Almost everyone expressed some concern about this being a vampire fic so I thought it might be good to clarify… or warn, whichever. Although this story does have "vampires" in it, I wouldn't exactly say it is a dark or possessive fic or even one that is strictly all about vampires. My stories are generally all about character or relationship development, and of course most of them are romance. Well… all of them are romance, to my dismay, but anyway. So I wouldn't be too concerned. Of course there is some violence, but there is always violence when there is a "bad guy" but the violence isn't why I've rated this story M. The rating is for later chapters, and has a lot to do with plot line. I'm not all into blood and guts and gory death and ripping people's throats out and drinking their blood. I do like explosions, but that's another story. Anyway, please continue to read this humble fic with the notion in mind that I am generally a big softy with a hidden evil streak to keep me well balanced.

Disclaimer: As I said before, none of the RK is mine, and any of the other names used are completely fictional. Including the castle and towns and stuff. XD

Chapter II: The Struggle

"What the hell are you still doing here?"

Kenshin glanced up from his seat, irritated already with the slew of questions that he were sure to be asked. After missing his own plane's departure nearly a week ago it was to be expected. However, with the tension in his being and the effects it was having on his mood he barely restrained himself from gnashing his teeth.

"As I told you over the phone, Sanosuke, I have found something that interests me."

The tightness in his response lifted one of Sano's dark eyebrows and he laughed as he plopped down in the seat across from his long time friend. The small round table resided outside a quaint coffee shop and a large umbrella overhead covered them from the more direct rays of the sun. Even still, Sano was thankful for his sunglasses. It was much too bright.

"Well, then what the hell are you doing outside at midday? I'm beginning to think you've lost your mind."

"If it is your own health you worry for then you are free to leave." Snapping, Kenshin's ire rose as this only seemed to amuse the other more.

Whistling Sano kicked his legs out and leaned back in his chair. "Damn, you sure are in a mood about something. What's got you all worked up Ken-man?" Crossing his arms behind his head Sano winked knowingly. "It's the waitress, right? She sure is cute."

Flustered, as the waitress had nothing to do with any of his thoughts, Kenshin glanced up as she came towards them. Sano grinned, placed an order, then watched her walk off with a bit more interest than Kenshin thought polite.

"Wouldn't Megumi be pleased to see you in such a morally unfit state?" Seeing an opening to return a hit Kenshin watched with satisfaction as Sano's face dropped a few degrees.

"Hey, I was just teasing." Instantly defensive his tirade was cut off by a short wave of Kenshin's hand. The scent was back and it made every one of his muscles, down to the tendons in his toes, tense.

"Christ, man, what is wrong with you?" White knuckles were clenching at the small coffee cup in his grasp and Sano didn't think the poor piece of porcelain was going to make it.

"You can't smell it?"

"Smell what?" Eyeing his friend with interest Sano felt a sudden spark of worry. Lowering the dark glasses he wore to peek over the edge Sano blinked at finding an amber tinge threatening the perimeter of Kenshin's violet irises. Something was warring with his friend's control, and that was never a good thing.

She was getting closer. Already his sharp hearing could detect the lightest glitter of her laughter. She was pleased, or amused, and it was making her aroma all the more tantalizing. It needed to stop. He wanted it to continue. The smell was heady, exhilarating, swirling his mind around as if he were drunk. Footsteps were now accompanying the giggles; bringing her even closer. Soon she would be upon him, next to him, able to see the affect she brought. It would frighten her, but his mind was detached, floating, grasping at air. It tormented him with fulfillment as it kept it just beyond his grasp.

"Oh, Mr. Himura! It's nice to see you again."

Sano looked between the girl and his old friend, slightly taken aback. The dazed look in the eyes of the older vampire had stirred to life his curiosity as well as his amusement, and he'd wondered what could throw the usually cool and restrained man into such an agitated state. He'd only been half aware of the girl as she had walked along the sidewalk with another shorter woman trailing along beside her. The closer they came, however, the stranger Kenshin had reacted, and Sano only now saw the connection as she spoke to him in a familiar, though hesitant, tone. A tone that was not making his friend any better.

