Title: Apologies

Author: Bradybunch4529

Summary: 10 years ago Kenshin and Kaoru were married. Kenshin betryed Kaoru and she left. Events have consipired to bring them back together again.

Rating: PG-13 to R ( depends on how it goes.)

Disclaimers: Not mine. Really wish they were though.

Chapter 1: Who they are

"Tell me Kaoru," Sara invited with a smile. Her green eyes sparkling with interest as they met Kaoru's sapphire eyes. "Is there any truth to the rumors about you and Enishi?"

"Really Sara," Kaoru teased back. A gentle smile gracing her features as her eyelids lowered to half mast. "You should know better than to listen to the rumor mill."

"You guys are all but living together," Sara replied carelessly. "All your fans would love to know if there is any truth to it. There have been hints of a wedding."

"Sara," Kaoru shook her head slightly. "Enishi is a great friend. We do each other a favor when we don't want to go to premiers or award shows by ourselves."

"Come now Kaoru," Sara winkled her nose at Kaoru. "You aren't going to actually try that old standby are you?"

"I am," Kaoru laughed at the disappointed tone. "But I swear it's the truth." She held up her hands, the sterling silver Celtic knot ring gleaming in the sun streaming through the open balcony doors. "I've done the marriage thing before. I don't plan on doing it again."

Kaoru shifted slightly on the couch, tucking a tanned leg under her. Her blue skirt shifted around her, flashing a length of tanned thigh before settling again. One elbow propped up on the back of the couch as she leaned her head against it, hand tangling into her black locks and the other rested casually across her waist. Her white silk overshirt was gapping open over the pale blue tank top underneath. Around her neck, resting easily between her breasts was a pale silver cross.

"Speaking of previous marriages," Sara drawled. "What about the rumor that your ex is getting married again?"

"I wouldn't know," Kaoru told her simply.

"Don't know or won't tell?"

"I don't know anything about him," Kaoru told her truthfully.

"Come now," Sara drawled lazily. "You don't actually expect us to believe that do you?"

"I'll tell you what," Kaoru started. A thoughtful expression on her face, "I'll tell you the truth about my divorce."

"Really?" Sara leaned forward intently.

"I was very young and very stupid. And Kenshin Himura was everything that I had ever dreamed of," Kaoru stopped for a moment. A small smile touched her lips. "I fell head over heels in an instant." Her eyes took on a far away look. "I had never been so happy. I loved him more than anything. Gave myself totally to him. And then it went to hell in a hand basket. Kenshin accused me of things that are best forgotten. Things that I could never do, would never do. By the time he was done there was nothing left to say. I was so shattered that he would even accuse me of the things that he had, I couldn't even think straight. So I left." She took a deep breath, refocusing on Sara. "Didn't take anything but my purse and the clothes on my back. Didn't even take my car, walked down to the bus station, took the bus to the airport and bought a plane ticket with my own money. And I never looked back. It was the last time that I ever saw or spoke to Kenshin."

"But what about the divorce?"

"Lawyers," Kaoru told her simply. "Everything was handled through the lawyers. I saw no reason to actually speak to him again. I guess he felt the same way." Kaoru shrugged slightly, smiling ruefully at Sara.

"And the woman living with him now?" Sara asked carefully, her voice hesitant.

"Don't know anything about her," Kaoru shrugged her shoulders, her blue eyes calm. "If he wants to get married again, more power to him. Hopefully he'll find what he wants this time."

"Thank you for sharing that with us," Sara told Kaoru with a smile. She pressed a hand to Kaoru's arm and received a smile in return. "And thank you for opening your home to us. I know that you like your privacy."

"I was happy to do it," Kaoru assured her. Her smile lighting up the room, "and it didn't even hurt that much."

Sara laughed with her and turned towards the camera, performing her closing to the interview. Sara and Kaoru waited until the videographer told them they were clear. Sara turned again to Kaoru, shaking her hand warmly. "I really do want to thank you for letting us into your home Miss Kamiya."

"It's Kaoru," Kaoru corrected her. She returned the handshake firmly, "it was my pleasure. Some of the rumors about my home are kinda out there. Much better to open it up and let everyone see it."

"True," Sara grinned back.

"Ru!"

Sara and Kaoru both turned towards the voice. Sara's eyes tracking the handsome young man making his way towards her and Kaoru. She knew who he was of course, the gleaming smile, the white hair and the gleaming gold eyes a dead give away. Enishi was a very hot actor right now. And said to be Kaoru's current love interest. Sara frowned slightly as she realized that Enishi was the only man that Kaoru's name had ever been linked to.

