Alright, so here it goes. I'm going through and re-editing the chapters already posted for this story and I will be adding new chapters as well. While I wait for people to review my new HP fic, I will work on this one. As always, please feel free to review!
Disclaimer: I do not own RK or any of the characters. This plot and all original characters are my own
The inky darkness that surrounded her was overwhelming. However, she was used to it by now. The only light in the cell came from the soft glow beneath the heavy steel door. She had only left the small, dirty cell a handful of times over what she could only assume had been several years. She wasn't even sure how many years, months, or days she had been there. At first she had tried keeping track of the days that went by, but as time had dragged on in the never ending darkness, day merged into night and then back to day again without her knowledge. Keeping track of her time there had simply been too hard to manage.
The people who came to interrogate her never told her the date. Sometimes they would bring a chair into her cell and tie her to it, other times they would drag her tired body to a room down the hall and would interrogate her there. Either way, it was always the same questions, the same answers, and the same never ending routine. Her rations were simple: water and a variance between bread, a few leafy greens, and some meaty concoction that made her throw it up the first time she ate it.
Her eyes had grown accustomed to her dark cell. In all it was about six feet by five feet. She had a small cot against the wall and a thin blanket. No pillow. A pot sat in one corner for her to use as a restroom. Her version of a shower was the weekly dumping of a bucket of water over her head by the cruel guardsmen. She missed the luxuries of the outside world. She missed the life she had led before this… She missed Kenshin. Kenshin had betrayed her though. She thought she had finally found her soul-mate in him, until she had discovered that he was a spy for another organization, he was cheating on her, and planning on killing her. Life had never been so cruel when she had read those condemning documents hidden away in his brief case.
Flashback
Kaoru had just turned nineteen. She had been dating Kenshin Ito for almost a year. One extremely good year. Before Kenshin, Kaoru had never seriously dated anyone. She had trust issues that ran deep and painful since her childhood. However, Kenshin's kind words and persistence had finally caused Kaoru to concede to him and go on a date. She had been happy ever since.
Tomorrow would mark their one year anniversary. Kenshin had told her he had something 'special' planned for them and Kaoru believed it to be a romantic dinner. The night before their anniversary, Kaoru had decided to go over to his apartment while Kenshin was at work and cook him dinner. She had a vague idea of where he worked; some small insurance business. Kenshin never liked to mix his business and personal lives, and would always avoid talking about work with her. He was a good four years older than her, but that did not seem to matter to either of them.
Kaoru had been on her own as a foster child since she was seven. She had a secretarial part-time job working for the Japanese government, which was nice because her foster parents both worked for the government. Kenshin was not supposed to know about Kaoru's job. A strictly need to know basis was required for her work. It was not as if she were a spy or even handling important documents. It was because her parents handled important things and any leaks in information could be very bad for her parents and the government. Every once in a while they would have her go undercover at a business and get some files or information, but that was the extent of the dangerous work Kaoru did. Once she had even been sent over seas as an interpreter. She always had a forged identity when doing things for the government outside of the building she worked in. With some nicely done make-up, she always looked older than her actual age, and usually posed in her mid to late twenties.
Kaoru P.O.V.
I can't believe it has already been a year since I let Kenshin take me out on our first date, I thought with a happy smile. Ever since Kenshin had told me he had plans for us on our anniversary, I had been thinking of ways to give him his own surprise. It had taken me a while to come up with an idea, but I had finally decided on making him a wonderful dinner.
As I arrived at his apartment building, I caught myself eyeing the fancy, modern design of the building. It was truly a nice apartment complex to live in. Grabbing my grocery bags out of the back seat of my car, I walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the seventh floor, waiting patiently as the doors dinged shut once I entered. The ride was swift and no one else got into the elevator before I finally reached the seventh floor.