Delight filtered out her essence in a softer, rather shy way. It drifted around him like fog and tentatively tickled his nostrils. It surprised him that she would be delighted over his presence; troubled him because his thoughts were far from kind.

The silence stretched, and though it would seem short to the humans Sano panicked. Kenshin was not responding and appeared unable to collect himself long enough to even pretend recognition. Glad for the skirt covering the table Sano kicked out a leg and stomped on the other vampire's foot.

Kenshin did not yelp or even let out a constrained breath and Sano was more than impressed as the only show of his return to the world was the sharpening of his glazed pupils. Quickly they darted up, as if there had been nothing lost on him, and he stood with a smile and slight bow in greeting.

"Miss Kamiya, it is a pleasure to see you again as well."

Her cheeks flushed and Sano watched the smaller girl standing next to this Kamiya woman blink questioningly. At lease I'm not the only one at a loss.

"Mr. Jackson said you had a plane to catch nearly a week ago. I'm surprised you're still in town."

"I was scheduled to leave two days after my initial visit to the estate," She must have questioned him after I left. The knowledge unwillingly pleased him. "but I found something I was not expecting and it has delayed my departure."

"It must be something worthwhile to capture your interest." The statement was completely honest, without a touch of suggestive sarcasm, and her smile was warm. Nearly too warm for his cold skin. "Perhaps you'll have enough free time to tour the house during the daylight hours. It has a whole different aura with the sun shining in the windows."

Her enthusiasm turned his smile genuine as he felt almost affectionate with her romanticism and he nodded. "Perhaps I will."

Sensing that the conversation was nearing the borders of rudeness her blue irises darted briefly to the other man still seated at the table and Kenshin could feel her start to pull away. "I'm sure you won't regret it." She waved a hand. "We should be going. I hope you enjoy your stay, even if it was unexpected. Goodbye."

Returning the farewell Kenshin allowed himself to watch her take a few steps before forcing himself to turn away and sit back down. The two girls said nothing to each other until they were crossing the street, and it wasn't until they were there that the smaller one piped up with barely restrained excitement. It was hard not to eavesdrop.

"He's hot, Kaoru! Who is he? I can't believe you'd hold out on me like that! What kind of a friend are you anyway?"

"Calm down, Misao, I only met the guy once, besides…"

"But you're going to go for it, right?!"

There was a snort of laughter. "Yeah right. It's obvious you didn't recognize him. That's none other than Kenshin Himura." Sano watched the smaller one crane her neck around and stare at them with wide eyes. "I'm surprised he even remembered me."

Chuckling, Sano lifted his cup of coffee and took a sip. "Well, that was interesting." The two were getting even further away, and the tension was slowly draining out of his friend's shoulders. "So are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Are you going to tell me you could smell nothing?" The question was accompanied by a light hiss of frustration.

"Shit, Kenshin, I smell a lot of things. You should know that. I can tell you the exact brand of perfume the littler one was wearing, or the last time our waitress took a bath, if you like."

Kenshin lifted a hand and bit down on a nail. It was a nervous action that Sano had never witnessed before. "All I can smell is blood, Sano. Her blood. Even now it lingers. It's purer than any other I've ever encountered and it tempts me with its rare aroma. It's driving me mad."

Sano was still for a moment as he watched the other fidget before he carefully tested him. "If it's that bad then just take the girl and get it over with." Wide eyes looked up at him in question of whether he had heard himself or not, and Sano was grateful they were once again a pure amethyst.

"I swore an oath. We all did, Sanosuke. How can you say such a thing?"

"Look, we all decided to do this, yes, but none of us really know if there's a limit or not. You've been without direct human blood longer than any of the rest of us, maybe… you've found the limit. And, hey, maybe it only takes one and you can make it another seventy years."

"One? Just one? Are you listening to yourself? I will not defile my word for just one." His words were getting heated, and he tried to grit his teeth so as not to catch any unwanted attention.

"Well, hell, then take two. Her little friend thought you were hot."

