Author's Notes: Well, this is my first fic ever...hope it's ok. I'm writing this fanfic even though I've got exams coming up, and it will probably be months to finish this. Pardon if the characters seem OOC, Sano is a little *too* smart. Until then, bear with me, and C&C are welcomed with open arms.
Text in here are thoughts of the characters
Stuff in (brackets)is the author's opinion.
words in *here* are meant to be italicized(is that what you call changing to italics?)
and *~*~* denotes a change of scene.
The Glossary of Japanese Terms is at the end of the chapter(although I'm not sure about some of the terms myself ^_^;;)

Chapter 1
Daijobou?

The weather was wonderful. Cherry blossoms fell down softly as the branches swayed in the cool breeze. The sun shone down benignly like a satisfied grandfather. Kaoru surveyed the dojo with a smile. Today was the perfect day for a bath. "Kenshiiiinn!!" she called out.

"Hai, Kaoru-dono," replied Kenshin, getting up and shaking the soap suds off his hands. He was washing the clothes as he always did.

"Kenshin, would you go prepare a bath for me?" wheedled Kaoru, looking at him rather expectantly:: as if he'll refuse me::.

"Hai de gozaru. It's a perfect day for one." agreed Kenshin with a quick nod of his head, swinging his bangs into his eyes. He shook his head to keep the bangs from poking his eyes, and when that failed, he tried blowing at them.

Kaoru looked with amusement. "Ano, Kenshin... maybe you should use your hands." She suggested.

"But I don't want to get soap in my hair de gozaru," replied Kenshin, still making a futile attempt to shake the hair out his eyes.

Kaoru sighed. Kenshin no baka She went over, and brushed the bangs off his face and stepped back with a smile on her face.

"Thanks, Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru grinned, "Don't forget my bath now", she reminded, then turned around and entered the dojo. Kenshin stared at her willowy body in a hungry way, then realized his unholy thoughts and turned around. He started hanging out the clothes. There was a peaceful silence, with only the sounds of birds chirping and the sloshing sounds as Kenshin washed and dried.

" KEENNNSSHIIINNNN!!" thundered Kaoru's voice.

A big splash could be heard simultaneously with Kenshin's gurgled ,"Hai, I'm coming!" He got out of the tub soaking wet. He sighed in his (cute) rurouni way, and tried to wring his clothes dry.:I guess I'll let them dry with the fire for Kaoru's bath. He sighed again, and went to prepare Kaoru's bath.

*~*~*

As Kaoru soaked in the warm bath, she started relaxing. Making little circles in the water with her forefinger, she lay back and dreamily thought of thoughts which a decent seventeen year old was not supposed to be thinking(about Kenshin, of course!)
After a very long time, she finally got out of the bath, although reluctantly, wrapped the towel around herself and proceeded to get her clothes.

"Eeeeek!!!" she shrieked as she slipped on a bar of soap. Then all was dark....

Kenshin heard Kaoru scream, and with his god-like speed, rushed towards the bathroom. He drew his sakabatou, and sliced the door clean in half. He saw the shocking image of Kaoru lying on the floor, unconscious.

Kenshin was overwrought with dismay. Kaoru's face scared him half out of his wits. He had seen plenty of pale, dead faces, but Kaoru! As he stared, he saw that her chest was rising and falling, slightly( no, she *did* still have her towel on). She was alive!

"Orororo?!?"

Thudding footsteps were heard outside the bathroom, and Yahiko rushed into the bathroom, he too had heard the scream. {Of course, he was not as fast as Kenshin, so it took him some time.}

"OH MY GOD, SHE'S DEAD!"

"Yahiko, calm down. She's not dead, just unconscious."

"Oh," Yahiko relaxed and sauntered out.

"Wait!! She *is* hurt, you know. We have to get her to Dr. Genzai's clinic as soon as possible," explained Kenshin (the magnificent.)

"Well, okayy, but she doesn't look very respectable right now. You fix that problem." Yahiko walked out as Kenshin looked at Kaoru's half-naked body.

"YAHIKOO!!"

*~*~*~*
After some time...

"I don't know, her kimono looks all crooked"Yahiko examined Kaoru's body.

"But..."

"C'mon Kenshin, you can do better than this," urged Yahiko. Kenshin sighed. How could he put the kimono on if he was closing his eyes? Exasperated with himself, he started to dress Kaoru in her hakama outfit. Thank Kami-sama she wears them he thought to himself.

