Hey!

Thank you for your reviews. I don't know yet how much romance there will be in this story. Hope you like the second one as well.

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin ;)

„Isn't Kenshin coming with us?", she asked confused and regretted it immediately.
Sano shook his head: „No. He is talking with that rude woman about something she didn't want to tell with us around."
Karou knew he wanted to show her his empathy with his comment and nodded.
„He said he would be home soon. Come now busu, I don't want to freeze in that place."

Kenshin had come home late last night. Far later than he had wanted to. When he had arrived at the dojo he had closed the gates behind him and locked them with great care. He had walked up to the house then, asking himself if Kaoru was still awake. He had already thought she would wait for him to come home, to afraid, that he would not been coming after all. He had felt her distress and anger. When he had walked past her room, he had seen the light of a candle glowing and had stopped infront of her shoji, trying to sense if she was awake or not. He had knocked at her door, but there had been no answer. He had whispered his „Taidama.", against the rice paper instead and had turned away to retire for the night. Finally he had found himself sleeping outside her room again.

And now Kaoru avoided him.

She had even skipped breakfast and had made her way to the dojo directly to practice. He had walked in then: „Kaoru-dono? Don't you want something to eat at least?"
Her answer had been cold: „No, Kenshin. I lost two days of training already."
He had not dared to say something more. He had went away into town at noon to have lunch with Maki again. And he had hated himself for it.
Diner now was as quiet as it had been yesterday. Kaoru looked tired and weak. He feared it had been to much for her today. And yesterday at the Akabeko. When she walked out without any word he stood up and followed her to her room.
„What is it Kenshin?", she asked in an empty voice. She didn't look at him, staring against her closed door.
„This one wanted to talk to you.", he felt like he was a kid again. He felt like he was a kid and had to tell his master that he would be going.
„I really am tired Kenshin.", she said now and turned to him, her eyes just as empty as her voice. He missed her fire, the sparkle in them, the special glitter in them when she looked at him.
„This one knows you must be. You have done a lot today.", he remembered his laundry had been finished, when he had come home from town earlier.
„Maybe too much.", she sighed and for a moment there was an emotion in her eyes. But not one he liked to see and he wondered if she thought about that laundry, too.
„Shall this one prepare some tea?", he awaited her to turn him down, but she nodded.
„I will just wait here for you.", she answered and sat down, her feet hanging off the porch improperly. He loved the sight. He swallowed his words and surpressed the impulse to touch her. When he came back, tea tray in his hands, he saw her slumped form, her head resting against the pillar and knew she was asleep. He approached her silently and watched her face. She really was beautiful. He got rid of the tea and cradled her carefully into his arms, opened the shoji with his feet to carry her inside. She stirred when he set her down onto her futon. He smiled and watched her, before he pulled the blanket over her body.
„Kenshin...?", he heard her breath out and turned to her face. Her eyes were open now.
„Sleep now, Kaoru-dono.", he reached out and cupped her cheek.
„You wanted to talk to me.", she answered, but he couldn't.
„This can wait for another day.", he answered simply.
She nodded and closed her eyes again. He waited until her breathing was calm and steady before he stood up and left to make his way to Maki again. They would have to wait another day.

