of me Kenshin."
"It’s the least I can do in return for everything you've done for me." The spark in Kaoru's eyes died and she pulled out of his embrace. Kenshin scrambled to follow her as she walked away, confused with her sudden mood shift.
"Is something wrong Kaoru-dono?"
"No, the fresh air made me tired. I'm going to bed." Kenshin stepped in front of her and looked her in the eyes.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked softly. Kaoru sighed.
"Yes Kenshin." As she turned to leave, something on the ground caught her eye. When she saw it was a ring, Kaoru looked at Kenshin with questioning eyes. Kenshin panicked. He hadn't meant for her to see it yet!
"Sessha . . . sessha can explain."
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This story starts between Jinchuu and Reflections (I can't spell the Japanese name. I'm sorry . ) It goes past Reflections. In fact it doesn't even really follow the path of Reflections. You'll see what I mean later.
Sooo...what did you think? I'll accept whatever bones you toss at me. Flames...rave reviews...constructive criticism...death threats. Anything to let me know you read my story.
Ja!