A/N: This story has been sitting on my computer for a while now. I figure by submitting it I can stop staring and editing it and move on with the other chapters. Thanks for reading and review please!
Disclaimers: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin
It was a cold stormy night as the woman stumbled through the darkness that enfolded her.
"Don't worry Kaoru-dono, sessha will be back." Those words seemed to haunt her as she staggered on. Kenshin had always managed to get into her head at the most inappropriate times. Her ankle twisted on something slippery shooting a sharp pain up her right leg.
The storm had taken everyone by surprise and she had rushed to the Akabeko to help out with the many drenched strangers that seemed to land on Tae's doorstep.
Her training gi and hakama was drenched in blood, sweat and rain as the injured, and, what seemed to be the whole population of Tokyo, had managed to find the safe haven that was the Akabeko. Tae and Tsubame were struggling when she had arrived from training at the dojo nearby, her only other source of income for the three other males who had managed to worm themselves into her home, life and heart. She immediately stepped into helping the family who had walked in behind her. She had given countless people a warm cup of tea and made sure the injuries were not too serious. She treated what she could with the supplies the police had given them, although many were left without medical treatment.
Tae had ushered her out of the restaurant as soon as she had seen that Kaoru could barely keep on her feet. "Kaoru, you need to rest, sit down and I'll get you some tea." But Kaoru was worried about Yahiko and had politely refused Tae's kindness, said her goodbyes and had walked out into the night.
"Yeah, Jou-chan, we'll be back." The raven haired woman still kept on moving despite nature's constant battle against her and the pain of her ankle. She pictured the lazy smile of Sano before he had departed with Kenshin, the fish-bone ever present and his jacket still displaying 'bad' as he had turned and walked out of the gates.
"MOU! Why is it whenever I decide to go out, everything is ruined?" It wasn't exactly true, as she had made several daily trips to the many dojos she taught out without anything bad happening. It was just whenever she thought things where starting to level out, something bad just had to happen.
The woman kept battling against the heavens which hadn't stopped its powerful onslaught, each step she took, the one behind disappeared, washed away as if it never existed. She thought it was somewhat like her life, each time she took a step forward, something would disappear behind her, forgotten in her past. She didn't want to let go, but somehow she would have to, to preserve her strength.
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Yahiko stood undercover as he watched the rain pour down unrelentingly upon the dojo and surrounding area. He had been waiting staring at the rain for a familiar figure to step out of the rain and start yelling at him for standing in the cold.
"Damn, busu, where are you?" He was worried, not that he would publicly announce it or anything, but Kenshin had left him with a job. "Look after Kaoru-dono for sessha, for sessha knows how hard Kaoru-dono works." He would carry out that job, but he wouldn't be able to do anything in this weather and he certainly couldn't do it if Kaoru wasn't here. He just hoped that she would return soon. Kaoru had said she was going to be out all day and he didn't want to badger her. She had already looked tired before she left.
Yahiko thought about going out to search for her, but it would be pointless if she were on her way home, and upon arrival she would worry about where he had gone. It was better to just stay put. He had already set up her bath so that when she got home she could get clean and warm. His attempt at dinner was waiting in the kitchen. His miso soup was not as good as Kenshin's but it was better than nothing, and seemed easy enough to prepare. He was learning to make small meals at the Akabeko and Tae had explained before giving him his first lesson "as much as I love Kaoru, she can't make a meal to save her life." Kaoru did have a habit of burning food, even if her intentions were good.
Yahiko wondered about his adoptive home, he was appreciative for all that his 'family' did for him. Especially Kaoru, and he didn't want to see her anymore strung out than she was lately. She didn't smile as much, and, if she did it was forced. She thought that she could hide it from him that she was hurting, but he knew her too well. He did the best that he could for her and was currently saving up to buy her a birthday gift. He knew that she spent what little money she earned on the three of them, money that he would slowly pay back, not that she would know. Yahiko worked at the clinic for Megumi in the mornings, cleaning and such. It was a private arrangement between himself and Megumi, no-one else knew of it, and he saved up the money to buy small things for Kaoru that she wouldn't notice. Last week it was the small ribbon that she had 'found' in the bottom of her drawer, the week before it had been a small comb. He thought that possibly Kenshin knew he was giving Kaoru these things as he had caught him outside Kaoru's room after placing the comb in her room, but he had only commented on the weather. "It was a nice day out for visiting the markets, that it was."
