(A.N: No, I'm not dead… yet… With Ai Ki To (yeppers! I'm takin' martial arts!) it's only a matter of time… But I had this idea 'round Christmas, and I've finally gotten it down. I've also seen it in a couple of places, Love and War by Saori Runa Dempsey the only good one that pops into my mind at the moment, but I'm happy to say that I thought of it own my own, not stealing it from anybody! Anyways, read on.

P.S. This follows the manga, not the anime (which doesn't have Tomoe or Enishi or anything at all) or the OVA 'Trust and Betrayal', which made me hate Tomoe before I read the manga and began to like her. And the OVAs make the characters… OOC… Like Kaoru being able to cook… I kid you not. Watch 'Reflections' and you'll find her a wilting flower who can cook and is kidnapped far to easily…

P.P.S. Does anybody know how to get pictures up on ? I've seen it done before, but I can't do it and it's driving me crazy!!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. That honor goes to Watsuki-san.

Kaoru glared reproachfully at Kenshin, an action almost never done by the young woman. "Kenshin, stop blaming yourself! You didn't do anything!"

The rurouni stood there, not meeting her gaze but instead watching the dirt beneath his sandals. "Kaoru-dono," he said softly, still not looking up at her. "This one... this one cannot let the past go. This was has killed many, and for that, he cannot find happiness, due to the sorrow he has caused. Sessha is very sorry..."

"Do you really think that they feel this way, even after 11 years of Meji?"

A simple nod was all she got from Kenshin.

"But others killed to! It was war!"

When Kenshin finally met her gaze, his was slightly scornful. "Kaoru-dono, you've never had blood stain your hands. You wouldn't understa-"

SLAP

Kenshin blinked, surprised by Kaoru's actions. She had slapped him. Slapped him! Yes, he had been punched, yes he had been kicked, yes things had been thrown at him, but Kaoru had never slapped him...

When he looked back at her, she was trembling. "Bastard," she hissed and Kenshin took a step back. "Don't talk down to me! I thought we walked as equals! And yet you act as if I'm some… some child! You should know that I refuse to be counted as such!"

He blinked, surprised. "Ka-Kaoru-dono, this one-"

"No," Kaoru said, cutting him off effectively. "No. Don't... just... don't." Turning, she stomped into the dojo, slamming the door behind her.

Kenshin continued to stare after her, all strength leaving him. Stumbling over to the porch of the dojo, he collapsed onto it, holding his head in his hands. "What has sessha done?" he whispered. "Sessha guesses it's for the best but..." His fingers clenched in his hair. "It's for the best..."

Kaoru was so angry! She couldn't stand it!

Hot tears filled up in her eyes as she slammed her shoji door shut. "Ja-ku," she whispered, collapsing onto her futon. She had honestly thought Kenshin viewed her as an equal, who has survived a chapter or two of his life with him, had seen horrors just as he had.

If he couldn't see her as an equal, then any hope of him seeing her as anything more were now down the drain.

The sounds of voices awoke Kaoru, and she slowly slid her shoji door open a crack, a sapphire eye glinting in the lamplight.

Kenshin was talking calmly to a drunk man. The drunk man seemed furious, and shoved Kenshin. He took a step back, but continued to glare coolly at the man.

Obviously, whatever the man was saying was beginning to make Kenshin angry.

Slowly sliding the shoji door open a little more, Kaoru crept forward, hoping to hear what they were saying. The click of a gun was enough to drown out all of the angry words as Kaoru's world narrowed on the courtyeard.

Behind the stranger a man stood, perfectly sober, and aiming a gun at Kenshin, one both eyes trained with dangerous certainty at the rurouni.

Kaoru never thought, never considered her actions. "KENSHIN!" was all she managed to say before stepping protectively before him. His shocked face would've been comical had not the gunshot and the pain ripping through Kaoru's left breast been so distracting.

She slumped against him and smiled wearily up at Kenshin. He was saying something, but it was quickly being drowned out by a ringing in Kaoru's ears. "Kaoru-dono, please, hold on! I'll get Megumi-dono! Just please, hold on! Please! Please! please...