Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin

Rating: T

A Promise Broken

By Nymphe

Summary: A mistake can easily be made. The hard part is to take it back and to heal the wounds caused by it. KxK

Sadly I looked at the closed door. It seemed like seconds ago that everything changed. Yet I didn't know how long I have been waiting here… Looking at something that wasn't there anymore…

I saw the wooden door in front me. Sometimes the image was hazy, but I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I didn't know how we let it come this far, yet it happened and there is nothing I can do about it. I stroke my belly.

This was not supposed to happen… I planned everything and yet, it turned out differently.

I stood up and started to pick up the shattered pieces of the plates. His voice filled the silent room and echoed continuously through my mind while I cleaned up everything what was left of my life.

It is too late now, Kaoru… You cannot change anything…

Another wave of tears streamed down my face.

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What went before:

I hope he'll like it… Haven't you forgotten something? The napkins! How should I fold them? Like a fan? Everything should be perfect… What if he doesn't like the news I'm about to tell him…

Hearing his keys unlocking the door, brought a smile on my lips.

I just have to light the candles!

"Kaoru, I am home!"

"Hey, Kenshin."

I kissed his cheek.

"Love, you do not kiss me like that! I'm your fiancé, remember!"

He kissed me softly on my lips.

"Does this mean that you missed me?"

"I miss you every second when I'm without you."

"Suck-up!"

I showed him in and he looked at the table.

"What is that for?"

"I just wanted to do something special."

"Well, you couldn't have picked a better time. Kaoru, I have big news for us."

"Really? I too have…"

"Great! You can go first."

"No, you tell me what it is! You're making me curious."

He took my hand and smiled proudly at me.

"I have the job!"

"Job? What job?"

"The job of my dreams, silly. They asked for an architect in America."

"America?"

"It pays a lot more than I earn here. It will probably be for four years."

"Four years?"

"Can you believe it, Kaoru. My dream will come true. Everyone will know me by name by then. I can become a big shot and all I ever dreamed will come true! We longed for this so long, Kaoru. Remember?"

"Yes, I do. We dreamed about going to America."

"Yes, you can start teaching there. It will be no problem, but we should get married first."

"I can't go."

"What do you mean?"

"Kenshin, I do not want to move to America because I…"

"You promised! It's what you wanted. It's what we wanted."

"Kenshin, listen!"

"No, you listen! I have worked my entire life to get that job and I am not about to put it aside!"

"Damn it, listen to me! I am…"

"How could you do this to me!"

To emphasize his words, he shoved the plates of the table.

"Kenshin…"

"Don't! You told me you loved me and that you would follow me!"

"Kenshin, I know…"

"You would follow! You would come with me if I needed to go abroad."

"Only if I wasn't…"

"You promised, Kaoru! Was it a lie? Is your love for me a lie?"

"No, it isn't!"

"I can't stay here!"

I took his sleeve, wanting him to listen to me.

"Kaoru let go!"

"Don't go…"

He threw me of him and my back hit a sharp edge of a cupboard close by. The pain shot through my body. I heard the door being closed roughly, but all I could think of were the whispering words that came out of my mouth.

"I'm pregnant…"

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Four years after the heartache began.

I should have known, he would be in the country, but I didn't care. It was over between us. He made it clear to me on the day that I last saw him. It was the same day that I found out about our son. When he chose to disappear from my life, I wanted to have my son. I couldn't cut him out of me. It was proof that I loved him and at that time he loved me… Sometimes I think back about our memories together, but my son always got worried if I had a furlong look in my eyes. He looks a lot like his dad… It makes it harder for me to hate Kenshin. I can't hate him, even if he was too stubborn to listen to my explanation; he gave me something I always wanted…

My son turned three a couple of months ago. My friends surprised him with a huge party. There were balloons decorating the room. Misao even bought a piñata full of chocolate coins. I always told my son that he could eat chocolate when he turns three. Even though I suspected that Misao and Megumi gave him once in a while chocolate, he really looked forwarded to eating his chocolate birthday cake. I can still see how his eyes grew bigger when we showed him the cake with the three candles on top of it. With lungs full of air, he blew the candles out – with a little help from Misao and me. It was an unforgettable day. It was also the first day he asked me about his father.

"Mama, how come I haven't got a papa?"

He learned in kindergarten about mama and papa. They had an assignment to bring a photograph of their parents to school. I guess the question was a logical consequence.

"Because he didn't want to stay with me."

The day after, I received a photo album with the pictures of his birthday from my friends. I don't know what I should do if I didn't had their help. They stood by me and supported my decisions. They were friends with Kenshin and still had contact with him, – I would never let them choose between us – but they respected my reasoning. If he didn't even want to listen to my reason WHY I didn't want to go to America, then he never loved me. Only himself, for being so self-centered. Even though I promised him that I would accompany him to America, he promised me that we wouldn't raise children there. He told me he was ready to have children, so I stopped taking the birth-control-pills. Three weeks later I found out that I was pregnant; it was the same day he got a job offer to go abroad.

----------

The day I met him again was on Sano's birthday party and like always I was running late.

"Kenji! Are you coming? Do you have a toy with you?"

"Yes, mama."

I took him by the hand and walked to our front door. It's still the same door that he closed four years ago.

"But, mama,…"

"Not now, Kenji! We are already late. The party started ten minutes ago."

"Mama, you can't go in your bathrobe!"

Astonished I looked at my attire.

Oh my,… Because of the hurry, I forgot to dress me.

"Just give mama a minute, ok sweetie?"

"'Kay, mama."

After five minutes I found my son sleeping on the couch with Pluto, the dog he received from my friends for his third birthday, in his little arms. I picked him gently up and closed the infamous door behind me.

----------

I wasn't prepared… I could never be ready to face him again…

Yet there he stood and I was facing him.

"I have a son?"

"Eum, technically, you don't. I have a son."

"Kaoru! You can see he is my son!"

"Yet, he has no father!"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you want to listen when I wanted to tell you!"

"You never took an effort in telling me."

"I never had a chance! You just closed the door and left my life."

"You know perfectly well where I was!"

"Perhaps I don't want you in my life again…"

"He is still my son. You don't have the right to cut me out of your life!"

"Yes I have! You stepped out of my life four years ago!"

"Because you lied to me! You never wanted to go to America with me!"

"Yes, I did if we were alone. You know I don't want to raise any children in the States!"

"That's why you didn't want to go?"

"It doesn't matter any more, Kenshin. What's done is done."

I took my son out of Megumi's hands.

"I'm sorry for ruining your party, Sano."

I walked towards the door, never looking back to the man that once held my heart and broke it with all his power.

----------

One week later

Someone knocked on my door.

"Just a minute!"

"Is it the pizza already, mama?"

"We will see."

When I opened the door, it wasn't someone I expected.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just walked passed a flower store and these flowers reminded me of you. I want you to have them…"

"I told you to go."

"Kaoru, I can't…"

"Kenshin…"

"Kaoru, would you like to go out for coffee sometime?"

"What?"

"Just to see where life would take us… Perhaps we can become friends."

He handed me the flowers and I smiled at him.

"I would like that…"

What would you have done? He still holds my heart, even if it's broken in a thousand pieces.

I know he has the glue to mend it.