"Enishi," Kaoru greeted softly. She held out her hand, smiling at the young man. Her blue eyes were soft and warm as they stared up at him. His hand closed over hers, pressing warmly, as he bent to place a kiss on her cheek. "I wasn't expecting you today. Aren't you supposed to be filming?" A frown crossed her face as she racked her mind for his schedule.

"Cancelled," Enishi told her cheerfully. One hand wrapping around her waist to bring her closer. He flashed a smile at Sara, recognizing her as one of the up and coming reporters for 'Entertainment Tonight'. "Ron didn't like the way the scene was going."

"Uh-oh," Kaoru chuckled and shook her head. "That doesn't sound good."

"It wasn't," Enishi assured her. "How'd the interview go?"

"Oh!" Kaoru exclaimed, a slight blush staining her features. "Sorry. Sara this is Enishi. Enishi this is Sara."

Enishi and Sara shook hands. Sara did her best not to stare and sigh like a school girl. Enishi radiated pure sex appeal, his gleaming eyes promising naughty delights and all of it was directed towards Kaoru. Sara bit back a sigh and smiled at Enishi, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh no," Enishi protested. "The pleasure is all mine. If Kaoru is still speaking to you then you have earned my respect."

"Enishi!" Kaoru protested, her elbow digging into his ribs. "Shut up!"

"Watch the elbow," Enishi demanded as he twisted out of the way without releasing her. "It's the truth." He looked at Sara, his eyes bright with mischief. "She hates reporters. Especially those who use the interview to shade the truth." He shrugged lightly, ignoring the sounds of Kaoru's protest. "If she's still willing to talk to you and smiling, it must mean that you did good."

"Well thank you," Sara blushed slightly. Her green eyes curious as she watched the two of them interact. "But Kaoru is a very good interviewee. Very open and very calm."

"Calm? Kaoru?" Enishi laughed.

"What do you know?" Kaoru demanded as she glared up at him. She finally managed to get free of him and turned her attention to Sara. "It was lovely spending time with you this afternoon. We'll have to do it again. In fact," a smile suddenly crossed her face. "Tell your editor that I'd like to be interviewed only by you."

"Really?" Sara breathed. Excitement over that honor wiping out any lingering questions about Enishi and Kaoru. "Are you serious?"

"You bet," Kaoru told her. "Just have your editor call my manager. I'll make sure that she knows."

"Thank you so much," Sara gushed warmly. Her hand reaching for Kaoru's again and shaking it fiercely. "I can't wait!" She hurried away, mind spinning with all the possibilities.

Kaoru shook her head slightly. To be that young again. She sighed and closed her eyes. While she had enjoyed the interview she would be glad when everyone was gone. It was so hard to pretend in her home. But Kaoru was convinced that she had not given away her secret.

She listened to the sounds of the crew packing up. The murmured sounds of conversations, equipment begin stowed away and boxes being stacked. The amount of equipment that they had brought had astounded Kaoru at the time. It had taken them over and hour to set up. Hopefully it wouldn't take that long to pack up.

A warm arm wrapped around her waist and Kaoru allowed herself to lean into its strength. Her head landed on Enishi's shoulder and the familiar sound of his heart beat filled her ears. He pressed a kiss to her hair, rocking her for a moment before guiding her away. Kaoru's blue eyes blinked open as he maneuvered them around the people in her living room.

A cool breeze fluttered around the room and Kaoru instinctively tilted her head to it. Enishi drew her out of the room and down the hall. Kaoru followed unconsciously, mind already busy with her schedule. As he guided her into the kitchen a familiar voice called a greeting.

"Hi Kaoru. Hi Enishi. Interview done?" Misao called from her position by the sink. The knife in her hand gleaming in the sun as she continued with peeling the apple in her hand.

"Hello Misao," Enishi replied as he settled Kaoru into a chair. "Just came to get a snack. Kaoru's got a bit of a headache."

"I'm not surprised!" Misao exclaimed angrily. Her long black braid twitching across her back, "she hardly ate anything at breakfast."

"I ate!" Kaoru protested. Her blue eyes shooting flames at Misao. "I just didn't eat everything in front of me."

"Exactly!" Misao told her triumphantly. "If you had then you wouldn't be hungry now!"

"Who can eat pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, grits and fruit salad?" Kaoru demanded.

"It's a well rounded breakfast," Misao tossed back.

"To whom? The jolly green giant?" Kaoru asked. She rolled her eyes when Misao made a sound of disagreement. "Besides who is in charge here?"

"I am," another female voice sang out. Nobody in the kitchen blinked as Megumi sailed into the room. Too used to her little idiosyncrasies.

"Hello Megumi," they chorused together.

"Hello everyone," Megumi sang out as she crossed to the kitchen table. Her high heels sounded against the tile floor. "I see that the interview is over."

"Thank god," Kaoru and Misao muttered together.