Kaoru awoke by the sound of a female laughter. Was Megumi visiting? She turned on her futon, slowly facing the sunlight. From her window she could see the sun high at the sky. It had to be around noon already. She growled. Why had nobody woken her up yet? Usually Yahiko would be already jumping at her for training. She stretched and stood up, slightly wincing when her weight rested on her legs finally. She took on her training clothes and when she pulled her hair up into her usual ponytail she heard that laughter again. That wasn't Megumi.
Curious she opened her shoji, already a sinking feeling in her stomach. When Kenshin had looked at her like that in her room last night, she had thought he did care after all. But when she opened her door, she knew that had been a mistake. She looked directly into Makis face.
„Good morning.", she said quietly. The woman looked up then: „Morning? It is about noon."
Karou found again that she did not like her very much.
„Kaoru-dono. You're awake. This one was worried already."
Kaoru turned to his voice and his violet eyes were full of concern.
„You should have woken me up then. After all I am your... landlady.", Kaoru knew her reply was cold, but it was to much for her to bear, „Where is Yahiko? I only have a few hours to train him, before my other students will appear."
She saw how Kenshin flinched at her words: „Yahiko is at the Akabeko."
„The Akabeko?", she asked, fully forgetting her cold self.
His answer was quiet: „There was another attack at Maki tonight."
Kaoru watched Maki closely at those words, waiting for something more: „This one brought Maki here with him, so this one can protect her properly."
Karou was at a loss of words. So after carrying her to bed he had visited Maki that night? She swallowed.
„Is Tae-san allright? And Tsubame-chan?", she asked finally.
„Yes. Nobody was hurt this time. But Yahiko decided to stay there in case the Akabeko would be attacked again."
„Attacked again...?", Kaoru repeated slowly.
„Yes, this one thought it was a good idea...", Kenshin began, but now Kaoru felt her anger rising up in her and she turned back to face Kenshin. „Himura Kenshin. Don't tell me you left my pupil. My PUPIL. My eleven year old pupil at the Akabeko to protect it? And our friends?"
„Ah, Kaoru-dono..."
„He is just eleven Kenshin. And his wounds aren't healed completely yet after that fight with Enishi!"
She saw him wincing when she mentioned Enishi and the guilt in his eyes. But for one time it didn't matter. She had not been so upset in weeks: „He was halfway dead! And now you left him again to fight if there is need to?"
„Kaoru-dono, this one wanted to come back because you were here all alone..."
„Are you trying to say Yahiko can protect himself better than me?"
„No, this one is not...", Kenshin tried to say, but this time it wasn't Kaoru who interrupted him. It was Maki.
„That silly brat wanted to stay there because of that little girl you call Tsuba..."
Kaoru turned to her and her tone was deadly low: „My apprentice is not a silly brat."
„Maa...maaa...", Kenshin began, but Kaoru raised her hand to stop him.
„Hirashi-san. Kenshins friends are my friends after all. But if you insult my apprentice ever again, when he is protecting people from something you are the cause of, that friendship will find its end."
„Kaoru-dono wait now, where are you...", Kenshin yelled after her when she stomped down the porch.
„To the Akabeko, of course!", she yelled back. She turned again not recognizing that something was very wrong, before she heard him screaming after her again. And then her world turned upside down, she heard the explosion of the gates infront of her, she felt the shock wave vibrating through her entire body, when she flew backwards. There was a sharp pain in her head when she connected with something hard. „Ugh...", everything around her was fuzzy. „Kaoru-dono! Kaoru-dono... Kaoru-dono can you hear me?", that was Kenshins voice at her ear, repeating the same words over and over with his arms around her waist, steadying her. She shook her head: „What..."
She felt how Kenshin moved away from her, saying something that was not directed at her. She had to get herself together. Focus, Kamiya, focus, she said to herself, shaking her head again to get rid of that headache. She felt something warm running down her head and neck. She was bleeding. What had happened?
Again she tried to see what was going on, there was a blur of red, pink and white... Kenshin. And a lot of people in her yard. She heard yelling and the sound of swords clashing against each other. A fight? She stumbled a step forward. There was Maki, screaming and crying out for Kenshin. But she was not alone. There were two men at her side, dragging her away from Kaoru.
They were trying to take her!
Kaoru finally realized what was going on. Kenshin was desperately fighting against at least twenty men, trying to get to Maki, but it was hopeless. They had encircled him, stopping his every move.
„Stop now!", her voice seemed far away in her own ears. She gripped her bokken firmly. She would not be able to do much, but she had to try.
She stumbled forward, attacking the man to Makis right weakly, but he dodged easily.
Her second attack was stronger and the man finally let go off Maki. Good. Kaoru attacked again, but the man countered and cut her leg instead. She hissed, looked up again and saw the sword coming to her to late. Another cut into her upper body.
„Kaoru-dono!", she heard Kenshins yell, but she couldn't focus. She couldn't. She noticed the second man had dragged Maki out of the door, but she couldn't do anything about it. She nearly missed the next attack of the man infront of her. She avoided it barely and heard Kenshins desperate scream again. But he had to go to get Maki back. She knew. She saw him standing there in the yard, between the last men around him, watching her and the gate in turn.
„I will be allright Kenshin. Just go and get her.", her voice wasn't loud, but the next thing she saw was him running out of the hole in the wall were once her door had been. Now there were five men standing. And her.
The man fighting her laughed. „You won't be allright little girl."
Kaoru knew she would have a hard time fighting, but she had to. Kenshin would come back soon. It had been only one man with Maki. He would be back soon. She had to last that long.
She stumbled forward, managed a hit, but it was weak again. She heard them laughing. Kaoru hissed in pain again, when she received two more cuts into her arms. Now a second one joined the game they were playing with her. She managed to parry his blow, but was too late to dodge the attack of the first man. A cut at her back. Kenshin would come. He would come in time. He had always come. She screamed desperately, when she decided to attack again, but when their swords clashed against each other she lost the grip on her bokken.
Kaoru couldn't even see his next move, she only felt the incredible pain in her stomach. She fell over, wincing in pain. Then there was a pain in her back and she winced again.
„Jou-chan!", she heard a new voice.
„She's already dead.", the other voice answered. And then everything went black around her.

The next things she remembered were clouded.