When the doors opened, a young woman entered as I exited. I was surprised by the unfriendly look I received as I politely said 'hello'. Her hair was wrapped in a scarf and sunglasses covered her eyes. She was taller than me and I became jealous when I noted her stylish fashion and nice figure. My own figure was very tomboyish. I usually kept my hair in a ponytail and hardly ever wore make-up, unless it was for work. My wardrobe was hardly any better, consisting of many pairs of pants and t-shirts, I owned only one skirt. Shaking these silly thoughts from my head I ignored the woman and walked down the hall to apartment 708.
I used the key Kenshin had given me to open the door and I shuffled in. Relief filled me as I was finally able to put the groceries down on the kitchen counter. I looked at my tired hands which had turned red from holding the plastic bags for so long, before walking to the refrigerator and grabbing a a bottle of water from inside of it. My sapphire eyes scanned the apartment as I relaxed for a few moments. Everything in the living room was neat and tidy. Kenshin was borderline obsessive about making sure everything was in its proper place. I heard a beep come from the laundry room and assumed that he must have put his laundry in the machine before leaving for work that morning. I walked into the room and saw that the clothes in the dryer were done. I set about folding the dry clothes, before placing his newly washed whites into the dryer and turned on the machine. Taking the laundry basket with me, I went to Kenshin's room and set the basket onto his bed. Surprise filled me as I noticed his bed was unmade and a pair of boxers lay crumpled on the floor. It was unlike Kenshin to leave a mess. I passed it off as him having been in a rush that morning as I bent down to pick up his boxers and threw them into the dirty laundry hamper in the corner. I set about hanging up his work shirts in the closet and placing his folded casual clothes in the drawers.
My eyes narrowed however when I opened his underwear drawer. I black lace bra was shoved into the corner of the drawer, as if someone had been in a hurry. I picked it up and stared at it intently for a moment. The bra was not mine. Although Kenshin and I had gotten caught up in the moment a few times while we kissed, I had never gone too far with him, my own insecurities holding me back. A sliver of suspicion and fear sliced through my heart.
"Is Kenshin cheating on me?" I whispered out loud as I held the bra in my hands. I was unsure of what to make of this find. The sensible part of my brain told me that it must belong to his ex-girlfriend who he had broken up with six months before we started dating. At least, that is what he had told me.
With another disgusted look at the bra I placed it back in the drawer, determined to ask Kenshin about it when he got home. After putting the rest of his clothes away I set about making his bed. I straightened out the soft blue sheets before placing the navy comforter back on the bed. I organized the pillows and smoothed down the blanket before taking a seat on the bed. I had been unable to dispel the suspicion from my mind after finding the bra in his closet. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed uncomfortably. It was then that I noticed the drawer of his bedside table open slightly. I reached towards it and pulled it open, curious as to what was inside.
Inside the drawer were two books on accounting, a small black box, a box of condoms, and a picture of Kenshin and I on our second date. I smiled at the picture before turning my gaze to the other contents of the drawer. Condoms? the box struck me as odd. Kenshin had told me he accepted my hesitation about taking the next step in our relationship and that he would not pressure me into anything. So why was there a box of condoms in his nightstand drawer? My eyes shifted from the condoms to the black box underneath them. I reached into the drawer and pulled the box out, placing it into my lap. I was surprised to see a lock on the box, however that did not deter me. I reached up to my hair and pulled out the bobby pin that had been holding my bangs out of my face. I messed with the lock for several moments, using the skills my uncle had taught me, and I was pleased to hear the sound of the mechanisms inside the lock turning into place. I opened the lid of the box and was surprised by what I found
Inside the small black box was a piece of paper. I immediately opened the folded sheet and saw the number written there. I thought it was odd for Kenshin to keep a phone number inside of a locked box, but shrugged it off. The next thing I found made my heart stop. A picture was located underneath a jewelry store box. I pulled out the picture and realized it was Kenshin and his ex-girlfriend. The looked so happy in the picture, Kenshin smiling genuinely, with his left arm wrapped around the woman's waist. She was beautiful to look at. Bright brown eyes stared back at me. Her dark black hair stop in her mid back and her figure was much more womanly than mine. I flipped the picture over and inhaled a sharp breath. In Kenshin's neat script was written 'Engagement Part April 21, 2007'. I could not believe what I was seeing. According to this picture, Kenshin and this woman had become engaged not but three months ago! I had been seeing Kenshin for almost a year already.