Yahiko didn't want the others to know he was leaving stuff for Kaoru, they might read more stuff into it than was really there. All the same, it didn't stop him from noticing that the twinkle had gone from her eyes, and the lightness of her steps was no longer there. He could see lines on her face that shouldn't be there and he was worried.
Yahiko turned around to go back into the dojo, to make sure everything was clean for her return, to make sure there were no leakages, to do something whilst he waited.
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"Maybe we should stop for the night Kenshin, I think it's getting worse" Sano was walking with his head held at an angle so that the rain didn't pour into his face underneath the hat. He and Kenshin had managed to save a man whose leg had been caught under a tree. The man had given them both a hat and a coat to keep the rain off as a way of thanks. They really knew how to pick those they happened to come across in their travels.
"If it seems to be getting worse, perhaps it is best that we keep going. Yahiko and Kaoru may need some help with the storm. We are not too far from home, that we are not"
Sano looked down at his friend, even though the hat hid his face from view, he could sense that his friend was worried about something.
Home? Since when had Kenshin referred to the dojo as home? Sano didn't want to pressure Kenshin at the moment, he had a feeling that if he brought it up, the short red-head would deny ever saying it.
"Oi! Kenshin, they'll be alright. Don't worry, Jou-chan can't get up to that much mischief in two weeks. At least I don't think she can. Yahiko on the other hand…" The little brat had been sneaking off during the day before they had left and he hoped that he knew what he was doing. He prayed that he had not mixed himself up with any of the Yakuza that he had previously been associated with. It would break Jou-chan's heart, not that it needed much to be broken in the first place. If that brat did anything to hurt Kaoru, he would get it.
"Sanosuke, don't do anything too stupid while you're away, ok?" She had smiled at him, telling him that she worried about him, and he was grateful for it. Kaoru was the one who kept their mismatched family together. Although he teased her mercilessly, he only did it because he cared. He frowned, since when had he actually thought about how much he cared for Jou-chan? Kenshin was right though, it was better for them to get home, if only to check on them and to check to see how they were surviving the storm. Also, if they got home early enough, maybe Kenshin would cook them a late dinner…
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The rain had slowly increased in intensity as they walked to Tokyo, each footstep seemingly muddier than the last. The storm had suddenly descended upon them as they were a couple hours out of town, there had been hail and thunder and the man they had saved earlier had said it was the worst storm they had seen in 30 years.
"Kenshin?" She had asked as he turned to leave, "Don't be gone too long…" He had already been gone two weeks. Two weeks too long, in his opinion.
He missed her. He hadn't yet figured out what his feelings for Kaoru meant to him. A part of him wanted to see her smile for him, and for that smile to never waver, but the other part wanted to study every aspect of her face, not wanting to miss anything.
Her face had started to drop, and she was tired a lot of the time. She had started to mask her tiredness with a cheeriness that he knew to be forced. Her smile, which used to be full of vigour was flat and no longer reached her eyes.
He heard Sano grunt beside him, he knew the other man was weary, they had been walking all day, non-stop since lunch time. He had decided that the quickest way to get home was by foot, and, with Sano's aversion to trains, it was probably the most reasonable. As it turned out, the rail-tracks had been shut down due to the storm, so they were further ahead then they would have been if they had taken the train.
Kenshin's thoughts returned once again to the raven haired kendo instructor. He knew that she worked hard to earn enough for them to eat, working tirelessly at the nearby dojos. He had given Yahiko the task of looking out for Kaoru while he was away, but there was only so much that the young aspiring samurai could do. "Kenshin, on my honour, I will do my best to look after Kaoru." Kenshin knew that he worked at both the Akabeko and the clinic for Megumi and spent what little he earned on Kaoru. The young boy dedicated himself to learning kendo and looking after Kaoru while pretending otherwise. Yahiko was cleverer than others had anticipated, and helped out whenever he could.
Sano had also started pitching in. He still gambled, but the money he won, he put aside for Kaoru and food for the inhabitants for the dojo. Instead of showing up empty handed for dinner, he occasionally brought food with him. It was his way of showing that he cared, subconsciously though, because Kenshin had a feeling that Sano hadn't realised what he was doing.
The red head frowned at the distance between himself and the dojo. If he ran he could make it within the hour, but he didn't want to leave Sano behind.
He was worried, something felt wrong, but he couldn't do anything about it. It was probably the rain and the dangers of flooding that were on his mind.
"Sano, do you think we could pick up the pace? It would be better if we could get there quicker, that it would."
A/N: Hit the blue review button... You know you want to...
