Disclaimer: I own nothing except the ideas!

"You are hurt." Kagome reached out to touch the bloody cross mark on his cheek. It seemed to have been there for several days but the wound still hadn't closed. She flinched when her eyes met his lifeless ones.

Wanting to help, she planned on offering him a place to stay. After all, it was midwinter and times were hard. She wasn't about to let him wander in the cold.

It was probably the stupidest idea she ever had. They were in the middle of a major dispute and this wasn't the time to play house with strangers—armed ones, at that. Inviting strangers into your home was unthinkable. Not to mention she was only fifteen. It was like she was asking to be killed, robbed, and raped all in one go.

Kagome reluctantly looked back at the samurai. He was dirty and bloody—not the most trustworthy combination—but, he was also very young…and lonely. Her blue eyes softened. She knew that haunted look.

Danger, be damned! She was not going to let this poor boy wander in this weather, even if it killed her. Nodding to herself, Kagome smiled at him, "Well, samurai-san, you can stay here as long as you like," she gestured to her home, "Don't worry about paying me or anything, too. I live on my own so adding extra supplies won't be too much trouble. You can use the room in—"

"That won't be necessary." He said, speaking for the first time. She noted how distant his voice was and how it was hoarse from lack of use.

Turning to him, Kagome stepped down from her porch. Her sock-covered feet were instantly cold as they sunk slightly into the snow. Kagome breathed heavily before looking up at him, it wasn't that hard since he was only about two inches taller than her.

His dead eyes drifted to her determined ones, not saying anything and only mildly wondering what she was doing.

Kagome bit back a shiver when the chilly air swept past them, "Unless you have a different place to spend the night, you're stuck with me. And if you do, then I'll go with you just to make sure you aren't lying." The priestess' head swirled. This was beyond stupidity, this was madness! What on earth is she doing offering something like that? Kagome bit her lip. No! She wasn't going to take it back. Not in a million years!

"…"

Cheeks already flushed because of the cold and her irrational decision combined, Kagome kept her eyes on his. She quietly hoped that he would make a decision soon, she was freezing! If anything, she might just die in front of her own house! 'Oh, wow, what would Inuyasha and the others think!? Knowing him, he'd probably just laugh at me!'

While she was busy contemplating on the absurdity of her situation, she almost didn't notice the young man step on her porch. Doing a mental happy dance, she scrambled into her home and showed him everything he needed to feel at home. After her little tour, Kagome made them dinner.

The stranger kept quiet, not saying or doing anything except follow her around the house. Kagome wondered if he was even listening to her.

"So…" she started, hoping to spark a conversation. She wanted to ask for his name, but maybe that would be pushing it. She all but forced him into staying here, after all. Realizing it made Kagome feel sheepish. 'Oh man, I sounded like a hooker or something! Forcing him to spend the night here and all… I wonder what he must think of me, now…' Sneaking a peek at her silent companion, she noticed that he didn't touch his food in the slightest.

"I'm sorry, didn't you like the food? I could make something else if you want. I'm sorry, I didn't even ask what you would've preferred. Uhm, let's see, we could—"

"Why are you doing this?"

Kagome snapped out of her ramblings and found him staring at her. She caught a hint of emotion in his violet eyes and that alone gave her hope, even if it did look like irritation. She smiled, "Well, you were lonely. And I couldn't just leave you out there to freeze to death. It's not like there are any villages nearby either."

Kagome's smile became a tad bit wider when he narrowed his eyes threateningly. Anything was better than being emotionless. Even Sesshomaru wasn't like that.

"What would you have done if I attacked you at this very moment? No one would hear your screams and no one would come looking for you." His tone was quiet yet it was very serious. Kagome calmly maintained her smile, "If I were to be honest, I'd smack you with the nearest object before running like mad into the woods. Although, smacking you with something is probably too much credit."

"You speak as if it is a laughing matter."

Kagome leaned over her table so that she could place her elbows on the table before she settled her chin on her palms, "It's not but, it is the truth. Besides, if you were really that type of person, you would've done so already. Not many people in this ti…er…area, bother beating around the bush. It's either kill, or be killed. Especially during these times."

The stranger raised an eyebrow, "You speak in an odd manner."

