A/N: Hi peeps! I'm back and I've come bearing gifts for those who reviewed! *Walks around giving chocolate and other things to jouchan-racoon-grl, Shisori, Califpinay3001, The-Wise-Toad, noner_89, and Daughter of magic. * Thanks again! Now on with Ch. 2!!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the clothes on my back. The rest of the stuff in my house belongs to my parents & RK belongs to........... I have no idea, but the point is it's not me! *Sob*

"Shinta," Kaoru whispered. It's been a long time since I last thought of Shinta, Kaoru thought. I think I'll tell Sano and Yahiko about him. Maybe Sano will recognize the description or at least I'll feel better. With that decided, Kaoru got dressed in her favorite yellow kimono with pink flowers and a purple obi, and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
"Hey, Busu, what's for breakfast?" Yahiko called into the kitchen. Instantly the arrogant twelve-year-old boy was punched sky-high courtesy of Kaoru's right fist.
"Breakfast, Yahiko," Kaoru said defiantly, "is what it is every day. Rice cakes. Now go and sit quietly at the table before I make you go without!"
"It's not my fault she's ugly and fat. And considering how bad a cook she is, I'd almost rather do without breakfast," Yahiko muttered as he stumbled away.
"I heard that!" Kaoru yelled.

"Wow, Little Missy, the cakes don't look half-bad this morning," Sanosuke Sugara remarked as Kaoru set the breakfast tray down on the dining table. "I guess you're getting better at cooking these things." Sano promptly popped a rice cake in his mouth, chewed, grimaced, and swallowed. The patty was overly sticky and burnt, but overall better than her last 376 attempts at the recipe.

"Coming from you, Sano, I'll assume that you're complementing me," Kaoru said,

"I'll have to complement you for sticking at it, but if it takes you a year and a day to get a recipe right then you're better off finding yourself a husband that can cook," Sano replied. Kaoru remained silent. Noticing this Sano asked, "Hey, Missy. What's on your mind?"

"Well. It's Shinta," Kaoru replied slowly. Sano raised an eyebrow to show his question and Kaoru took a deep breath. She told Sano and Yahiko about Shinta and how they were like siblings and about the night he was taken away. The only part she left out was the kissing. "And last night I had a dream about the night he was taken away," Kaoru finished. All Sano and Yahiko did for a minute was blink as their feeble brains digested all the information Kaoru had just given them.

"So what was the name of the guy who took Shinta away?" Sano finally asked. Kaoru thought for a minute as she tried to remember from her dream the name of the evil man who took away her Shinta.

"Hiko," she answered finally. "He said he was the master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style."

"Hey, I've heard of him. S'possed to be living somewhere in the forests on the path to Kyoto," Sano remarked.

"What?! Really?!" Kaoru cried.

"Yeah, but it's pointless to go looking for him," Sano replied. "Masters normally let their apprentices go at eighteen."

Kaoru was taken aback by the news first, but decided that something good could come of it. "Well then maybe he'll come and visit me!" Kaoru exclaimed.

"I'd love to meet a real assistant master of a sword fighting style," Yahiko remarked.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Kaoru retorted.

"Oh, nothing," Yahiko replied, waving a hand. "I just meant that a woman isn't fit to be the assistant master of a sword fighting style." In the next instant, Kaoru had her bokken in her hand and had knocked the baka boy unconscious. Then Kaoru put her chin in her hand and stared out the window.

"I wonder if he still remembers me or even where the dojo is," she said more to herself than to Sano.

"Don't worry, Little Missy. No one could ever forget someone like you. Besides, once you meet a person you never really forget them anyway. I bet you that Shinta is on his here right now," Sano assured Kaoru.

"Yeah," Kaoru replied, brightening considerably. "Thanks, Sano."

"Don't mention it," Sano replied.

