Author's note: This is my first fanfiction ever. English is also not my native language. So please bear with me!

A huge thanks to my dearest Oti, who proofread this - any mistakes that are still there are my doing and only mine.

Another huge thanks to the wonderful NinnyTreetops who let me use her fanart as a cover for this story.

Original can be found here: ninnytreetops. deviantart gallery/ #/ d36wawo

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the characters.

Kamiya Kaoru walked towards the gate of her dojo. She winced slightly at that thought. Her dojo, indeed. Of course she always knew that she'd inherit the dojo one day and she always wanted it, but not like this. Not now.

Now, it had been one month since her father's funeral. One month since the letter had arrived. For her life's sake Kaoru couldn't remember the details of the letter, or who sent it, or when, or anything. She just knew the essential: Her father was dead and she was alone.

Kaoru still felt her brain go blank when she tried to process that thought. All in all, she felt numb, which was actually an improvement compared to the previous month, when she felt simply nothing. Her life, or what had remained of that, had rushed besides her, while she could only catch a glimpse from time to time.

The first time she went to the market and cooked for herself, knowing that she would always have to do so from now on.

The funeral.

The students of her father offering her their condolences.

The first few students resigning for some shallow reasons, while she knew they simply didn't want to be taught by a girl, a younger one even.

Tae checking on her and bringing her left overs from the Akabeko, when she couldn't bother to cook anymore.

This whole month Kaoru had mainly stayed on her futon, sleeping or crying, trying not to think about anything. She couldn't remember that it had been that bad when her mother died, but then she hardly could remember her mother at all. She sincerely hoped her parents were happily rejoined in heaven.

But yesterday, after another scolding from Tae, Kaoru finally acknowledged she couldn't go on like this. Money had always been short in the Kamiya family, even more after her father left for the war, but one month of not teaching any lessons at all had diminished the little amount of what she had saved gravely.

And so on this early autumn morning, Kamiya Kaoru had left her futon, put on her favourite kimono and visited her parent's grave. After that, she went to the market, bought a little bit of rice. tofu and miso, and went back to her dojo. Right, hers. Kaoru let out a deep sigh, then straightened her shoulders and even tried to put on a smile as she walked through the gate, though it came out rather shaky. "Tada ima!", she called to no one in particular, feeling like she announced the world she was indeed back. Maybe still feeling numb, and not as cheery as she used to be, but back nonetheless.

There was work to do. Kaoru decided to first get some lunch ready. She still felt terribly lonely eating all alone, and she also had to confess, there had been something good to not feeling anything. It also meant she hadn't tasted how horrible her cooking really was. Kaoru let out another deep sigh. 'Well, at least I won't get fat like this, there's no way I could ever eat enough of this... I should really ask Tae-san about some cooking lessons.'

After dinner she decided to let dirty dishes be dirty dishes and went to her room to change. She actually felt a little scared while putting on her hakama and gi. She hadn't practiced the whole month and not even set foot into the dojo. She feared the memories that would surely come to her too much. But Kaoru also knew there was nothing else as relaxing her mind as doing some kata.

So she opened the door of the big hall, bowed, and entered. Now that she was here, she felt silly for her former feeling of fear. She inhaled the scent of wood, and with it the memories of her father practicing with her came. However, it was nothing to be afraid of, on the contrary, it was the first time she could smile while thinking of her father. Kaoru tentatively tried out some basic strikes, and after realizing she apparently hadn't forgotten anything crucial in the last four weeks, she exercised some of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu kata.

Two hours later she was so worn out, her body and mind finally felt numb for the right reasons. She washed herself with some cold water, hating that she still couldn't really figure how to use the bath tub with her being alone. She really hadn't that much time anyway, since she wanted to visit all of her students today. From tomorrow on, lessons would start again, and she wanted everyone to know and be there. For once she felt fortunate that there were only ten students left, because that meant she still could manage to pay a visit to everyone today, even if it would be late when she came home. Being a kenjutsu practitioner for the biggest part of her life, Kaoru had never felt unsafe on the streets of Tokyo, not even during the night. Everyone who was dumb enough to try to rob her would surely have some regrets about that very soon.

For the second time today, Kamiya Kaoru walked towards her home today. Her home, indeed. She would do everything to feel as happy and at home as she did with her father around again. Her visits with her students had went well, with everyone promising to be present tomorrow. On the way home, she visited the Akabeko and brought Tae a little present to thank her for all she had done.

Now Kaoru felt more optimistic than she had in a long time. She would manage to keep the school running. She would manage to keep the bath at the right temperature. Geez, she would even manage to learn cooking somehow. She would manage to live alone. Yes, she definitely would manage.

Approaching the gate, Kaoru frowned. Was that a pile of leaves just next to the wall surrounding her estate? But then, wasn't it a bit early for such a big pile? Especially because there hadn't been any real strong wind today. Examining the pile a bit closer, Kaoru gasped at the realization of what it really was that was lying next to her wall – it was no pile of leaves, it was an old man!

Another note: So, this is first chapter - I hope you enjoyed it a little. Reviews are very welcome, especially if you find any mistakes!