Kagome grinned, "True. Not much I can do about it though."

Before anything else was said, there a rather loud grumbling noise. Kagome blinked a few times, seeing her companion look away. If she looked closer, she could see a faint tint of pink on his cheeks. Chuckling, Kagome gave him a hot, fresh serving of her dish. She giggled to herself when he muttered a small 'thank you'.

Her blue eyes brightened as she watched him eat. It was a refreshing sight compared to Inuyasha's boorish manners.

After they had eaten, Kagome put the dishes away and led him to his room. It was big and warm despite the fact that it has never been used.

"I bring the beddings in a bit and a sleeping yukata. I hope it's all right if you use one of mine since I'm not used to visitors."

Kagome giggled when she caught him blushing again.

"There is no need. My clothes are fine."

The priestess scowled at him, "'Fine'? They're a mess! I don't even know if you can wear them anymore! All right, that's it, tomorrow we'll go shopping!"

The boy's eyes widened, "What? That's not necessary. I'm trouble enough already."

Kagome waved his comment aside, "Nonsense! We're going shopping and that is final!" With that said, she had left the room to fetch the clothes and beddings.

The stranger blinked in shock. Apparently, he had never met a female quite as headstrong as this one. Wasn't it common for women to be submissive around men? Or was that just him?

When she came back, she surprised him further when she nearly tackled him to the ground in hopes of removing his tattered clothing and bandaging his wounds.

"That is really not necessary, miss!"

Kagome pouted and crossed her arms, "Take off your clothes. Now."

It was probably just his imagination but, he felt as if she was flaring. Perhaps, he was just overwhelmed by her. Reluctantly, he shed his garments and waited with a baited breath. He hadn't wanted to show her his body—not with all the scars and imperfections. She had been very kind to him, and he did not want to scare her. She probably hadn't seen anything like this in her life.

"You endured quite a lot haven't you? Sit down."

"You're not afraid?" he asked tentatively. She looked up at him from the herbs she was mixing, "Afraid of what?"

"Of these scars."

Kagome gave him a kind smile, "I've seen worse. Besides, it only shows that you're strong. You should be, to survive all that. Now, sit down. I can't clean your wounds if you just stand there."

Not finding anything else to say, he obeyed her.

The stranger didn't so much as flinch when she wiped his injuries and lather them up with a disinfectant. Kagome expertly cleaned and bandaged him. If she could do anything right, it would be treating wounds like these. She almost giggled out loud at the thought of Inuyasha being her practice dummy all those months ago.

While the peculiar girl worked on patching him up, the samurai took the time to completely study her. Her hair was jet black and her eyes were azure—an unnatural combination. Other than her eyes, she looked just like any other village girl. And she was young, too young to be an expert on healing.

"How old are you?"

Kagome looked up from washing her hands, "Eh?"

She watched as he shook his head and looked away, "I apologize, that was very rude of me."

"No, no, no, no, no! It's okay! It was just out of the blue, is all. Uh, I'm fifteen. Or sixteen? Hm, now that I think about it, I don't really know. I've stopped counting the days a while back."

The boy watched her intently as if waiting for something. When she said nothing more, he asked quietly, "Are you not going to ask me my age?"

She blinked at him, "Well, I'd like to. But I figured it's something you want to say when you feel like it. By the way, I don't mind if you don't give me your name but, I would be a pretty horrible hostess if I didn't give you mine. I'm Kagome. Higurashi Kagome."

"You are a strange woman."

Kagome laughed out right, "So I've heard!"

The priestess proceeded to gather her things and made a move to leave. She stopped when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

"Sixteen… I think."

Kagome looked over her shoulder to find his head turned such that his fiery hair framed his face, a poor attempt at hiding another faint blush. Beaming at him, she said, "Thank you, samurai-san, and good night." With that she stepped out of his room and gently slid the shoji door shut.

The next day, they had gone shopping as planned. In truth, he had actually tried to sneak out of the house but, Kagome had caught him red-handed. After scolding him like a child, Kagome dragged him with her to town. The weather wasn't as bad as last night and everything seemed so bright. The walk to town was peaceful and, to his surprise, he didn't feel awkward, at all. She never questioned his need to bring his katana. If anything, she acted like it was natural to have a weapon. Kagome was happily chattering away about anything and everything. And of course, she would ask the occasional questions when she deemed necessary, "You know, the clothes there are quite nice, and for a fair price! I'm sure we'll get you some good clothes in no time. Do you prefer a color?"