Yahiko raised no outcry and they headed towards the clinic. Kenshin was carrying Kaoru and he promised himself that he would never cook for Kaoru again, for she was getting a bit overweight with all that edible food and now he was paying the price as he strained at the bulk on his shoulders.

*~*~*~
At the clinic...

"She seems to have knocked herself out. The back of her head is quite swollen. We'll see if she's been affected when she wakes up," said Megumialthough her head is too thick for any damage to be done anyway she said to herself. "Go get this from the market, if you don't mind. I've run out of it, it helps to alleviate the pain." Kenshin scurried out obediently with the empty bottle that Megumi gave him.

Coming out of the room to get ice, Megumi caught sight of Sanosuke hanging around. Why can't that big oaf do something *productive* for a change? "Hey, Sanosuke! Come here if you're going to lounge around all day. Kaoru's hit her head and out cold. I have to attend to my other patients too and since you're here, and not doing anything, you're gonna watch for Kaoru until she wakes up. And I will NOT take 'no' for an answer, you hear?"

"Aw, shucks, Kitsune. Why me?"

"Because that's what friends are supposed to do." Megumi shoved him in.

"Hey, hey, quit shovin!" Megumi gave him a dark look, swept her hair back defiantly, and walked off in a huff.

Sano also proceeded to go out of the room, and looked back at the ailing Kaoru. Uh-oh, Jo-chan looks pretty bad Sano considered staying or going. I don't like doing what that fox tells me, but I don't think I can leave Kaoru like this. He looked at Kaoru and gulped. Who would give me those free meals without her around? So he made himself comfortable in a corner of the room and waited...

*~*~*

Sano yawned. An hour had passed and Megumi hadn't at all arrived. That fox he thoughtI'll get her for sticking me in a room like this.

He started at a low moan. Turning, he saw that Kaoru was trying to rise.

"Ite...my head, it hurts," she moaned. What happened? she tried to remember. I don't remember hitting my head. She opened her eyes slowly, and saw a tall man with a curious hairstyle consisting of several spikes of hair sticking out of the top of his head, defying gravity. It made the picture of a chicken appear in her mind. He was looking anxiously at her. She furrowed her brows in puzzlement.

"Jo-chan, are you alright now?" asked Sanosuke. Why was she looking so surprised to see him? She probably expected Kenshin to be here he thought dryly.

"*Who are you*?" Sanosuke's head nearly bumped the ceiling when he heard Kaoru speak.

"Whaddya mean by saying, '*who are you*'? I'm Sanosuke, that's who I am. Now Jo-chan-"

"I don't know any Sanosuke... *and stop calling me Jo-chan*! My name's Kaoru."

"Lemme help you, *Kaoru*. You just bumped your head pretty rough a while ago." He contemplated the events thoughtfully. "You may have lost your memory or something. Do you know who Kenshin is? Yahiko? Megumi?" Kaoru shook her head at each name. "Tae?"

"Oh, of course I remember Tae, she's my best friend."

So that means you didn't lose so much of your memory. Jo-chan, I mean Kaoru, I want you to tell me how old you think you are right now."

" I'm fifteen, I think"

"Jo-chan," Sano inserted a dramatic pause, " you're seventeen."

"Really?" she asked incredulously. She looked down at her body. She certainly did seem more *developed* than she remembered. Could it be, that I lost three years of my memory? she asked herself. Well, it *was* possible. "How do I know what you're saying is true?"

Sano felt himself growing irritated. "You don't," he said sarcastically.

"Well, I want to see Tae."

"She's busy in her restaurant."

"Dr. Gensai?"

"He's on his holiday."

There was a pause.

"Have I really lost three years of my memory?"

Well, I've only known you for a year, so I don't know much. But I'll tell you all I can," offered Sano.

Kaoru thought for a moment. The guy seems to be speaking the truth. What would he gain by lying anyway? She looked up at him, although a bit doubtfully. "Tell me who those people are, Ken-something, Yahiko and the other one."

Sano grinned. "Well, Yahiko is your student in the dojo, Megumi is the new doctor, and Kenshin," a gleam appeared in Sanosuke's eyes ",he's your fiancé."

"I'm getting married? But I-"

"Relax, he's a nice guy."

"But I don't know him."

