Fighting for Miss Kaoru

By: Spooukitty

Disclaimer: No matter what I try, I'll never be the one who created the red-headed samurai. Please don't sue!

A/N: This chapter is a little slow, you just meet most of the characters and a bit of the story. I promise the next chapter will have some of the fighting and violence you people love so much(thus rated PG to PG-13). All the characters are a bit OCC and have different backgrounds but are set in in the normal Rurouni Kenshin time frame. Please enjoy.

"I have to get out. I need to get away....." Kaoru slide slowly down the dark hallway. She held her hands over the fresh wound on her right hip. The warm blood ran down her baggy training uniform. As she reached the front door, she could hear the yells of men coming closer. "Sorry guys.....but I'm going to get away." She gathered up all her strength and ran as fast as she could to the gate outside the dark yard.

"Come back you damn woman!" yelled the soldiers, but she squeezed her way through the bars of the gate and fled into the woods. A few ran into the woods after her. "Great. Well, go tell Master Jin-e that she is in the woods." said a tired soldier.

Later in the mansion

"So, my little Kaoru has escaped." chuckled Jin-e casually. "We must get her back before we have a real mess."

Meanwhile in the woods

Kaoru had easily lost the soldiers that were chasing her and was washing her wound in a river. "Why...w-why does he do this to me! I don't obey him once and he...." she hears someone behind her and tries to run, but she is quickly weakening from her loss of blood.

"NO! No! St-stay..aw..ay.." She falls to her knees and slips into unconsciousness.

"Miss? Miss, you are going to be okay now." Kaoru was slowly coming to as the soft voice called her. It was now morning and she could see a light figure leaning over her face. She knew it wasn't Jin-e, she felt safe and warm, where ever she was. As her vision cleared, she saw a smiling man's face surrounded by loose red hair.

"Good morning, Miss. Would you care for some stew? It's nice and fresh." She slowly sat up in the futon and took the food the young man gave her. She slowly ate a spoonful of thick strew as she looked at her rescuer.

He looked like he was about 17, like she was (when he was actually about 25) , and was very skinny. He wore the prettiest magenta gi(shirt) she had ever seen with big white pants. He had beautiful amethyst eyes and was very handsome, even with his wild hair covering most of his face.

"Where am I? And who are you?"

"Young Miss is deep in the woods in my hut. I am Kenshin Himura. You looked like you needed help by the river, but when I went to ask if you were all right, you fainted. I brought you here to wrap up your wound. That was about four days ago."

"Kenshin? Your name sounds so familiar, but I don't why." She shrugged it off and continued to eat.

"So why was Young Miss in the woods?" asked Kenshin as he gave Kaoru some bread. Kaoru stopped eating and looked down at her lap as tears ran down her face. Kenshin quickly gave her a small towel. "I didn't mean to make you cry. You don't have to tell me if you wish not to. I'm sorry Miss...uh...Miss."

She looked up at his worried face. His eyes looked so warm, so trusting.

"My name is Kaoru Kamiya. I was running away."

"You where running away from home and you were injured?"

"Yes, i mean, no! I mean...yes I was injured when I tried to run, but that awful house of murderers was not my home!" She started to cried again. Kenshin felt awful and angry. Why would someone hurt such a sweet girl? Did she really live in such a horrible place were people murdered? Kenshin felt Kaoru needed someone she could trust, even if they barley knew each other, he wanted to keep her safe.

"I never want to see that place sniff or that man ever again! I'd rather die then be his puppet again. Not after the way he would treat me!"

"Don't cry, Kaoru. You're safe here. I'll hide you from whoever is after you, that I will." he smiled at her and tried his best to comfort her. He patted his hand lightly on her shoulder as she cried.

66

A week passed

Every night it seemed Kenshin and Kaoru took turns waking up in cold sweats. Kenshin sort of knew why Kaoru did, but Kenshin's nightmares were a mystery to her. He'd softly bang his head on the wall he sat against every time a nightmare woke him. He banged it harder when he scared himself awake and found Kaoru sitting in front of him.

"M-Miss Kaoru! What are you.....you should be in bed. You will strain your wound if you move around." His heart pounded wildly from being frightened twice within two seconds.

"I'm sorry, Kenshin. You looked so scared......I was just trying to wake you." She had tears in her eyes.

"You needn't worry about me, Kaoru. It is just an old memory that haunts me every once and a while."

"Old memories....it must still hurt like a new one though. You looked really upset." She tried to change to a happier voice. " Or your brain wasn't getting enough air through all the hair in your face. You should tie it back so people can see you better." She softly grabbed his hair to pull it back in a ribbon.

"No! Please don't do that Miss Kaoru!" Kaoru gasped at what he saw on his left cheek. A large cross-shaped scar covered most of his cheek. It was very dark in color compared to his light skin.

"Kenshin! What happened to your face?" Kaoru asked very concerned. He raised his head up.

"An old memory. A memory of when this hermit wanderer's life wasn't so great. Please don't look at it Miss Kaoru." He looked like he was being stabbed in the heart. Kaoru felt his pain too.

"I know it hurts, but you shouldn't worry about this mark." She gently rubbed his scar with her thumb. "A physical scar shouldn't be a mental scar too." She tried to sound more comforting, but she felt it wasn't working to much. Kenshin didn't want her to worry about it.

"Thank you, Kaoru. I am all right now, that I am." He took the blue ribbon from her and tied his red hair into a low ponytail. "I guess it is time that I got over my old wounds." He smiled at her and touched her cheek.

"I knew you were handsome." yawned Kaoru as she sat against the wall by Kenshin. She pulled a blanket over them and put her head on his shoulder. Kenshin blushed and rested his head on her.

Meanwhile

"Master Jin-e, we think we may know where the woman is." a soldier stood before a tall figure in front of a large window. She may be with.....him."

"So my little Kaoru has stumbled unknowingly into HIS hands. She must not know who he really is, or she just hasn't killed him yet." He smiled wickedly out the window. "My little puppet threw such a fuss, she might not kill him now even if she knew. "Men! I think it's time we paid them a little visit."

End of chapter one

A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUN!!! Ooh the suspense! This is the second story I've written and I'm really proud of it. If you read the next chapter, you'll learn more about Kaoru and Kenshin's pasts and the their connections with Jin-e. Please read and review my story! I'd like to know of any Questions, Comments, or Criticisms you may have. Thanx!