"Not really."

"Are you serious? Have you never gone shopping before?"

At the shake of his head, Kagome's eye sparked with renewed vigor, "All right, this calls for some drastic measures! You sir, need to be educated in terms of fashion!"

The young boy raised an eyebrow, "Is clothing really that important?"

"Well, maybe I am over exaggerating things. Hm, I think purple or violet suits you."

He grimaced slightly, "I do not think so. Wouldn't darker shades be more appropriate?"'

Kagome sighed, "All right, sunshine. Whatever you want."

"You use odd combinations of words."

"Well, that's me for you! Ah! Here we are!" she exclaimed, tugging his sleeve in the direction of a stall.

They had spent the next few hours debating on his clothes. Kagome wanted something brighter, but the samurai wanted mellow tones. They went from shop to shop, asking, measuring, criticizing, and bargaining. The boy was amazed at how careful Kagome was about her choices. He never expected her to be so meticulous given her perky attitude.

At first, he couldn't help but notice the whispering of the villagers. They gave him suspicious looks and some looked like they were plotting something. When Kagome caught him being distracted, she sent an annoyed glare at the townspeople. Nothing too serious, but it was enough to shut them up.

"Don't mind them and their useless prattling. They're just jealous that I have a wonderful gentleman to accompany me to town!" she said merrily. Try as he might, he couldn't control the blush that spread over his face. Soon, his attention was focused solely on the merchandise seeing as Kagome would deliberately pick the most ridiculous-looking one to make him focus.

They were having lunch at a modest stall when the trouble began.

"So! That little lady in the forest finally came out to play, huh?" said a man as he and his posse started to gang up on Kagome and her companion. Kagome acted as if she didn't hear them and continued talking to her friend. The red-haired samurai, on the other hand, already had his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"And look! She brought herself a little friend!" said another.

The group of five men surrounded their table, scaring all the other guests away, even the owners.

The samurai shot her a look, telling her that she was in danger. He was surprised when she just sighed and stood up, "Good day, gentlemen. What do I owe the pleasure?"

One of them licked his lips, eying her lithe form, "You owe some pleasure, all right. And we'll make sure you won't get away this time."

Kagome rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips, "Do you not have a smart bone in your body? When I say 'no', I mean 'no'. And I would appreciate it if you do not cause any trouble in front of my tenant."

The samurai was torn between stepping in and simply watching things unfold. It would appear that this sort of thing happened before. Not that it made him any less livid.

"Why you, little wench! C'mere!" All at once, they lunged at her.

The samurai jumped to his feet and drew his sword when Kagome had simply side-stepped, avoiding the attack. He was even more surprised when she suddenly took his wrist and ran. Her grip was strong for a woman her age, and her steps were quick if a little clumsy. He raised an eyebrow when she started laughing as they made their escape. Soon, he found himself chuckling at their situation, too. They leapt over wooden crates and some cats. He admired how skilled she was at squeezing herself through the crowd. She was shockingly agile.

When they stopped, he noticed that they were in some sort of alleyway. Catching their breaths, Kagome was still somewhat giddy, "I'm sorry, it's just that it feels nice to run around sometimes. I may not be good at fighting, but there are still some things I specialize in. Running is one of them."

He nodded, a small smile on his face. Kagome caught it and gasped, "So you can smile! That's amazing! Haha!"

When they both sobered up, he asked, "Why were they after you?" Kagome hummed in thought, "You know I live in the forest, right? Well, people tend to make absurd rumors every now and then. So every time I come into town, something like this happens."

"What kind of rumors?"

"Hm, let's see. I've been called a witch, a spy, an assassin, and sometimes even a ghost!" She said it as if it wasn't a big deal, making him uneasy. Then she spoke again, snapping him out of his musings, "Personally, I don't see why people have to make things up about others. We all have our own monsters anyway."

Violet eyes softened at her statement, "You do not care about other people's pasts?"

