Disclaimer: We don't own a single character of Rurouni Kenshin…damn!

Ok, folks! Starry night blue speaking! This is our first co-written story, and I'm really excited about it…we both have given our best in it. And without further delay, I'll leave you to read. Shimmering Tear will meet you at the end of this.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1:

Kenshin didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.

He didn't belong here. He was a businessman, he belonged to the city. He looked around him…he certainly didn't belong here.

"Shinomori-san, I really don't think this is such a good idea," he declared. "This has got to be one of your worst ideas so far…we can't possibly stay here in the forest!"

He said the last word so loudly and sharply causing a pack of terrified blackbirds to abandon their tree in a gale of flapping wings and screeches. They flew over their heads, and as Kenshin looked up to watch them, something dropped on to his forehead from above.

Confused, Kenshin touched the hot, moist substance on his forehead. He grimaced when he realized what it was.

"Shinomori-san! We can't stay here!" he said angrily, rounding on his silent companion. "Let's go book a room in a hotel or something!"

Aoshi Shinomori looked up from the tent he was setting up and turned to Kenshin. "Himura-san, do you realize you've got birds' dropping on your forehead?" he said, the corners of his mouth twitching. Kenshin just glared at him. "Look, Himura-san, you've been too engrossed in your work, I thought it would be a good idea to take you camping so that you could spend a few days of relaxation."

"I don't relax in the forest! I relax in an expensive hotel suite with a king-size bed and a sauna!" Kenshin replied, grabbing a tissue and furiously wiping the dirt of his forehead.

"Come on, Himura-san, you and I both know that even at a hotel you won't keep away from your work," Aoshi said. "Why, you would even discuss business with your colleagues while in the shower."

"I never…I do not!" Kenshin said, but Aoshi just nodded, like he didn't believe him. "So that's the point of this camping trip? Getting me as far away from civilization so I wouldn't be able to do business?"

"Precisely," Aoshi replied.

"But…" Kenshin started to protest.

"Relax, Himura-san," Aoshi cut him off. "Your companies and business won't crash if you spend a few days away from them…communing with the nature will do you good, you'll see."

"I like to commune with people, not trees!" Kenshin muttered.

Aoshi turned back to the tent he was working on. So did he.

It certainly wasn't his idea to come here. He was working on some huge business project, and he had no intentions of leaving it…and certainly not leaving it to go camping.

It was Misao-chan's and Kaoru-dono's idea. Or rather, it was Kaoru-dono's idea, but Misao-chan was carrying it out for her.

Kaoru-dono was planning a surprise birthday party for her husband, and she wanted Himura-san as far away from the city as possible while she was at it, and yes; she needed three days for it. And how was she to accomplish that? By sending Himura-san to a camping trip with a friend of his! She still wasn't decided on who should accompany Kenshin on this trip, when Misao-chan, his wife, so generously offered to let him, her beloved Aoshi-sama, accompany Himura-san.

Well, if that was love, then he surely hated to see what hate would be like. Misao had said he would enjoy his time here; he would be able to appreciate the beauty of nature, that he would be able to get his mind of work for a while…she also told him that he'll be able to practice meditation out here in the peaceful forest, and that, really, was the only good thing about this whole trip, because he certainly wasn't enjoying any of this so far.

"Shinomori-san, have you got some bug repellant?" Kenshin asked. "I think I've become dinner for mosquitoes tonight."

Come to think of it, Aoshi would be lucky if he ever got the chance to meditate with Himura-san being the whining brat he was acting at the moment.

"But, Megumi…" Kaoru continued arguing on the phone. "I really need this surprise birthday party to be perfect."

"I know," Megumi replied from the other end of the line. "I know, that's why Sano is the right guy."

"But, Sano is..." Kaoru began.

"What, Kaoru?" Megumi cut her off. "Don't you trust Sano?"

"Don't be silly! Of course I do," Kaoru answered. "But I'd trust him with my life, not with the preparations for Kenshin's birthday party!"

Megumi's exasperated sigh was loud and clear.

"Kaoru, please don't let me repeat this again," Megumi said in a low tone. "Sano really needs a job right now and you know that. Besides, this is his best friend's party; he'd be more sincere in his work than ever."

Now it was Kaoru's turn to sigh.

"Yeah, I know," she agreed bitterly.

"Besides, look at the bright side," Megumi said, suddenly cheerful. "Where can you find a guy with Sano's height? He's perfect."

Kaoru giggled softly.

Later…

"Okay, Sano," Kaoru said, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "Let's get to business."

"Sure, missy," Sano replied. "I'm ready, what'd you like me start with?"

Instead of a reply, Kaoru went to the love seat and crouched next to it to pull something from underneath it. Sano couldn't help but notice that she had an amazing rear. She saw him staring and he blushed before hurriedly looking away guiltily. She got up and showed a large, square object covered carefully with a large, white piece of cloth. She looked really happy about whatever it was.

The expression on Sano's face needed no words; the question marks were almost visible above his rooster-like hair.

"I need you to hang this for me," Kaoru explained.

Sano still gave her the same look.

"What's that?" he asked blankly.

"That…" Kaoru started proudly. "…is Kenshin's present."

Sano still stuck to his question marks.

Kaoru sighed, and then pulled the white cloth away, revealing a beautiful painting framed with gold. She looked at Sano, anticipating an expression of awe.

