It was a warm summer night in the Kamiya dojo. Typical summer noises such as soft breezes and crickets hung in the air like a melody. Inside four of them sat, enjoying (or trying to) another of Kaoru's dishes. The sun had already set quickly on their dinner, and they sat enjoying the remainder of the natural light, as they soon became dependent on the lanturns and candles they had set up inside.

"Kenshin" said the raven haired girl thoughtfully. "You never have said when your birthday is...." She looked up at him shyly from where she had been pushing her food around in her bowl.

For a few moments they sat quietly, with the exception of Yahiko and Sanoske's loud mouth munching, eating dinner.

"My apologies, I did not think it was important, miss Kaoru" answered the gentle, purple eyed man. He flashed her the smile that always made her heart skip, taking another polite bite at failed attempt of her dinner. Though the young girl was determined and spirited, her pure efforts never showed in the recepies she cooked.

"Not important!" she repeated in a high, astonished voice. "It's very important, haven't you ever celebrated your birthday, Kenshin?"

The redhead set his chopsticks down, silent for a moment "...Indeed I have, miss Kaoru, when I was a very small boy. "

"Then how do you keep track of the years!" She continued on frantically. "A birthday is very important, it's a celebration, another year of life on earth!"

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "I know how old I am, miss Kaoru," he clarified. He picked up his cup, which was filled with hot herbal tea, drinking from it calmly.

"Ahhhh" Sanoske sighed, placing a hand over his newly filled stomach, it was bloated slightly from his binging.

Yahiko in turn remarked with a similar gesture, however, he frowned slightly. "Not the best meal..." he remarked. "But at least it gets rid of the hunger pains.."

Sano nodded in agreement "Farthest from the best meal I've had, but in this world you have to deal with the cards you have. Unfortunately for us, that's not much to work with...." he trailed off.

Kaoru shot them a brief, ugly glare. She'd take care of them later. Turning happily towards Kenshin she continued: "Well, it's a real shame that you don't celebrate your birthday, and I must apologize for spending all this time with you and not taking note of that! How awful of me..."

"No, not awful of you miss Kaoru" he smiled again. "Do not worry yourself with me, that you shouldn't. I am happy without a birthday celebration."

"No no no!" she argued, crossing her arms, she frowned at him in utter determination. "Tomorrow night, we are going to celebrate your birthday!"

"Miss Kaoru, I don't know if that's a good-" the wanderer gently interrupted, hesitation in his voice.

"Yeah, missy." Sano overlapped Kenshin. "Kenshin's right, you don't have to go to all that trouble..."

Kaoru never stopped speaking "...And I'm going to get decorations, and Megumi can do the cooking and..."

"Alright!" Sano and Yahiko cheered in unison. Finally, they would have a real, delicious meal that wasn't hazardous to their health. Sano dropped all previous doubts he had.

"Miss Kaoru..." Kenshin gently continued.

"AND YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE IT!" Kaoru concluded with a loud huff. Smiling despite her authoritative commands she stood, gathering the dishes and taking them away to be cleaned and put in their proper place. Soft humming could be heard as the three boys still sat at the table, watching her small frame leave the room, closing the shoji behind her.

"Missy is one determined girl..." Sano remarked, shaking his head. He sat relaxed, an arm resting over his bent knee.

"She scares me" Yahiko said flatly.

"Determined...that she is..."Kenshin said, smiling quietly to himself.

After finishing the dinner chores, the four of them sat for about an hour, talking and laughing. It was during this time that Kaoru was able to extract her revenge for Sano and Yahiko's previous remarks on her cooking. It conisisted of her yelling at them, defending her pride vainly, and smacking them over the head with her bokken. After forced apologies, she seemed content to let it slide, for now. But as the evening grew later, Sano needed to head home.

"I'll see you tomorrow, missy" he said, getting up from the floor. They stood, walking him to the gate. "I'll bring the sake, too" he said, grinning brightly.

"Of course you will" she said, rolling her eyes. Kenshin took a mental note to watch her intake the following night. He still remembered vividly the last time Kaoru became drunk. Her moody fits of rage. It made him shudder inwardly.

"Make sure the little kid gets to bed soon" Sano added as he exited, waving his hand as he contined. "I don't want him tired before the party even starts!"