As the day went on, Kaoru thought of Shinta constantly. She thought of him as she taught her classes, did the laundry, took a bath, punished Yahiko, and as she prepared and ate lunch and dinner. Poor Kaoru had pretty much given up on Shinta coming that night or ever for that matter as she cleaned up after dinner. Suddenly, there was a knock on the dojo door. When she opened it up, She was greeted with the sight of a short man standing there with a huge grin on his face. He stood at about 5'5" and wore a magenta gi. His long red hair was tied back in a low ponytail. He had vivid violet eyes, a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek and a sword hung at his side. In the next instant this strange man swept Kaoru into a tight hug while exclaiming, "Oh, Miss Kaoru! It's so good to see you again, that it is! I was afraid that you wouldn't live here anymore or that your father's disease had killed you along with him!" When he had released Kaoru, she looked at him confusedly.

"Who are you?" she asked. The samurai's eyes looked hurt.

"Miss Kaoru, do you not remember me?" he inquired. Suddenly, it hit Kaoru. Slowly, she reached up her hand and traced the man's lips with her fingertips. Then she looked deep into the samurai's violet eyes and he smiled softly at her.

"Shinta?" Kaoru asked in a whisper. The man nodded. "Shinta!" She threw her arms around Shinta's neck and hugged him tightly. "I can't believe it's really you," Kaoru whispered, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Shinta tipped Kaoru's face towards his and gently rubbed her tears away.

"Yes, Miss Kaoru. I can hardly believe it myself. I thought of you every day of my training and worried about your health, that I did. When Master finally said that my training was complete and that I was free to go, I rushed back here," Shinta said.

"Wait a minute! You're calling the man that kidnapped you and busted my ribs 'Master'?!" Kaoru exclaimed, outraged.

"Miss Kaoru, what Master did was wrong but good came of that night too. Master taught me the Hiten Mitsurugi style and turned me into a man."

"And I'll bet anything that he deprived you of the rest of your childhood and treated you."

"And treated me like a master treats hi apprentice."

"I suppose, but he still had no right to kidnap you, Shinta!"

"I'm not Shinta."
"What?! Not Shinta?! Then who the hell are you?!"

"My childhood name was Shinta, yes. But since the night that Master came my name has been Kenshin," Kenshin replied quietly.

"Well then you better get used to being Shinta again or get out, because I don't know anyone named Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted. She turned around so Kenshin couldn't see her front and covered her face with her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her shoulders shook as she sobbed. "I thought *sob* I'd be happy to see you again, Shinta. *sob* To see the boy that I *sob* grew up with and *sob* fell in *sob* love with! But instead I see a samurai whom I've never known *sob* whose name is *sniff* Kenshin!" Kenshin silently moved forward and wrapped his arms around Kaoru's shaking form. Kaoru tried to fight his embrace, but she was too weak from arguing and sobbing. Finally, her body gave out and her knees crumpled beneath her. Kenshin gently sat down on the wooden dojo floor and settled Kaoru in his lap.

"Shhh. Shhh," he crooned to Kaoru, rocking her back and forth like a parent would with a crying baby. "It's all right, Miss Kaoru. Yes, I've changed, but so have you. I've become a man and you've become a gorgeous young woman, that you have. You may still call me 'Shinta' if it makes you feel better."

"After you were kidnapped," Kaoru said quietly when she had regained control of herself, "we searched everywhere for you. We even had the police search all of Japan."

"I am grateful that your family cared so much for me," Kenshin replied just as quietly.

"Then Otou-san died. By the time we had finished mourning him, the police had given up hope and said that you were either dead or worse. I refused that explanation. Three times I went into the forest to search for you and all three times one mob or another who tried to rob me ambushed me. My ribs will never be the same." Kaoru gingerly touched her rib cage. She winced at the pain that the permanent cracks brought.

"Miss Kaoru, you shouldn't have put yourself in danger like that. Now I feel bad about letting myself get taken away, that I do," Kenshin said seriously.

"No, Kenshin, it wasn't your fault." Kaoru began. Wait a minute; I just called Shinta 'Kenshin', she thought to herself. Kenshin smiled.

"Thank you, Miss Kaoru," he whispered.

"You're welcome, Kenshin," Kaoru replied, smiling. It's not so hard after all, she thought.

A/N: so what do you think? Thanks again to every one who reviewed! I'm having serious writers block right now so any suggestions on how you would like the story to go are welcome! Don't expect quick updates because my Oka- san really hates the Internet. Don't ask me why, I don't know. So until next time,

Ja ne! : )