Disclaimer: I own Kenshin, yes that's right… wait—no it's not… maybe I don't own Kenshin after all...

Fall To Pieces

by Raeyn-chan

A/N: Alright, this is my first ever fanfic. I do write a lot, but this will be the first time I've ever written about anything Kenshin-based. I'm not sure how long it's going to be yet; my plans for this story are pretty fluid. The chapters are going to be on the short side, sorry everyone, but I find it better for me to write that way. So be kind and review! I would love to know how I'm doing and I'm open to any suggestions.

Italics : thoughts

Also: This is an AU fic. Possibly a bit of OOCness involved... I decided to come back and add a little something about her father, since there were a couple of grammatical errors. Nothing big, just a sentence or two to help with the later chapters. And before I forget, Koshijiro will be somewhat OOC, since I don't really know much about him. His actions, personality, and lifestyle are going to be a bit different for the purposes of my story. Thanks!

Summary: Kaoru, the daughter of governor Koshijiro Kamiya, walks home one evening only to be followed, and ambushed. Although help arrives in the form of Yahiko Myojin, it doesn't seem to be enough and their lives are soon in peril, until a mysterious stranger shows up to their rescue. Upon waking, Kaoru finds herself in a strange home and unable to leave. As time passes, she slowly grows a fondness for the man that saved her life. Set in modern times and rated R for language and such... BKK

-Chapter One-

"He's so mysterious, and brooding. I want to know what's on his mind! Maybe it's me; do you think he's thinking about me? I mean, I know prom –is- coming up, but really… you'd think my boyfriend would open up sometimes—" Kaoru giggled, her best friend's incessant chatter always brought a smile to her face.

Misao Makimachi and Aoshi Shinomori were some of her closest friends. She had met them, as well as their other friends, her freshman year in high school. It was three years later, and she was happy to see them all at the start of their senior year in high school. It looked like a great year ahead of them.

Smiling, she thought about her other friends, Sanosuke Sagara, Megumi Takani, and Soujiro Seta. Sano was one of the most annoying people on the face of the planet, but deep down he was a sweetie pie, and like a brother she never had. He was always flirting with Megumi, yet seemed to irritate her the most. At lunch where they all sat together, Sano and Megumi could always be counted on to argue, albeit good-naturedly. It was obvious to all of them that they were attracted to each other, but neither of them seemed to take it seriously.

And then there was Soujiro, or Sou-chan, as Kaoru preferred to call him. He was a quiet guy, maybe not as quiet as Aoshi, but unlike Misao's silent boyfriend, Sou-chan always had a smile on his face. He was always there for her to talk to when Misao was too preoccupied with Aoshi. In their sophomore year, Soujiro and Kaoru had gotten considerably close, and were rumored to be a couple. However, they were only friends and it suited them both just fine. She often wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship, but she had never had the time for boys, although she wasn't lacking in admirers. Her blue eyes and raven black hair had a lot of the guys vying for her attention. But none of them attracted her; they all seemed to be lacking something... Something that Kaoru wasn't even sure of. She was drawn out of her reverie as Misao squealed,

"Eh, no matter. It's part of what attracted me to him. I wonder what he's going to wear; oh I'm sure anything he wore would look stunning. I wonder what I'm going to wear!? You're going to have to come with me tomorrow; we have to go shopping for the perfect dress. I need to find something that would make his adorable jaw drop. Oh Aoshi-sama!" She said dramatically, her hands over her heart. They laughed, finally approaching their high school.

"Thanks for walking me halfway, Misao" Kaoru hugged her best friend.

"Oh no problem milady, call me when you get home, so we can make plans to go to the mall tomorrow!" Misao curtsied, making Kaoru laugh.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later then." She started to walk home, turning back to wave at Misao.

"Bye, Misao!"

"Bye, Kaoru!"

---

It took longer than she had expected. Maybe it was because she was walking by herself. Things always seemed to pass by in a flash when you're with another person. Looking at her watch, she was surprised to see it was later than she had planned. It was almost 2:30. She was supposed to be home at 2:00 since her father was expecting her to be there when he got home. There was a big business meeting he had to attend, and she always accompanied him to special dinners and the like. He was the governor, after all.