"I'm not a little kid you gambling drunkard!" Yahiko screamed angrily at Sano's back. He didn't seem to hear.

"Come on Yahiko" Kaoru said, irritation in her voice. "If you're not a little kid, then why do you let that bother you. Show some maturity and don't let him get to you!" She scolded, closing the gate.

"Like you should be talking. You seem to get just as upset when I call you ugly. And at least that's not a lie!" Yahiko fired back quickly.

There was a drawn out, angry pause radiating from the thin framed girl. "Upset? Why would that upset me?" she said in an utterly fake, happy voice. Yahiko gulped loudly. "Come here so I can hug you!" With that Yahiko bolted for the dojo, screaming. Kaoru followed suite, trying to catch the little brat.

"Kenshin! Kenshin stop her! Save me!" Yahiko's pathetic cries could be heard throughout the dojo as he tried to escape the wrath of an angry woman. They ran around and through almost all of the rooms in the dojo, before Kenshin appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Miss Kaoru" Kenshin said, grabbing her arm, his touch was very gentle, soft, but firm. She stopped dead in her tracks, her heart racing-but no longer from the running. She turned slowly, his grip still on her upper arm. "I'm sure Yahiko was trying to show you that it is hard to take one's own advice"

"...Oh.." she said quietly. Her azul eyes were transfixed on his purple ones. The proximity of their presence, how close they were, his hand slowly moved down from her arm.

"And you are not ugly, miss Kaoru. You are very beautiful, that you are" he said calmly. His face was serious, and without another word, he walked past her, into his room, closing the door.

Kaoru stood where he left her, motionless. Yahiko popped up, returning from wherever he had ran. He was smiling victoriously. "Must've been talking about inner beauty" he said.

She didn't seem to notice, but walked towards her room in a half daze. "Good night, Yahiko" she said sweetly.

Baffled, the spirited boy receeded awkwerdly. "Uh...night.." he said. The last to retreat to his room for the evening.

o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o

The next morning Kaoru woke early, not like she could sleep anyway. She happily went about the house silently, cleaning it and preparing it for the following evening's events. She even readied the kitchen for Megumi. She brought in buckets of water so the doctor wouldn't have to. The very act of aiding the woman was proof Kaoru was exspecially happy. She caught up all of the laundry, taking down and folding what Kenshin had done yesterday. She put everything in its place (with the exeption of the boy's things, for they were still in their rooms, sleeping.)

However, Kenshin was not sleeping, as Kaoru had thought. He too couldn't sleep-well, he rose early. This wasn't abnormal, and the retired assasin almost never slept fully anyway. No, he was in his room, listening to Kaoru move about. He felt a mixture of guilt and pleasure for what he had said last night. He had wanted to say those words for a very long time. But should he? It wasn't right, he argued with himself. Miss Kaoru shouldn't be involved with me...he thought to himself. I am still a danger...and I do not have a profession to support her...These thoughts were rediculous. Kaoru supported herself before he came around. She didn't live extravagently, but she survived. A danger he might be, but how? such a gentle man...

His thoughts were interrupetd by soft footsteps outside his door. Thinking she might come in, he quickly presumed a sleeping position, his eyes shut. However, she never knocked, nor came in. He only heard a soft clink and the fading sounds of her humming as she walked away.

Sighing he rose from his futon, sliding his door open slightly. On the floor was a black tray. On that tray was a variety of dishes, and a note.

Kenshin,

Here's breakfast! I hope you wake soon enough to eat it while its hot, I didn't want to bother you. I left Yahiko some too, and will be leaving to do some shopping. I should be back late this afternoon, with Megumi, to start preparing for the party.

Kaoru.

P.S. And don't do any work around the house today! I mean it Kenshin, today's your birthday.

He read the note twice, smiling to himself. Instead of eating in his room, he rose, picking up the tray and taking it to the table which they ate. He sat down with the food the moment he heard the gate close. She had left. Taking up his chopsticks he began his meal, silently, thoughtfully.

o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o

Kaoru walked through the early city streets. Soon more people arrived, more people selling, trading, and buying things as the sun rose higher in the sky. She looked down at a list of foods and decorations she needed to get. She carried a large wooden basket with handle for the things she purchased. She mentally scolded herself for not making one of the boys come with her to carry her things. Coming up to a flower stand, she looked over the selection. "This would brighten up the room..." she said quietly to herself. The flowers were wild, red ones, much like his hair, accented with pure, white flowers. She opened her mouth, prepared to make a purchase when someone interrupted her, whispering in her ear.

