I own nothing of Rurouni Kenshin, I make no money off of this. This is my first attempt at fanfiction.

Sitting upon his rock, Kenshin stared out at the vast roiling sea. He had been staring at the landscape for many minutes, possibly several hours, unable to move. The ebb and flow of his breath mimicking the waves was only proof that he hadn't turned to stone. There were probably things he should begin doing, but any movement would betray his illusion. The illusion that time had stopped and that in this one crystalline moment she might still be alive.

It had been such a stupid battle. Four thugs looking for an easy payoff had thought the weak looking man and his woman would easily hand over any money they had, and both groups could have been on their way. Indeed, Kenshin was fine with handing over his few coins and going back on their solitary walk near the cliff side. As usual, it was easier to pry blood from a rock then a coin from Kaoru's delicate, but miserly grip. Without any thought to retribution, she backhanded the nearest thug and, hitching up her new green kimono, kicked him squarely in the groin. With a sigh and an inward worry over the girl's sanity, Kenshin pulled his Sakabatou and waded in to the man nearest to him.

It had felled many a weaker fighter than he and many a stronger as well, Kenshin had let himself be distracted. In fighting multiple targets, he should have taken down the largest threat with a head shot, taken out the knee of the second and moved on. The first was easily accomplished, but the second 'thug' was young, perhaps not much older then Yahiko and stretched thin and gangling in his ragged clothes. The youth, sensibly, seemed far more terrified of Kenshin than eager for any sort of battle. Unwilling to scare the young boy any further Kenshin tried to get him to leave. Distracted with trying to help the boy turn his life around and trying to avoid violence, Kenshin forgot for a moment the young woman who was trying, unarmed, to fight another thug.

It wasn't a scream that hit his ears really, more of a grunt, "Ken..." was all Kaoru managed to rasp out as the hand around her throat released, and the hulk of a man she was fighting flung her away and into the air.

It happened in slow motion, Kenshin turning at a snail's pace trying to see beyond his own crimson hair. Framed by red Kaoru seemed frozen in space, her new dark green kimono fluttering, one geta just off her foot, the ends of her raven hair surrounding her face, and blue eyes, shocked, trained steadily on his own. The moment passed and as Kenshin stood, immobile, Kaoru fell to the waves below.

He may have stayed forever staring into the space she had been but for one moron and one word. The callous bastard who had thrown Kaoru to her death spat out blood, the girl was vicious in battle, and muttered, "Bitch."

The unconscious men, who had been beaten unrecognizable, littered the ground around him and should to be dealt with, turned into the authorities most likely. Though in a dark, forsaken corner of his heart and mind another voice railed at him for letting these bastards still draw breath. His view of the water clouded over and tears fell as he continued to sit on the rock where he had collapsed after the battle. There were actions to take, things to be done, but as soon as this moment moved forward Kaoru would truly be gone.

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Kenshin's musings were interrupted by a battle ki making its way toward him. It was very strong, and Kenshin knew he should be grabbing his sakabatou and spinning to engage this new challenger, but he couldn't bring himself to truly care. Perhaps it would be better this way, he thought, with Kaoru gone it seemed unlikely that he would have the motivation to hold the darker side of his nature at bay, and this world really didn't need him anymore. Yahiko would likely inherit the dojo, and Sano and Megumi would help him get over the loss, as well as comforting each other. Indeed, rather than engaging in another pointless battle, perhaps he should let go, and let the name Battousai move on to curse another.

BAM!!!!!!!!!!

Kenshin pitched forward, face first into the ground. He wondered if this blinding pain was what his victims had felt just before their ends. Funny, he had always thought severing someone's head would be swift, painless and merciful, but apparently not. Then again, heads once separated tended to roll, while his seemed to be attached and throbbing.

"Oro?" Was the only thought that came to mind.

"KEEEENNNNNNNNNSSSSSSSHHHHHIIIIINNNNNN..." Ah, he was dead; there were the echoes of those he had slain, coming to bear him to whatever hell he deserved for his crimes, odd that they didn't call him Battousai though.