Crap. Hopefully I won't get in trouble. I'll just have to walk faster; it's so boring when I'm walking by myself. I wish I had brought a cd player with me or something—

Her thoughts dissipated as the hairs on the back of her nick prickled. She looked over her shoulder, making sure she wasn't being watched. Although she couldn't see anyone outside of the occasional motorist driving by, there was a feeling deep within her gut that was warning her to get away, and to make haste. Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she quickened her pace, uneasy about her paranoia.

She was almost home; her house was on the other side of the park. The playground was already in view. It would be easier to cut through instead of taking the main streets. Hesitating, she looked across the street. A couple of guys were sitting on the curb, staring at her intently. One of them was slightly built, with black hair that covered part of his face. The other was a thin guy with short blonde hair. They appeared to be in the early twenties, not too much older than her. But the way they were staring… She smoothed her short black skirt while the feelings of unease increased.

That's funny -she thought- were they there before?

Her mind was debating on whether or not to cut through the park when the guys stood up suddenly and slowly started towards her, leering.

Shit.

She didn't have to think twice. With a slight gasp, she started towards the park. There were a couple of kids hanging out at the park, as there would normally be. Junior high had just gotten out ten minutes before, and a lot of the middle schoolers liked to hang around the park. She felt reassured upon passing some of them by, until she glanced behind her. The two men were still following her.

Preoccupied, she locked eyes with one of the junior high kids, a boy with spiky brown hair. He looked at her, at the two men behind her, and then at his group as they picked up their backpacks, intending to leave. The contact broken, she smiled nervously at him before hurrying on. Another glance behind her confirmed her paranoia. Faster still she walked, the playground almost out of sight as she neared her neighborhood. Once again, she looked back. To her horror, the two men were undoubtedly closer, and gaining every second.

"Hey pretty lady, where do you think you're goin?" the blonde called out menacingly. She ignored the taunt and walked faster, desperation in her footsteps. He called out again, angrily.

"I said hey." She broke into a sprint, but tripped as a hand roughly grasped her shoulder.

"Bitch, you never even said hi." She screamed then, lashing out and striking him in the face. He roared, punching her in the gut as the other one, the blonde, caught up to them.

"You know, that wasn't very nice." Laughing, the blonde hit her, making her scream once more. Waves of pain washing over her, she scrambled to her feet, thinking of nothing but escape.

---

Yahiko looked at his friends uncertainly. They were all going to go visit Tsubame's work, at restaurant called the Akabeko, since they knew he had a crush on her. But something was wrong.

"Hey Yahiko, are you coming or not? We're hungry and we're not going to wait for you," laughed one of them. He shook his head.

"I'm not going with you guys. I- I had other plans. I'll try and catch up with you guys later." His friends looked at him in disbelief. He never passed up an opportunity to see Tsubame. Even though he never really talked to her, he was always down for going to eat there and see her. It was something his friends all joked about.

"Are you sure there's not something wrong with you today, Yahiko? Ever since that chick walked by, you've had this weird look on your face… ohhh, I get it. You like her now, and you don't want to see Tsubame. Well maybe I should go and see if she's available since you don't—"

"I don't care about that chick. You know I still like Tsubame!" Yahiko burst out, "I just forgot I had to do something else today, I'll see you guys later."

"Well, if you're sure..." Yahiko thought about the terror he'd seen in her clear blue eyes, and the faces of the two men that had passed by shortly after. Something was definitely wrong.

"Yes, I'm sure. Call me later, if anything." Confusion on their faces, he waved them off, watching until they had left.

He looked in the direction that girl had gone and started walking. He wasn't sure why he didn't go with his friends, but he knew that whoever that chick was, she was in trouble. He just had a feeling as he watched the two guys follow her. It wasn't a good feeling; there was something suspicious about them. He shivered as he remembered the look in her eyes.

She looked so alone.

He was going to help her, if he could.

He couldn't really see her anymore; she was hard to spot through the trees. He walked faster, slowly catching up. He caught a glimpse of blonde, and a second later hear a scream, followed by a man's shout, then another scream. Her.

Yahiko began to run.

So... how do you like it so far? I'm basically writing this off the top of my head, so if it takes me a while to update, it's not my fault! I'm trying to get back into my old high school, and the stress is nearly killing me. lol Review please, and let me know how it is. It's always encouraging to get feedback!

Stay tuned for the next chapter, and the appearance of a certain red-haired stranger!