He watched as she smiled sadly at him, "On the contrary, I care about people's pasts very much. I am a very meddlesome girl. I like knowing a person's backstory. It is part of who they are, after all. I think it best if people could learn to accept others, including their past, present, and future."

"Do you consider yourself to do just that?"

Kagome chuckled softly. He noticed the peculiar look in her eyes when she spoke again, "Heavens, no! But, it would be nice if I could try to be that sort of person."

"…"

The walk back was spent in companionable silence. Each lost in their own thoughts. That is, until she broke the silence, "You never did ask me why I was living in a shrine or why I have this strange Jewel with me all the time." He looked at her from the corner of his eye, "And you never did ask me why I openly carry a sword or why I have this scar on my face."

She chuckled, "Touché!"

"'Tu-shei'?" he said awkwardly. Kagome laughed louder making him sheepish again.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to be busy running errands for the shrine. Want to do anything while I'm busy?"

The samurai cocked his head to the side, "You are not asking for my help?"

"Hm? Should I?"

"I have to earn my stay somehow."

Kagome scowled, "I told you! You don't have to pay me or anything."

"Very well, since you insist—"

"I do!"

"—then I shall merely help you in your chores tomorrow to escape boredom."

Kagome's face turned from angry, to shock, to defeat, "That's new. No one's ever pulled that kind of trick on me in ages." Sighing she consented. Somehow she still felt satisfied when she him sport a small grin.

They had lived like that for a good two months. It was refreshing for the both of them. Kagome who had been living alone for some time finally had someone to spend time with. One of the memorable days was when he finally told her his name.

Kagome woke up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare. She had screamed in her sleep and when she woke up, he had just opened her shoji door, his katana in hand. She had apologized for disturbing his sleep when he sat down by her doorway. Kagome remembered the look on his face. It looked like he was having trouble sleeping, too. She wanted to say something but, she couldn't find the right kind of words for these situations. She sighed and buried her face in her shaking hands, trying to calm down first when she heard it.

"Kenshin."

Kagome slowly raised her head, brows furrowed in confusion, "What?"

The samurai let out a calming breath before turning his head to look at her, a small smile on his lips, "My name is Kenshin."

Kagome's eyes widened in realization. She stared at him for a moment, still trying to grasp this latest development, before she gave him a teary smile, "It's nice to meet you, Kenshin."

From then on, Kagome and Kenshin's talks became a bit more personal, though nothing too serious yet.

Kenshin relished his time with Kagome. It was like he was a child again. He felt like he was free. She made him feel like a normal man. He felt like all his fears could not reach him as long as he was with her. But that was where he ended it. He couldn't bare it if he got close to anyone again. Not after Tomoe. And he wasn't the only one. He noticed that Kagome had scars of her own. She would still have nightmares and would always wake up screaming. Sometimes she couldn't even sleep. She played it off as having too much sugar. He learned that she had a fondness for that huge tree in the middle of the shrine grounds. She would care for it, even talk to it when she had time. She called it 'Goshinboku', a Tree of Ages.

He also learned that she was afraid of the dark. And it was not the usual fear, it was worse. He found out one night when he heard her scream again and something crashed.

He had rushed to her room and found her curled in a ball, covering her ears, sobbing, and shaking uncontrollably. Next to her was her broken lamp, the one that was always left on after dark. He had reached out to her, calling her name. She didn't hear him at first but, when his hand touched her shoulder, she lunged at his chest. Kenshin felt her fear roll off of her in waves. She cried herself to sleep in his arms only to awaken the next day apologizing non-stop.

They went to town on rare occasions to resupply, expertly ignoring the stares and the whispering of the villagers. He had asked her where she got the money from. She grinned and said, "Some of it I earned from freelancing before winter struck. Others are from the occasional shrine offerings."

In return, she had learned that he, despite his stoic impression, valued life more than anyone. He had given her clues as to what kind of life he led prior to their meeting. Kagome understood and did not ask any more than what was given. She knew that, in his line of work, he did a lot of unsavoury things that warrant a severe punishment. She had told him that his value for human life, while it may not justify his deeds, can help him find happiness in the future.

"I'm not an expert but, as long as you treasure the lives around you, the more you have the chance of being saved."