"Don't buy these, miss" the woman said. "There's a new vendor on the outskirts of town, its a bit of a journey but you'll get what you want for less than half the price..." Kaoru beamed, nodding towards the young, dark haired woman as a sign of thanks. Bowing to the vendor, she turned and began the long walk for the last of the decorations.

o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o

It was getting late as Kaoru finally reached her destination. The sun would set in less than an hour or so and she finally saw in the distance her vendor. She looked upon her horizon. She saw trees and tall grass for miles, and the speck in the distance that was a vending stall. Upon nearing it, she smiled happily seeing that there were still many colorful flowers at his stall. She reached her destination, slightly tired after carrying the heavy shopping materials, but felt triumphant.

"Well hello miss" a tall, young man said with a pleasant smile. "I'm pleased to see you took such a long journey to my humble stall. What may I do for you today?"

"I need flowers. For a party." She said, nodding to him and gazing over the selection. The flowers seemed even brighter than the ones she'd seen in town. And the price, marked on a plank of wood, was too good to be true! Coming there was a success after all.

"Ahh, then you may have your pick! Any of these will most certainly accent your party to your liking. Might I ask what the occasion is, a wedding party perhaps? For your husband"

A pink blush reached her soft cheeks as she looked at the man, shaking her head quickly. "Oh no!" she said quickly. "I'm not married, and its a birthday party. For a friend."

"Gomen" the man said with a bow. He smiled in such a way that made Kaoru feel uncomfortable.

"Um...I'll have these" she said, pointing to similar reds and whites-the ones she had seen in town.

"Excellent choice" he said, that troubling smile still on his face. "Here, perhaps you would like to smell them first? They have a wonderful, subtle fragrance..." He held them out to her, so that she may sample.

"What scent are they...?" she asked, leaning forward so as to find out for herself. She took a deep breath, inhaling deeply and her beautiful blue eyes widened. As did his smile. She dropped her previous purchases; they fell to the ground, spilling and flying in every direction.

He laughed. "They smell like sleep" he said, moving out from behind the stall. Kaoru wavered, trying to remain standing, her body was quickly shutting down. Her vision blurred. Her mouth opened, as if to cry out for help, but no sound would come. She fell backwards, her right arm outstretched, and all became black.

o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o

"Arigato miss!" rang the voice of a young, brown haired girl. She smiled brightly, in spite of her bandaged arm.

Megumi smiled, nodding. "You're welcome" she said. "Now be careful with your arm. Get plenty of rest, and I'll see you again before the end of the next moon, alright?"

The little girl, who looked to be around the age of nine nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you, miss Megumi" said the little girl's mother. "I just don't know how children hurt themselves these days!" The two departed after paying the doctor.

Sighing the beautiful woman began packing up her things. There came a knock at her door. "Is it an emergency?" she called, slightly frustrated since she was just putting everything away.

"Yeah! You and missy need to hurry up so we can party!" Came a familiar male voice. The same that irritated her, almost daily.

"What are you talking about, rooster head?" she said, not trying to make the polite attempt of masking her agitation as he let himself in.

"Eh? Didn't she tell you?" he said. "We're gonna celebrate Kenshin's birthday tonight, since he never has." He grinned. "Come to think of it...where is missy anyway?" he said, scratching his head.

"Sano" she said, her patience wavering. "I haven't seen that little girl all day. Just patients. It's not my job to babysit her, after all I am a working adul-" she was cut off by him.

"Then where could she be?" he interrupted. "She's not at the dojo, I just dropped the sake off. And she was supposed to arrive here to get you about an hour ago."

"...I haven't seen her" Megumi repeated, detecting the seriousness of the situation.

"C'mon" he said, grabbing Megumi aprubtly by the arm, she dropped the rolls of bandages she was putting away. They rolled and unraveld across the floor.

"Hey-!" she protested.

"We have to get Kenshin!" with that he took (half carried) Megumi out of the medical building, running for the Kamiya dojo.