Alright! This is my second try at this story. I wrote it awhile back and it was terrible (it was my first fic). I decided to rewrite it because I knew I could improve it and that I'm a better writer than what I had written.

I dedicate this story to Aleigh Walker. She told me not to sell myslf short.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or its characters.

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Kaoru's Cooking

It was a beautiful spring day. The sun graciously poured light onto the world and warm rays spilled onto the landscape while huge billowing clouds rolled across the blue skies. The trees' leaves whispered like they were sharing a secret as a childish breeze swept through them. The grass could not have been greener. The scenery could not have been any more peaceful.

Many people made good use of the weather and stepped out of their stuffy homes to enjoy the day. Mothers tugged impatiently at their children's hands, trying to make them walk faster. Sometimes a rambunctious boy would escape his mother's grasp and run ahead. Fathers were at work or grudgingly following their wives to the market. Some women stayed at home to work on the ever growing pile of laundry.

Business at the Akebeko was booming. People poured into the restaurant and Tae, manager of the beef hot pot restaurant, had more customers than she could handle. Doctor Genzia and Megumi were relatively busy at the clinic too. It seemed that everyone associated with the Kenshin gumi had something to do, except for two borders at the Kamiya dojo...

He had spent all morning doing laundry and it had just occurred to him that the dojo was without its usual bickering. It was way too quite. Was something wrong? His amethyst eyes blinked in disbelief when he entered the cool abode to see an annoyed blue-eyed girl furiously chopping carrots. His landlady was trying to cook the day's lunch? He cautiously took a whiff of air trying to see if she had already burned the food before he could save it.

"Hmm… That smells pretty good Miss Kaoru." said the redheaded rurouni. Curiosity overflowed from his bright unusual eyes. Kaoru rarely cooked anything remotely edible, but this truly smelled delicious. His slender eyebrows arched, vanishing into his disheveled flare of red hair. Can her cooking be improving?

"Kenshin, it's not the food's smell that ya need to worry about. It's the taste" replied a brown-headed orphan by the name of Yahiko Myojin who was currently sweeping the already spotless floor. He must have been waiting for Kaoru to make a mistake and mess up the lunch so he could tease her about her cooking skills (or lack of).

Kenshin had rescued Yahiko from a local gang of thugs and put a stop to the boy's life of pick pocketing. He now studied under Kaoru's tutelage and had to suffer her attempts at cooking. Kenshin sometimes wondered which life was less hazardous.

"What does that supposed to mean you snot-nosed brat." asked the chef in question, Kaoru Kamiya, primary instructor of the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu fighting style.

"I wasn't talking to you. You ugly hag." exclaimed Yahiko.

"What did you call me you little parasite? That's all you are you know, living off a poor girl like me."

"Who are you calling little?" growled the boy.

"Please calm down you two?" Kenshin asked timidly.

Yahiko and Kaoru both yelled as they turned on him. "Butt out Kenshin!" Honestly, sometimes Kenshin didn't know when to keep to himself.

"Oro!" (Poor Kenshin)

"Hey what's cookin" asked a familiar voice. It belonged to a spiky haired fighter named Sanosuke Sagara; Sano for short. He didn't board at the dojo, but he spent most of the day hanging around the place when he had little money to spend. No one in the room questioned Sano's motives and asked him when he would show up next. He was a simple man but there were a few things the residents of the dojo didn't want to know, like what a retired fighter-for-hire did in his spare time.

"It smells pretty decent." he replied as he tightened the red bandana around his head and stepped into the room

"Wow! I'm so glad you think so since you will be eating with us." Kaoru replied happily.

"Whoa, now missy. You don't honestly think I will eat your food? Probably will taste terrible no matter how it smells." Sano said as he shook his head. His answer seemed totally justifiable.

"See! I told you, Kaoru." Yahiko yelled with triumph.

"Well Sano, I never knew you to turn down free food, and why don't you shut your big mouth Yahiko!" Kaoru replied huffily.

"Well…your right. I don't turn down free food. I guess I will stay to eat since you invited me to eat with ya'll." came a lazy reply from Sano.

"Wh…wh…when did I invite you to stay and eat!"

"Don't you remember, Kaoru? It was when I first walked in. You said 'you will be eating with us.' Now do you remember?" Sanosuke said with a smirk.

Kaoru clenched her fist, tightened her jaw, and glared her eyes. "Why you…!"

By now Yahiko had to add his opinion to the mix. After all, he was not the kind of boy to be quiet.

"Why did you tell me to shut my mouth, Kaoru? I was only confirming the truth."

While Kaoru started yelling at Yahiko for his last comment, Sano whispered to the redheaded rurouni.

"Truly, Kenshin, how do you stand the food?"

"Think quick Kenshin, before Kaoru gets even more upset" Yahiko nudged as he dodged away from Kaoru.

"Oro" sweat drop

Kaoru had had enough "If none of you like my cooking and cannot say anything good about it then get out of my kitchen!" she yelled as she started throwing anything at hand at the two men and young boy.

As the three ran out of the room, Yahiko (who always had to have the last word) yelled with a laugh at Kaoru "You should pay more attention to the food and not us talking. Because what you 'were' cooking is now on fire!"

Kaoru hastily turned her head. The meal that she had slaved over all noon lay charred to a crisp. With eyes brimming with fire she shoved her sleeves pasted her elbows and stormed towards the apprehensive men (and boy). They would not get away so easily. And with a piercing shriek from the furious girl, the relaxing spring day shattered around the dojo.

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Okay, I'm done now. I can rest peacefully knowing that I've fixed this story. Or should I write another chapter? Hmm...I'll ponder on that, but I'll only do it if I know someone will read.

Oh, yeah...I need a beta. (anyone know where I can find one?)

Ja ne