He had looked at her funny, not really understanding her words. Kagome smiled and looked at the snow-covered trees, "It just means that you are still a kind person at heart. That you would never kill someone unless you had to. Sure, it might not mean that what you're doing is right, but someday, it will be easier for you to forgive yourself. You need no other type of forgiveness, after all. Knowing you," she said looking into his eyes, "you would hate yourself more than anyone can imagine. I just hope that you won't go wasting your own life, Kenshin."

Mulling over her words, Kenshin promised her that he would follow her advice.

All in all, they were happy.

However, that happiness was short-lived when Kenshin's past had found him.

He knew they would find him, he just didn't expect it to be so soon.

Three seemingly ordinary men had walked up to the shrine and found him sweeping the grounds. Kagome had been inside preparing lunch.

One of them said, "Himura-san, we have finally found you. You need to come with us."

Kenshin had dropped the broom and let his hand reach for his katana.

"We did not come here to fight. We only came to take you back. The Revolution needs you, Battosai."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed at the name. Memories of blood and swords flashed in his mind, memories that had been buried under his time with Kagome. Clenching his fists, he knew he needed to go.

"Wait just a darn minute!" came an angry voice. All eyes turned to Kagome as she stomped over to him. Kenshin inwardly panicked. 'Had she heard our conversation?'

"Kenshin! You mean to tell me, you were going to leave just like that?" Her blue eyes filled with anger and hurt.

"I have to go, Kagome." Kagome gritted her teeth, "Why? 'Cause you're the Battosai?"

Kenshin resisted flinching at her words. Instead, he hardened his eyes, reverting back to the man he was when she first met him, "I have a job to do."

"That is no excuse for you to just leave without telling me!"

"Young lady, I do not believe you understand the gravity of the situation." Said one of the three men.

Kagome surprised everyone when she shot him a death glare, one that even Kenshin hadn't seen, "Can it, old man. I'm not in a mood to play innocent today. And for the record, I think it's you who does not understand the situation. So I suggest you back off."

Not used to this behaviour from a woman, they could do nothing but obey.

"Kagome," The priestess' head snapped to Kenshin, "you said before that you wanted to be the person who can accept a person's past, present, and future, did you not?"

Kagome's angered expression wavered and she lowered her head, "I did. But not like this…Not when you finally smiled…"

It took everything he had to resist hugging her and admitting that he wanted to stay with her. He wanted to live normally, out of the shadows and free of death. Kenshin gripped the hilt of his sword, reminding himself that this was for the greater good.

"I am sorry, Kagome." His words were barely above a whisper.

"I guess, I'll only ever hear those words…" Kenshin felt a sharp pang in his chest at her words.

Kagome lifted her head, and offered him a teary smile, "Have a safe trip."

"Hitokiri, it's time." Reminded one of the men, who were still waiting for him by the steps of the shrine.

Kenshin clenched his jaw and allowed his bangs to cover his eyes before walking past her, letting his shoulders brush hers for a brief moment.

Years passed and the Revolution finally came to an end. Kenshin had laid down his sword of killing—a clear sign to all that he will never take human life again. He had gone back to the shrine, only to find it run by a family he had never met before. When he asked them about Kagome, they said that the name wasn't familiar but, the previous caretaker of the shrine had died only a few weeks ago due to an illness.

Grief-stricken, Kenshin wandered the lands like a zombie, unfeeling and uncaring. He welcomed death but it never found him. After a few months of grieving, Kenshin decided to make good on his word to Kagome. He would do something with his life. And for the first time in months, Kenshin picked up another sword, the sakabato, the sword of saving.

After a decade, Kenshin found himself in the Kamiya Dojo, surrounded by a whole bunch of peculiar people he called his family.

"Yahiko! Come back here this instant!" yelled Kaoru as she chased her apprentice around the dojo.

"Na, na, na, na, na! Try and catch me, you ugly girl!" taunted the young samurai.

Kenshin sweat-dropped as he watched them. It amazed him how they never got tired of chasing each other. Sanosuke was out helping Megumi at Dr. Gensai's clinic, so he was currently baby-sitting Ayame and Suzume.

He laughed as the two little girls started chasing him, too.

"Excuse me!"