„Where is the one responsible for that?"
„Already at the police station."
„You can't go to the police now. She needs you now here at her side!"
„I should have slit his throat directly."
Kaoru heard the voices around her, but couldn't quite figure out who the people around her were.
„That won't help her now, Ken-san."
„But it would have helped then."
She knew that voice. Somehow it felt wrong, it sounded wrong but she knew it definitely.
„Maybe I should visit the police station later." It was Kenshin. Kenshin was there!
„Kenshi...", she muttered before everything went black again.

Kaoru felt something wet on her cheek. Something wet? And warm? She tried to move, but she couldn't.
„This one failed you again... again and again and again." Kaoru heard his pained voice at her ear. What had caused him such pain? What was able to cause this man so much pain? Her eyes fluttered open determined to find out and make an end to it. Kenshin knelt next to her futon, his face burried in his hands. She wanted to talk to him, to touch him, but she couldn't. And he didn't saw her.

„Can you hold her upright for a bit, Ken-san? We have to tend the wound on her back now.", Megumi. Kaoru felt how she was lifted up and and felt something warm press against her. Sandalwood and Ginger. She inhaled deeply, somehow feeling complete now. Complete and safe.

„Kenshin. Those men are fighting at my home. We have to go! We have to leave!", it was a female voice Kaoru couldn't sort in directly. Who was it? Leaving?
„We have to leave, you are right. But this one won't go anywhere right now."
„There are people dying Kenshin!", now Kaoru wondered if it was Maki.
„Someone very important to me is fighting death right now at my side!", Kenshins tone was low, somehow to low.
„You can't do anything for her! It isn't helping to sit at her side day and night!"
„Kaoru-dono has done that much for me, when I was injured like that. I won't leave her alone now.", now Kaoru realized what was wrong. That wasn't Kenshin. It was Battousai.
Her realization gave her the strength to speak finally.
„Kenshin...", she whispered hoarsley.
„Kaoru-dono!"
When she opened her eyes she looked directly into his amber ones.
„Kenshin.", she repeated. He looked horrible.
„This one is right here at your side, that he is.", he said and she sighed: „So you are Himura Kenshin...after all."
„Oro?", he made and she felt how the corners of her mouth moved up slightly.
„Yes...you are Himura Kenshin."
She saw him nodding and opening his mouth to answer, but he was interrupted: „Is she awake now?"
Kaoru felt him tense next to her, before he answered, without turning to Maki: „She is. This one suggests you should leave for a moment to get Megumi-dono."
When Kaoru heard the quiet thump of the shoji being shut, she closed her eyes for a few moments again.
„So you got her back...", she muttered.
„This one is glad, you are awake. So glad.", he ignored her words.
„How long...?", she asked.
„You were asleep for a week.", he answered, his voice hoarse.
„And you weren't sleeping for a week.", she looked at the dark circles under his eyes.
He shrugged: „This one tried to."
„You have to take better care of yourself, Kenshin.", she scolded.
„I have to take better care of you, Kaoru-dono.", Kenshin answered, again loosening his humble speech. Kaoru felt he was on the edge.
„I have to take better care of myself, too. After all I told you to go.", she said, trying to reassure him.
„This one failed you. This one should have waited for a few moments more to safe Maki from those men. This one failed to protect you again and now you are..."
„Shhh, Kenshin. I really don't want to hear that.", she said and he stopped immediately.
„I may be a woman, but in some way I am just a swordsman like you. I wasn't strong enough."
„You were already injured from that explosion.", He raised his hand to the bandadge around her head, his face covered with his usual mask that hid his thoughts just to well. „This one doesn't know what he would have done, if he would have lost you. This one really doesn't know. So please allow this one to protect you, even if you are a strong woman by yourself."
She nodded simply, irritated by his fingers that had moved from the bandadge to her hair now, stroking through it, combing it with his fingertips.
„And I promise I won't fail you again.", he stated, again falling back into his old self. Kaoru opened her mouth to respond when the door opened again, but Kenshin did not bother to take his hand away from her, when Megumi approached. It kept her calm. And maybe him too. „So Tanuki finally awake then?!", she scoffed. But Kaoru knew she was glad. Just as glad as Kenshin was. They really had became friends after the whole thing with Enishi. Even the few month Megumi had been in Aizou had not stopped the two women from writing each other nearly every day.
„How are you feeling? We have to check your wounds again."
„I am thirsty.", she admitted.
„This one will get a glass of water for you, Kaoru-dono.", finally the sweet sensation of the caresses in her hair stopped and Kenshin stood up and Kaoru saw how Maki was all over him again, before he closed the door shut.

