This story is an adventure in AU - at the request of the Mouse. Some of the characters are based on names fromWatsuki's Rurouni Kenshin -some are the descendents of an original character from Wanderer's Pillow. Guess who's who. I receive nothing from this writing except the gratitude of the Mouse.

Prologue – July 20th, 1978 11:15 PM

The skinny black haired kid nearly fell under the weight of the pans he was bringing to the sink. He had felt worse earlier, very dizzy and sick, but that tall brunette waitress had made him sit down in the storeroom and brought him some soup and a soda. She asked questions he pretended not to understand, and she left him alone. Grigio had said he could probably sleep there again after everyone was gone. At least he wouldn't be out in the rain.

Grigio had picked him up in the park yesterday. Ken was so hungry and tired that he didn't care what the man did to him as long as he got fed. The man had brought him here, fucked him and made him a sandwich to eat. Then he asked the skinny runaway if he wanted a job for a day.

"I wanna go to the track – but I got no time. If you do my job you can eat your fill of leftovers and stay here in the storeroom a couple nights. What do you think, sweet ass?"

Ken had said yes, of course. It had been more than four months since his money ran out and he hit the streets. Regular meals seemed like a forgotten dream. His body ached from the rough treatmentof the tricks he picked up to survive. He was tired of trying to catch naps while watching out for those who would take what little he had left. Any other life seemed like a hazy memory.

He turned to get another load of pans when a large, brutal hand grabbed his ass. He looked up in fear at a big blonde man.

"Hey there, you must be Grig's little chicken! He said you had a sweet, hot ass. Give me a piece."

Ken pulled away. "I've got work to do – I can't."

The man grabbed him again, by the cheek, this time. "Dishes ain't goin' nowhere. Grig said you put out for food – hell, I'll give you a couple of bucks for a hummer. Ten if you give me that ass" The boy began to back up, but tripped on the cuff of the oversized uniform he'd been given to wear. The blonde man was on him as he fell, trying to turn him over and pull his hips up. "Go ahead, fight you little bitch! It just makes this more fun!"

"What the fuck's going on?" The scrabbling, panting boy saw a black skirt and sturdy legs in front of him. He tried to ask for help, but it was like he couldn't breathe, like this final attack was drowning him in pain. "Get off him, Roddy!"

"Fuck you bitch! Leave me and pretty here alone if you know what's good..." The man's voice stopped with a grunt and a metallic "Thup!" Ken was able to pull away to the side and saw the girl from earlier, the kind one. She was wielding a long-handled fry pan as a battleaxe - beating at the big man's chest, belly, groin, and ass until he curled up in a gagging ball. Meanwhile she kept up a steady stream of curses in several different languages.

"Teo! What the fuck!" The owner-chef came in, one or two other staff behind him. "What? That's my favorite saucier! Stop before you kill the man!"

Ken saw the girl casually spin the pan in her left hand. "Tony, I know you like to help out that Parole Office witch you've been nailing, but even you have got to draw the line at guys who try to rape freakin' little boys!" She gave the whimpering man a final solid thwack on the ass and came over to kneel by Ken. "Here, little one. Did he hurt you?'" She touched a reddening mark on the boy's face with gentle fingers. Ken took a deep breath and burst into tears.

"Where did this kid come from, Teo? Where's Grigio?"

"Ask his buddy on the floor there, I haven't seen him. Come on kid; let's get you away from this prick." She helped the shaking boy to his feet and out to a chair in the empty dining room. "Here, rest, I'll call the cops."

"No! Don't – I'm fine!" Ken grabbed her hand. "Please, no cops!" She leaned down to look him in the face. Her eyes were green – no, hazel, and they were kind. "Please just let me go. I don't want cops." He couldn't stop shaking, he felt so cold.

"Here." He heard the clink of glass. "You're too young to drink, but you're too young for any of this and you could use a stiff shot. Do you like licorice? This tastes like that with a kick. Drink it straight down – that's good. Here, one more shot – good!" Ken began to feel the heat start to burn in his belly and move outwards. "Where are you crashing? You should go home."

"I don't have a home. I slept in the storeroom last night."

"A runaway. Kuso! Been there." She drew a deep breath and gave him a thoughtful look, then nodded as if coming to a decision. "Come on, we'll get your stuff and you can come crash with me." She pulled the dizzy boy to his feet and walked him back through the kitchen. "Tony, I'm taking this boy home. You tell that piece of shit on the floor if I see him again I'll feed him his nuts. Night." Ken got his own dirty clothes back on and followed his savior into the rainy night.

June 6th, 2000 1:00 AM

Kenshin Boldt sat up in bed, gasping, covered in cold sweat. The only sounds were his ragged breaths and the pounding of rain. That twenty-two year old dream still made him sick; feelings of helplessness and terror still clung to the memory. He went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face, looking down the hall at the other bedroom door. Light came from under it – she must be still awake. He tapped at the door. "Teo?" he called and walked in to the room of his savior shutting the door behind him on the rainy night.