"Dammit, Sanosuke!" Sano laughed as Kenshin jerked his head to the side. "I should have known better than to think you could be serious."

Still laughing Sano waved a hand dismissively. "If it's bothering you that bad then get out of here. I don't know what the hell you're smelling, but it does seem to have some kind of effect on you. The farther you are away from it the better off you should be. Hell, she doesn't even live anywhere you have to frequent often so there shouldn't be a problem staying away."

"If there isn't a problem then why am I still here?" Despondent, Kenshin leaned back in his seat and rubbed long fingers over his face wearily.

"You mean you've already tried?"

"Tried? I wasn't given the chance to try. I was thinking of ways to keep her close before I'd taken twenty paces."

"Damn, is it really that bad?" Starting to feel anxious all over again Sano leaned over the table and studied his friend's appearance a little more critically.

Laughing without a trace of amusement Kenshin raked his hand back through his hair. "As it is I've already told Mr. Jackson, the current CEO of the Jackson Estate and her boss, that I am considering her for a job."

"What job?"

"My sixteenth century castle."

Sano's eyes widened. "The one you've been trying to buy for the last five years? Are you mad? That thing's been more important to you than sleep and you want to hand it over to that…that… child?"

"It would be easy for me to agree with you, Sano, except I have already done a thorough background check on the girl. She's qualified. Or will be. All of her professors will vouch for her, and I have been given the chance to watch her while she works. Not only does she perform above the standards she loves what she does. That type of care is what I would want."

"But…"

"She has no criminal record, no juvenile history, and she is the only remaining member of her family left alive. She is friendly, but has only one friend, the girl we saw her with, and she is only using the money left to her by her parents to pay for tuition. Everything else she works to pay for herself. She even forgave the poor drunk fool who ran her parents off the road, and then encouraged him to go to AA meetings. She's completely saint-like. Perfect. Such a creature on this Earth cannot truly exist."

They sat in silence and brown eyes watched as the other collected himself. It was slightly disconcerting to see him in such a state of disarray over a human. A mere human too young to comprehend what a quarter of a century felt like. Surely her aroma alone couldn't cause such a total breakdown in control. Then again it was only her scent that was making him act this way. No one else was attracting him. Not the waitress who had visited their table more than a few times. Not the smaller girl standing next to his Miss Kamiya. Nor even the hundreds of other ignorant humans trekking along their daily routine, blindly walking by the two vampires sitting pretty in their midst.

Perhaps this was something new that they did not know about. Perhaps he could only smell it because of his age. Perhaps a lot of things… but none of them are going to fix the problem. "I guess we've got one helluva dilemma then." Violet eyes glanced up, and they looked more tired and worn than he'd ever seen. "You finally found someone that measures up to your professional standards, and she just so happens to be the only human you can't resist. Got any plans?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me with that."

"What? You want me to ask Megumi for more blood packs?"

Kenshin shook his head at the other's sarcasm. "No… I meant help convince her to take the job."

X

A/N: On a side note I only put this fic in the genre of fantasy because I wasn't sure if it should be fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi. The more I get into the story, though, the more I lean towards sci-fi. It's not spooky or strange enough to be supernatural even with the vampires, and although I think more of fairy tales when I think of fantasy I can't bring myself to say it's sci-fi. I usually think of Star Trek and Stargate when I think sci-fi. So it was landed with fantasy merely because I have people in it I have labeled "vampires." It may seem strange that I keep putting such a word in quotation marks, but perhaps it will make more sense to you later. Or perhaps I simply can't bring myself to really think of them as vampires because I always think of things like Dracula when I think of vampires, and Kenshin and company are not like Dracula in my fic. Dracula was a poor tortured soul that drank blood, transformed into bats, couldn't come out in the daylight, couldn't cross moving water, and loved to collect women for some reason. There was no explanation for what he did, why he did it, or how he came about, and I like explanations. This should be fun, for me anyway. Hope you have fun, too, and tell me what you think please. We're still building up for now. Everything will start making progress soon.