Kenshin had been furious. No. Battousai had been furious. Only when he had came back with Maki and had sawn her lying on the ground next to Sanosuke, who desperately tried to stop the bleeding at her back and her stomach at the same time, he realized he couldn't feel her ki anymore.
„Kenshin!", he had heard Sanos hopeless voice through a daze and knelt down next to them. „Kenshin.", Sanosuke had begun talking to him vividly, „Hold that. Bring her into her room. I go get the kitsune here."
And only then he had realized that she wasn't dead. That they could fight for her even now. He had nodded and pushed Sano out of the way, lifting her limp form and carried her to the next room. His own.
Only when his numbness had dissapeared he had became angry. The battousai had been scratching on his surface the whole time, but then he couldn't hold him back any longer. There was nothing left for him to do, they had done what they could for her. The only thing that had been holding him at her side had been her muttering his name. He had forced himself to breath in and out slowly. She needed him. Megumi-dono was right. She needed him there.
Everytime he had tried to sleep the only thing he had been seeing was her. Her on the ground, in a puddle of her own blood, her on his futon, pale like death itself, her in the dojo, pinned against the wall... So he had stayed at her side. That was the only thing that kept him sane. She had protected him, even in her pain.
He felt unworthy. He was unworthy. He had failed her again. The one person he wanted to protect the most. And he had failed her because of a woman he had known a long time ago. A woman that had been like a sister to him. A woman that was now someone, that annoyed him to a level he had not even known was possible.
The woman that followed him even now to the kitchen to get Kaorus much needed water. He ignored her when he made his way back to his room. He stood infront of the shoji, waiting, unsure what to do. He raised his hand to knock gently at the door.
„You can come in Ken-san!", Megumi answered him and he opened the shoji, trying to smile his usual silly smile.
„Come here, I need your help. I can't look after that wound on her back now, if you would please hold her upright for a bit, Ken-san."
Kenshin swallowed. He had done that for the last few days, but now Kaoru was awake. He saw her blush and walked slowly over to her. He knelt down infront of her. „Kaoru-dono, if you are uncomfortable with that, this one can ask...", he stopped himself from saying Makis name out loud. He felt it was the wrong thing to say now. Kaoru shook her head weakly at him, so he slowly put one of his hands in the back of her neck to steady her head and with his other hand he pulled her up to him. He felt how her hands fell into his lap. She rested her head against his chest and he cradled her close. Now he could see her back under her opened robe and all those bandadges. He swallowed and began to murmur comfortingly words into her ear, his fingertips massaging her neck in circles. He exchanged a glance with Megumi, recognizing the smile of the young woman.
„Kaoru you have to eat something after that."
She nodded against his gi, to weak to answer right now.
„This one already heated some Miso-soup for you, Kaoru-dono."
He watched how Megumi undressed the wound and was again reminded how huge it was. It was nothing more than a wonder she was alive. And awake. In his arms.
„Kenshin?", her voice was weak.
„Yes, Kaoru-dono?", he answered her softly.
„Maki...said... something about … hm, leaving...", Kenshin felt his heart flinching at her words. Megumis head shot up, a shocked expression on her face.
He tightened his embrace for a moment: „This one isn't going anywhere right now."
She didn't answer. Megumi finished her task and he layed her gently back again, before answering the knock on the door. It was Yahiko who made his way in, a bowl of soup in his hands.
„Hey ugly, think you needed this...", his voice was softer than usual. Kenshin smiled.
„Thank you.", Kaoru answered weakly.
„So Tanuki. Stay alive til tomorrow, I have more patients.", Megumi gave her a light clasp onto her head, before she stood up. „Ken-san, please call for me if something is the matter."
Kenshin bowed to her: „Thank you Megumi-dono. This one is really thankful."
„Don't be silly, Ken-san.", she laughed her usual Megumi laughter and left.
„Mmmh, I am leaving you two alone now I think.", Yahiko muttered, pressing the bowl into Kenshins hands before he fled from the room. Kenshin chuckled, setting the bowl aside.
„He loves you very much, Kaoru-dono.", he said to her, before he moved around her.
„This one will help you to eat."
He sat down behind her, resting her back against his chest, careful not to touch one of her many wounds.
„Kenshin...", she said so low he nearly missed it, when he reached for the food, „thank you."
„It's the least this one can do for you, after all you did for him."
„Now we switched positions, he?", she laughed a little bit, before wincing in pain and stopping.
„Seems we did.", he murmured darkly.
„Eat slowly Kaoru-dono. Your stomach will hurt when you eat too much and too fast."
After that they sat in silence. When Kaoru had finished half of the bowl she fell asleep again.
He looked down onto her face, giving in to the relief he felt. She would be living. He would see her smiles, her blush, hear her laughter, feel her warmth again.
He wasn't sure how long he sat like this, looking down onto the woman in his arms, when he heard another female voice.
„Shhh", he loosened his grip on Kaoru and raised his finger to his lips.
„This one will be outside with you in a minute, Maki."