Everyone paused in mid-chase. It was still rare for them to have visitors. The first one to snap out of it was Kaoru as she dashed toward the gates, intent on entertaining their guest.

"Hello, there! Welcome to the Kamiya-kasshin Dojo. I'm the assistant master, Kamiya Kaoru! How may I be of service today?"

Yahiko and peeked from behind the shoji door and grimaced, "She sounds more like one of those advertising guys in the markets." Kenshin laughed from behind him, "Well, now, it would be best if we helped her out, that it is. Kaoru-dono is not used to visitors, after all. She gets too excited, that she does."

Yahiko sighed, "You're right. Come on…"

When Yahiko opened the shoji door properly, Kenshin's ears picked up an achingly familiar voice.

"Hello, I'm looking for a red-haired man. Not very tall, but has stunning violet eyes? And a scar on his left cheek."

His eyes widened. 'It couldn't be…'

"Hey, Kenshin, I think she's talking about you."

Yahiko's comment went unheard as Kenshin walked forward as if in a trance.

Kaoru's shocked voice was muffled, not that it mattered at the moment seeing as his whole being was solely focused on the figure next to the assistant master. He couldn't see if it was really her or not. Her face was shadowed by the trees, making all the more desperate to know the identity of this woman. She was, however, now looking directly at him.

"Kenshin, do you know this woman?" asked a bewildered Kaoru, looking back and forth between the two.

"Kagome…?"

The mysterious woman walked calmly towards him, the light revealing her identity. Familiar blue eyes, and raven-colored hair. Kagome was standing before him, alive and breathing. She was just as she was all those years ago. The only thing that hinted she aged were her eyes. They were still bright, but not as bright as before. But that did not matter… What mattered was the fact that she was here, before him.

She stopped an arm's length away from him and smiled, "Hello Kenshin. Is it just me or do you look younger?" Her voice was as light as ever.

Kenshin's brows furrowed in confusion, "How is this possible? They said you died."

In the background, Kaoru and Yahiko gasped at the sudden change in Kenshin's manner of speaking. Something that only happens when he turns into Battosai. They were even more stunned when it stopped there. There was no narrowing of eyes, no impending death, and no change in attitude.

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "I died?" she chuckled, "If I died, don't you think I should know that I did? Whoever told you that?"

Kenshin took small steps towards, as if she might run away or disappear, "I went back to the shrine. They told me that the previous caretaker had died of an illness."

The priestess' eyes softened, "Oh Kenshin, they meant Aiko-san. I had asked her to take care of the shrine for me. When I got back, she was already gone. When the family that lived there found out my name, they said that a man had been looking for me. It was you, wasn't it, Kenshin?"

Kagome closed her eyes, "When they told me, I went looking for you but, I was always a town behind. Now, I've finally caught up to you… I'm sorry I wasn't there when you came back. Will you let me say the words I should've said all those years ago?"

"Of course…"

When she opened them, they were filled with love and tears. She smiled lovingly as she opened her arms to him, "Welcome home."

Not needing any further encouragement, Kenshin drowned her in a tight hug of his own, the one that he was too afraid to give all those years ago. He poured everything he could into it, letting her know just how much he missed her.

"I'm home."

Kaoru wiped her eyes with her sleeve while Yahiko sniffed, trying to look unaffected.

At the end of the day, Kagome had been officially introduced and accepted into the gang and was forced to stay at the Kamiya Dojo. Kenshin lightly teased her about it saying something about karma and whatnot. Kagome laughed it off and agreed.

It was quite obvious how much Kenshin and Kagome valued each other. Kaoru and the others smiled. It looks like they each found what they were looking for—a family. Besides, what was one more person in the Kamiya Dojo?

A/N:I hope I didn't bore you guys out. I was just desperate to write something again and, well, this happened. I'm sorry if it was dragging, or if it wasn't very good, or if Kenshin was OOC. I really did try my best. I didn't go into detail about their pasts since they aren't in that much of a hurry. As for Kagome's appearance in this era, it takes place after the final battle with Naraku in Inuyasha: Final Act. Kagome is sent into the jewel and because her heart is in turmoil (wanting to stay with Inuyasha and the others in Sengoku Jidai and wanting to go home to her time) she ended up someplace in between. Hope you liked it, even just a smidge!

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