Taking a shaky breath I put the picture down and opened the box. A dazzling engagement ring stared back at me and I wanted to cry. I closed the box with a soft click and placed it back into the drawer. Shakily, I stood and left Kenshin's bedroom and walked back to the living room. I looked around the quiet apartment, wanting some type of answer for this painful betrayal. I had truly thought Kenshin had loved me. I guess love is something a person can only dream of and not something real.
I grabbed my ponytail and began twisting it anxiously, a nervous habit I developed when I was a child. I looked around the living room and turned towards the kitchen. I needed something to drink. I walked to the kitch and grabbed a glass from the cabinet, my hand shaking slightly. I filled it up with water from the tap and took a steady drink while I attempted to calm myself.
A loud ring erupted throughout the apartment and I jumped, dropping the glass of water from my hand. The glass shattered across the kitchen floor and I gasped in shock before staring at the offending telephone hanging on the wall. There was no way I could answer the phone now. I looked down to the tile floor where the broken glass and water lay before looking around for a broom. I remembered seeing one in the hall closet once during Christmas, when I put my winter jacket there, and I turned towards the hallway to go retrieve it. When I opened the closet door, I spotted the broom in the far corner. However, my eyes were drawn to the black leather briefcase sitting in front of the broom on the floor. Kenshin always took his briefcase with him to work. More suspicion crept into my thoughts as I stared at it for a few moments.
"He never even let me touch it. Why would he leave it here?" I asked aloud as I took the briefcase and the broom from the closet. I walked back into the living room and sat down on the plush, leather sofa and placed the briefcase on my lap. It had a lock on it as well, and I pulled the same bobby pin that I had used early from my pocket where I had put it. I had no idea what came over me as the desire to pull all of Kenshin's secrets from the shadows, where he had been hiding them into the light, took hold. My hands had become sweaty as I finally opened the lock on the briefcase. My mind is determined to see if there are more pictures inside, while my heart tells me I cannot handle anymore betrayal.
Inside are a stack of papers, a folder, and a few pens. The contents appeared to be those of a normal businessman's briefcase, but I decided to investigate what else was inside of it. I looked at the folder and for the second time that day my heart stopped. My birth name is on the folder, not the name I took as my own when my foster parents took me in. The folder reads Kamiya, Kaoru. I have only ever told Kenshin that my name was Kaoru Fujimiya. Opening the folder my eyes widen as I read the information. My entire life history is here, as if the folder was taken from the office where my foster parents worked. No one should have this kind of information on me. A baby picture catches my eye, and tears clouded my sight as I realized it was a picture of me as a three year old with my birth parents. A breath leaves my body that I never realized I was holding. I flip through the rest of the papers, everything from my blood type to what I have done for the past year is within these documents.
"Kenshin is a spy." The words leave my lips without my realizing them. He must have been spying on me for the past year. "I'm only an assignment."
It hits me like a load of bricks that he never loved me. I was only a job to him. The phrase keep your friends close and your enemies closer runs through my head. I turned my attention to the other papers and look at the first page. My name is printed on it and my birth date. I flip through the papers, each a copy of the ones before it, but with updated dates and information about me. I come to a paper with tomorrow's date and I almost cry out as my blood runs cold in my veins. Status: To Be Eliminated is typed in the corner. It dawns on me that Kenshin is supposed to kill me tomorrow. Not caring about the groceries or anything else, I closed the briefcase and fled Kenshin's apartment.