Still nothing.

"This?" Sano asked as he pointed at the painting carelessly.

Kaoru's face reddened angrily. "Yes," she replied defensively. "Don't you like it?"

Sano shrugged. "It doesn't matter if I do," he said. "But you sure Kenshin will like it?"

Kaoru held the painting higher to her chest, as if trying to hug it. "It's beautiful," was all she said.

Sano shrugged again. "Where do you want me to hang it?" he asked.

"There," Kaoru said pointing to a spot on the maroon wall of the living room right above the electric fire place.

Sano turned to examine the spot for a short while, and then returned his focus onto Kaoru.

"Alright," he said as he reached out to take the painting. "I'll do it in no time, no sweat."

He pulled the painting but Kaoru wouldn't let go. He tried pulling it a little harder but Kaoru still wouldn't let go. Instead, she held it closer to her chest like a little child holding his favorite teddy bear.

"You want me told hang you with it on the wall?" Sano asked sarcastically but gently still. "Cause that would be a bigger surprise than the party itself."

Kaoru grinned weakly. "Just be careful, okay?" she said as she handed him the painting carefully. "It's really expensive."

Sano opened his mouth to ask how expensive it was, but a sudden baby's cry came from the sofa. He looked but there was nothing close to a human being, instead, there was a small, white walkie talkie.

"I think I better go check on Kenji.", and with that, Kaoru left the room hurriedly.

She left the living room and went up the stairs to her child's room. Inside, Kenji was lying in his cradle, crying. She closed the door and lifted her child gently in her arms and rested on a rocking chair which was next to the bed.

"You're hungry, little fella, aren't you?" she whispered, fondly, as she unbuttoned her blouse single handedly.

Kenji's little hand patted her chest randomly until it rested on her breast and his cries eased a little.

Kaoru giggled heartily. "You're so clever," she said fondly, and started feeding Kenji, who occupied himself with sucking hungrily at her breast.

"It's you and me for these few days, honey," she started talking her heart out, completely forgetting that Sano could hear her every word downstairs through the walkie talkie. "Daddy is going to be away while we prepare a surprise party for his birthday."

Kenji let out a little sigh. Kaoru smiled and continued to talk to him.

"Your Dad is now with Shinomori-san on a camping trip. That's the only way we found to make him unwind and leave all his business behind. I hope that he'll take this as a chance to relax and return to the wonderful person who helped bring you into this world. Don't get me wrong, baby, it's not that Daddy has become a monster, but the best next thing, really. He's been working so hard the last few years to offer you and me the best of the best that he lost all touch with every one around him. He's completely immersed in his business world, but this trip should do him good..."

Kaoru paused. Memories of how Kenshin used to be, unwillingly compared that old image with the new one and that brought tears to her eyes. Kenji stopped feeding and looked up at her face sadly as if he was aware of the situation. His pure and sincere expression broke her tears lose.

"I'm so sorry, Kenji," she said between sobs. "I didn't mean to go on you like that, but I'm just so tired and scared. I'm tired of missing Kenshin."

She started crying loud, holding Kenji closer to her chest, who started crying too, just like his mother.

Downstairs, Sano couldn't help but listen intently to every single word. He had known Kaoru and Kenshin since what seemed for ever, and he sadly admitted secretly that Kaoru was not just right, but had all the right in the world to feel so bad. Kenshin did change to a monster-like person and Kaoru is too tender to handle that. He put the painting aside and went upstairs to comfort her. He opened the door and then...

SHREIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIK!

He instantly closed the door and ran downstairs, only stopping when he was in the kitchen; he had just seen Kaoru breast feeding.

"WOW!"

"I'll first check my bank account and deposit the money I got from the deal with the car broker, and then I'll have a walk around my company and check on all the employees…"

No matter what Aoshi did, he couldn't block out the sound of Kenshin's sleep talk. Normal sleep talk he could deal with, but sleep talk about business!

That Himura-san is really screwed!

He rolled over in his sleeping bag and turned to Kenshin. He reached out and shook him gently. "Himura-san, wake up," he said.

But Kenshin took no heed of Aoshi. "That's it, Togo! Arrive late like you always do!" he said angrily, addressing a non-existent employee. "How many times have I told you that I won't tolerate this kind of tardiness? Didn't I tell you that if you arrive late one more time I'll trim down your wage?"

Aoshi gritted his teeth. He shook Kenshin again, harder this time. But Kenshin just raised his arm and smacked him around the face.

Aoshi's nerves twitched.

"Yes, Mimi! Now pick up those papers from the floor and get out of here!" Kenshin continued to ramble. "This is incomplete work, and I don't tolerate that!"

Aoshi scrambled up from his own sleeping bag. He then grabbed the edges of Kenshin's bag and dragged it outside, with Kenshin still in it and talking as aggressively as ever.

He dragged him outside the tent and simply left him there. Then he went back inside, pulled up the zipper of the tent, and got back into his bag.

He could still hear Kenshin talking outside, but his voice was faint. At least there was some improvement.

As Aoshi willed himself back to sleep, he wondered how Kaoru ever managed to sleep with some one like Kenshin sleeping by her side.

Alright, folks! How did you like this one? Was it good? Huh? Huh? Did you like it? I'm being quite a pain, aren't I? well, anyway, if you did like it, then please review…and wait for our next chappie!