After a few moments of waiting for, well, whatever was supposed to come Kenshin tried to sit up. Next to where his head had been he saw a rock, or perhaps a small boulder that apparently had been lobbed at him.

Kenshin looked behind him and time, as well as his heart, froze again at the view. Both her geta were missing, and her knees were skinned. The knees were revealed by a very ragged black, surely that couldn't be green, waterlogged and much askew, ruined kimono. Her hands were covered in dirt, nails damaged, and her black hair, loose about her shoulders was as soaked as the rest of her, and apparently covered in a slimy kind of lichen. Her eyes always drew the most attention, normally blue; they were black with rage and fixed on his own.

"K-Kaoru-dono, you have become one of the furies and returned to haunt me, that you have." Kenshin whispered, his throat to thick with emotion to speak normally.

"You'll wish I'd only returned to haunt you when I'm done, Kenshin!" Kaoru rasped out. And her rage was unleashed upon him.

He learned, during the pummeling, that there had been a cave about 10 feet below the edge of the cliff that she managed to grab and pull herself into. During his choking he found out that she had had to crawl through said slimy cave filled with jagged rocks for about an hour to reach the surface. Lastly while being stomped upon, he was told how, shoeless, Kaoru had made her way back along their trail to where she had left him, only to find him staring, like an idiot, into space.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Kenshin?" Kaoru huffed. Now that her rage was spent she felt she could manage to speak with the bleeding puddle that had once been the best swordsman in Japan.

"I am truly sorry, Kaoru-dono, for allowing you to come to any harm while I was around. I failed to protect you, that I did, and I humbly beg your forgiveness. I will not allow myself to fail again." Kenshin said, standing up, while lowering his head in shame.

It was quite a shock when another rock/boulder send him spiraling back to the ground.

"I didn't say you had to protect me! I am not some wilting flower that cannot do anything besides wait to be rescued." She yelled, animated gesturing at herself. "I am the shihan of the Kamiya Kasshin dojo! I can and did defend myself! I don't..." Kaoru turned away from him, and spoke in a quiet measured tone. "I don't need an apology, or a vow of protection. I just thought, you'd be looking for me, or at least be glad that I was okay." The last part was whispered, and Kenshin distinctly caught a tremble that showed her level of sadness at the thought of his indifference. Kenshin gingerly rose to his feet again shaking his head in disbelief. After all this time, all they had been through, did she really think that he didn't care?

As Kenshin walked toward the distraught shihan he caught her mumbling under her breath. "Tired... cold... just bought this kimono yesterday...should have just went home...should have STAYED home...stupid bandits..." Were all heard as Kaoru tried to distract herself from the true cause of her annoyance. Kenshin reached out and, catching one sodden shoulder, turned Kaoru gently to face him. She wouldn't look at him, and swiping at her eyes Kaoru disengaged his arm and made a move to start walking back toward town. "Come on then Kenshin, I want a bath as soon as we get home, then I want you to cook..." Her rant was halted by a hand once again spinner her toward the Rurouni. Any violent tirade was halted as the hand on her shoulder moved to her waist and she was pulled to a warm comforting chest.

Kenshin held Kaoru gently, noting that she indeed needed a bath to warm herself, and that the slime in her hair was both disgusting and cold, but felt relief flood him that she was here, mostly unharmed, and not pulling away from him.

The wanderer leaned against her and whisper gently into her ear. "I am glad you are safe Kaoru-dono, never doubt that, and Okaeri. He couldn't bring himself to say any more, or anything deeper, but by the soft sigh he heard, and the feel of her arms coming around him, he felt that she understood.

End

geta are wooden Japanese shoes

I hoped anyone reading this enjoyed it at least a little. I could use any feedback that you think may be useful. This may actually spiral into a larger plot and if so I will re-title it, and continue. I find Rurouni Kenshin to be an anime with many genres going on, action, romance, comedy, even a bit of horror when Kenshin goes crazy-Battousai, so I have tried to make the fic similar.

Only you can prevent gramattical mistakes!

thank you for your support