"Come now," Megumi chided as she slid a chair back and slid into it. "You know that we had to stop the rumors. And what easier way than inviting them into our home?"

"As long as we don't have to do it again," Misao told her. She waved a kitchen knife at Megumi. "They traipsed all over my clean house."

"Relax," Megumi waved a hand unconcernedly. Her blue eyes calm as she ignored the knife in Misao's hand. "The mutters I heard were how impressed they were and how sweet Kaoru Kamiya is." Megumi snorted slightly and looked over at Kaoru. Her eyes automatically noting the lines of tension in the pale face as she continued, "so the mission was accomplished."

"Good," Kaoru told her. Her head tilting back to rest against the chair, slumping as her eyes closed. "I told the young reporter that I wanted her to be my main reporter."

"Hmm," Megumi considered that for a moment. "Might be a good idea. She's young and has stars in her eyes already. Won't be hard to keep the secret around her."

"That's what I was thinking," Kaoru agreed. "Besides she was nice and didn't make outrageous accusations."

"With the exception of you and me," Enishi reminded Kaoru from his position at the table.

"Everyone does that," Megumi told him. "It's what we want. Keeps people from asking too many questions about why Kaoru doesn't date."

"She asked about Kenshin," Kaoru spoke suddenly.

Megumi stopped and stared at Kaoru. While Kaoru's voice was calm and matter of fact there had been something in her tone that warned Megumi. Her pale hands clenched together and she exchanged glances with the others in the room. "And what did she say?"

"That Kenshin is getting married again," Kaoru told them easily. "I guess he's going to marry that woman he's been living with since I left."

"Kaoru…" Enishi started only to stop when Kaoru suddenly stood up.

"I'm going for a run," Kaoru told them and left the kitchen.

Kaoru moved quickly and easily through her house. Her footstep ringing dully on the wooden floor as she made her way to the staircase and began to climb. Her hand grasped the railing, idly caressing the smooth wood. Her mind in a jumble as she tried to process the thought of Kenshin getting married again. While it didn't hurt exactly, there was a vague sense unease. Was it because he had replaced her so easily? Or was it the hope finally dying.

Three days later:

Across the ocean a man sat silently watching the television. His eyes fixed on the woman on the screen, his hand clenching around the glass he held. His burning amber eyes traced the woman's features, following each movement hungrily. Her laughter rang through the room and the man's eyes closed as it washed over him.

He had missed that sound, missed the way that it could make his problems just disappear. His eyes opened as she began to speak, sidestepping the question about her current relationship easily. His hands fisted as jealously ripped through him. It was totally irrational. He was the one that had destroyed the relationship all those years ago.

But it didn't stop it. He had never stopped loving her, never stopped craving her touch, never stopped seeing that shattered look in her eye. Suddenly he focused on the television again, her words finally penetrating.

"I fell head over heels in an instant." Her eyes took on a far away look. "I had never been so happy. I loved him more than anything. Gave myself totally to him. And then it went to hell in a hand basket. Kenshin accused me of things that are best forgotten. Things that I could never do, would never do. By the time he was done there was nothing left to say. I was shattered that he would even accuse me of the things that he had, I couldn't even think straight. So I left." She took a deep breath, refocusing on Sara. "Didn't take anything but my purse and the clothes on my back. Didn't even take my car, walked down to the bus station, took the bus to the airport and bought a plane ticket with my own money. And I never looked back. It was the last time that I ever saw or spoke to Kenshin."

The glass in Kenshin's hand shattered, slicing deeply into the skin but Kenshin ignored it. To wrapped up in dealing with the emotions that words brought up. "Kaoru I am so sorry. So so sorry." His head dropped down, lashes lowering to shield his burning amber eyes.

"Kenshin," a soft feminine voice whispered in his ear, hand grasping his shoulder. He didn't bother to attempt to shrug it off, letting it urge him up and he stumbled away from the television. "You need to sleep. And in the morning you will call her," the voice told him, breath warm against his cheek. Other hands reached out to support him, guiding his steps.

"You'll call Jou-chan in the morning and apologize," a man's voice told him. It took a minute for Kenshin to realize it was Sano's.

"Can't call her," Kenshin told them wearily. "I promised." He shook his head roughly as the hands eased him back into his bed.

"Promised what?"

"I promised that I would never contact her," Kenshin mumbled. "It was the only thing she ever asked for." His eyes opened blearily and looked around. Here and there were reminders of Kaoru. Their wedding picture still sat on their bedside, her clothes still hung in the closet, her perfume on her vanity. "I broke my marriage vows but I will not break my word this time."

A/N: Okay you can shoot me now. I'm starting a new story and I haven't finished the other ones yet. But this one just wouldn't go away. Every time I started to write my other stories this one pushed to the front. I really hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. And my updates are coming I promise.