"You can get to know him in the next few days."

"Somehow I'm feeling very suspicious."

"You can ask Tae."

"And who are you?"

I'm your cousin who's staying at the dojo free of expense He didn't say it out loud, although he was tempted to. He didn't want to create a situation that could risk his chances of getting a free meal at Kaoru's. "I'm a friend of yours."

"You are?" said Kaoru in an incredulous tone.

"Yes," said Sanosuke in a sarcastically sweet voice, "your best friend after Tae. You tell me all your secrets. You even-."

"Baka." Sano grinned. Kaoru scowled.

"And I'm really getting married?"

"Uh-huh."

Kaoru sighed. "Somehow, you know, I feel I can't handle all this. Everything feels so, so *rushed*. I can't believe I'm already seventeen. How is the dojo? Am I doing well?"

"Ummm, you can see that for yourself later." Sano heard some footsteps in their direction." I'd better inform them that you've lost your memory, or you'll be all jumbled up. Wait a sec, ok?" He went out of the room and saw Kenshin approaching.

"Hello Sanosuke, is Kaoru up?" asked Kenshin politely. "Yahiko wanted to come too, but Tae spotted him and detained him at the Akabeko."

"I have some bad news," said Sanosuke seriously. Kenshin's mouth fell open.

"Wh-what do you mean Sanosuke de gozaru? What's wrong? Is she-?"

"She's lost her memory."

" What??!!"

"I've talked to her already. She's probably lost about two years, which means she doesn't remember you guys or me"

"Bu- but, how can this be?"

"How about going in there to see for yourself? I've told her all about you and the others."

"Well, okay"

"That's my man! I'm going to the Akabeko for now. Sayonara!" Sano gave Kenshin a big thump on the back, and waltzed off, chewing on a fishbone. Kenshin took a deep breath, and entered the room.

*~*~*

Kaoru saw the new person with the waist length coppery hair, the large violet eyes, the sensitive face, and the petite figure. The person turned from the door after a last word with Sano, then turned to face Kaoru, a slight smile of reassurance on the lips.

"Konnichiwa!!" she called out, " You must be Megumi-san."

"Nani?!" Kenshin's eyes bulged. "What did you say?"

"I said, 'Konnichiwa, Megumi-san'," replied Kaoru, still smiling brightly. Then a faint shadow of uncertainty marred her expression. "You are not Megumi-san?"

"I-ie," stammered Kenshin, unable to say anything else.

"Then who are you? Sano hasn't told me of anyone else."

"Ano, I'm, um, you see- "

"Well, spit it out," said Kaoru, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Kenshin swallowed. The age reduction is really making an effect. " Uh, did Sano tell you of a certain Himura Kenshin?"

"You mean...?" Kaoru trailed off. Sano said he was slight of build she remembered, but she never would have imagined the man who stood in front of her, shuffling his feet and blushing as red as his hair, to actually be the man she was marrying.

"Ha-hai," God, why was she making him so embarrassed with her innocent questioning?, he smiled sheepishly trying to diffuse the atmosphere.

"Oh Kami-sama!" exclaimed Kaoru. "You, you-"

"Yes?"

"You are my fiancé?"

"Oro!?!"

"I can't believe this!"

"Neither can I!"

They both stared at each other in stunned silence. Then finally Kenshin said, "Excuse me for a moment, Kaoru-dono. I have to go speak to Sanosuke Sagara." Then he left, with Kaoru still in shock.

*~*~*end of chapter*~*~*

Glossary of Japanese Terms
...de gozaru: Kenshin's style of speaking, it's kinda like a spoken full stop.
Nani: What
-dono: Kenshin's old-fashioned honorific, kinda like a Mr./Mrs./Ms.(i.e. Kaoru-dono translates to Miss Kaoru)
Hai: Yes
Ano: Umm
baka:idiot (i.e Kenshin no baka is Stupid Kenshin)
dojo: place for learning kendo/japanese swordfighting
oro: Kenshin's style of saying ara, kinda like huh?
kimono: Japanese outfit
hakama: loose flowing pants that are worn with a short jacket on top called gi.
Kami-sama: god
Kitsune: fox, Megumi's nickname
Jo-chan: Little Missy, Kaoru's nickname courtesy Sanosuke
sayonara: goodbye (duh)
Konnichiwa: hello, said after ten until before evening sets in
ie: no