I ran out of the apartment and down the stairs, not daring to try the elevator. Instinct began to kick in as I realized that someone could have been watching me this whole time. I ran into the parking lot and towards my car, glancing around nervously. As I opened my car door and sat down in the seat, my drifting eyes catch a glimpse of a man standing across the street from the complex. His dark brown hair and lanky body seems somewhat familiar before I realize he is one of Kenshin's friends. I had met him at a party a while back; his name comes to me, Sanosuke Sagara.
He is watching me and I realize how I must have just looked, running out of my boyfriend's apartment, carrying his briefcase. He was leaning against a light pole, smoking a cigarette as I drove past and he continued to watch me until I am out of sight. My last view of him was of him pulling out his cell phone. Dread coursed through my body as I pulled out my own phone, but stop before dialing my father's number. My phone is probably bugged and without hesitation I rolled my window down and through my phone out onto the street. How stupid could I have been? There is only one place for me to go, my parents' office.
End Flashback and P.O.V.
Kaoru sat huddled in the corner of her cot, her thin arms wrapped around her bony legs as she rester her chin on her knees. Her mind drifted back to her last few days of freedom as she thought of the blissfully unaware life she had led, before Kenshin's betrayal. She missed her foster mother and father. She missed her playful cocker spaniel, Momo. She missed her friends. She missed her life.
Without warning, the door to her cell burst open. Bright light flooded the cramped space and her eyes shut from the pain. As she cringed away from the light, she felt arms grab her on both sides. She tried to squint her eyes open, but the light was to harsh after so long in the dark. The man on her right squeezed her arm painfully and told her not to struggle. She wanted to laugh at his command because she had learned a long time ago that if she fought back, she would not stay conscious for long and she would most likely wake up with more than a few bruises.
"What is going on?" Came her ill used, raspy voice as the men dragged her slumping form down a bright hallway. Her legs could not move fast enough to keep up with their brisk pace, leaving her to be half dragged down the hallway.
"We're taking you somewhere nice." The man on her left said, his voice sickeningly cheerful, as if he was thinking sick thoughts in his mind. Kaoru still could not open her eyes to see the men, but the conversation was making her head spin. She caught brief words like trip, plane, and America, but that was all she could understand. She had been barely kept alive over the past few years, and her malnourished body showed the signs of her abuse.
It seemed as if the walk would never end and Kaoru vaguely heard doors opening. She was surprised when she felt herself pushed roughly into the back of a car. Suddenly her wrists and ankles were being tied together with coarse rope. Her eyes fluttered open, attempting to view where she was. She took her time, letting her eyes try to adjust to the light, but her quest to see the outside world was stopped when someone placed a blindfold over her eyes. She sighed sadly and allowed herself to sink deeper into the plush leather seats of the vehicle. It had been years since she was this comfortably seated. If they were planning on taking her to her death, she reasoned, she might as well be comfortable.
An hour or two later the car finally came to a stop and she was roughly dragged from the vehicle. She heard the sound of what seemed like an airplane's engine before she was dragged up several steps and roughly placed into another cushioned seat. The men removed the blindfold from her eyes as they fastened her seatbelt. She opened her eyes slightly, and was relieved to be able to make out blurry figures moving about the airplane cabin. She was mildly surprised when a tall man in a business suit sat down in a seat across the aisle from her. One of the men who had dragged her about came over and handcuffed her right arm to the armrest and her right leg to the foot rest in front of her.
Were they stupid? She could barely open her eyes, let alone fight back. Not only did they think it was necessary to tie her arms together, but they had to handcuff her as well. What was she going to do? Hijack the plane? She grumbled curses in her mind as she glanced sideways out the open window and sighed. It was going to be a long flight if what they said about going to America was true. Sinking down into the seat, she drifted off into unconsciousness.
Alrighty, this is the first revamped chapter. I hope you like. I will get to the others when I have time. Let me know what you think!
-DHM