Summary: 50 stories about Kenshin and Kaoru, sometimes meandering to include other members of the Ruroken cast. Mix of canon and AU one shots. Some crack.

Disclaimer: Anything you can recognize here belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Characters: Kenshin (Rurouni) and Kaoru

Rating: T for Tame

Strength

Kaoru chewed her lip and stared out the gate. Then she walked back towards the dojo, sat around for about ten seconds then rushed back to the gate, and back to the dojo in a continuous loop.

The third time it happened, Kenshin decided to put away his mending and turned to look at the girl. As his eyes followed her frantic pacing in front of the dojo, his lips curved into a wry smile. Kaoru-dono liked to worry about things. She worried about not getting enough practice. She worried about the maintenance of the dojo. She worried about the fact that all her students had abandoned her father's sword style, and over the course of the last few days, he had been jolted to the bone to find that she even worried about him.

That had felt….different. It had felt warm. It felt good. He didn't register the fact that the infinitesimal smile playing on his lips had turned into a grin. He stood and calmly walked over to where she stood at the gate of the dojo, craning her neck and pacing, muttering to herself.

"Kaoru-dono, do not worry about Yahiko. He will be alright."

"I told him not to be late! But does he listen? No! Never!" She seemed not to have heard him at all. She rushed back to her post at the gate and dejectedly lowered her eyes as the street was as empty as it had been ten minutes ago. She sighed. "Where could he have gone? It doesn't take this long to buy tofu." She chewed her bottom lip. She stared at the ground. "You don't think something's happened to him? Those yakuza wouldn't try and take him back would they?" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her voice barely audible.

Kenshin shook his head. "They wouldn't do something like that. We reached an understanding that day. As long as they keep to themselves, we have no reason to fight. They know that."

Taking a step forward, she decided to wait a little while longer before going out to search for Yahiko. Kenshin wandered over to the clothes hanging in the courtyard, checking to see if it was safe to take them down. She smiled. Really, the man was obsessed with laundry. He wore the most adorable expression while cleaning or washing clothes. She blinked. What was she doing? How could she even think about something like that at a time like this?

She turned to the gate once more, biting her lip raw. Yahiko…he was just a little boy, no matter what he said or how tough he pretended to act. He was a little boy who was in her care…if anything should happen to him…she'd never be able to forgive herself.

Kenshin wandered back to the front yard and sighed as Kaoru remained glued to the dojo gate. He silently went and stood next to her. Touching her arm with his fingers, he spoke, "Kaoru-dono, I will go look for him now. You should sit inside. The hour grows late. It is not good for you to exhaust yourself like this."

"You can't go wandering about all alone! I'll come with you." She replied decisively.

"No, Kaoru-dono." He said firmly, the serious look in his eyes stopping any argument. "It is late, and if Yahiko were to come back while I am gone, he will be troubled to find nobody home. So, please stay here."

Kaoru frowned and stuck her lower lip out defiantly. She wanted to protest but the lack of any good ideas forced her to keep her mouth shut. Kenshin turned as if to leave when a shuffling sound alerted them to the presence of somebody outside the dojo. Upon investigating, both Adjutant Master and Rurouni were taken aback at the sight of a scruffy Yahiko, dragging his feet to the dojo.

His hair was a fright, his face was smudged, and his right sleeve was beginning to tear. Kaoru gasped at the all too visible signs of a scuffle surrounding her student.

"Yahiko! What happened?"

Yahiko mumbled something and tried to slip past his teacher. Kaoru caught him by the scruff of his neck and shook him thoroughly. "You aren't going anywhere without explaining yourself! Have you any idea how worried I was? You've been gone for most of the afternoon! Where were you? What happened?"

"Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin said softly.

Yahiko turned on her viciously. "I'm fine! Nothing happened, alright! Geez, Ugly, leave me alone!" He pushed her hands away and ran inside. Kaoru could only stare after him, dumbfounded and shocked. She turned to look at Kenshin who smiled at her reassuringly, and quickly followed Yahiko to the bathhouse.

The boy was scrubbing his face furiously, splashing about more water than was necessary. Kenshin quietly seated himself outside the bathhouse and waited for Yahiko.

He watched as Yahiko finally emerged from the bathhouse, rubbing his face and neck with a dry cloth. The boy saw him waiting and ignored him. Yahiko quietly dropped the well bucket in and began to draw water. Kenshin didn't fail to notice the tense rigidity of his shoulders, or the faint frown still sitting upon his features. His expression was grave and his ki shook with turmoil.

He stood.

"Yahiko, you don't have to carry every burden by yourself."

Yahiko froze. The faint creaking of the pulley died away slowly. He let go off the rope and turned to face Kenshin. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kenshin smiled sadly. "I think the trouble is that you do know what I'm speaking of." He looked away. "It's not necessary to be so strong all the time. You can let go sometimes."

Kenshin didn't turn even though he could hear the faint noise of a sniffle stopped, and tears blinked away. Yahiko bunched his fingers into fists. His entire body trembled with untold emotion and he raised a hand to clutch his forehead tightly. "I… can't stand it."

He slid to the ground and pulled his knees to his chest. "Busu is trying so hard and I can't stand it….the way they speak about her in town. Those…those….bastards," he spoke with such venom that Kenshin turned to look at him. Red, hot rage burned through the tears sparkling in the boy's eyes. "They were laughing at her, calling her names…insulting her…I couldn't…I know she won't like it but I just couldn't bear it." He settled his forehead on his knees.

Kenshin remained silent. He offered no words of comfort or wisdom. He didn't tell Yahiko what he should be feeling. He didn't tell him that he was right or wrong. All he could do for Yahiko was listen. There would time later to dissect what had happened.

"I was so angry…but in the end, I could do nothing Kenshin! Because, I'm….nowhere near their level. They trampled all over me today Kenshin. They played around with me and left me in the dirt…I suppose it's no more than I deserve. I was so stupid! Just charging in, not thinking about how I should have tackled them, what I should have done different…I'm…useless. I could do nothing for Kaoru." His voice died away and he sunk his head in his arms.

Kenshin placed his hand on his head gently and knelt beside him. "Yahiko, you are not useless. But, it's as you said. They were far stronger than you. That's all. And that is a difference you will overcome in time. Don't blame yourself for something you have no control upon."

Yahiko looked stricken, "But Kenshin, I…dishonoured this dojo and Kaoru by losing."

Kenshin sighed. "You did not dishonour this dojo by losing Yahiko…but you may have negated your teacher's words by fighting in the first place. However, it is not my place to judge you. You should go speak to your teacher Yahiko."

"Busu will kill me."

"I'm sure Kaoru-dono can control herself." Kenshin replied with a wry smile. Yahiko laughed shortly and wiped his face on his sleeve. Looking pensive, he glanced at the older swordsman and asked, "You're not angry Kenshin?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"I lost Kenshin! I lost to those bastards in the market."

Kenshin blinked and slowly shook his head. "You stood up for your teacher against an enemy much more experienced, and stronger than you. Your arm may be weak but your heart is strong. You may have lost today, but that will change. I have no reason to be angry with you." Kenshin smiled and made his way to the kitchen.

Carefully hidden by the dojo walls a few paces away, Kaoru could only stare at the frail figure of the loud, obnoxious little boy Kenshin had deigned to drop into her care a week ago. She remembered how sceptical she had been regarding him. How she was convinced that Yahiko thought of her as a nuisance and nothing more, he definitely didn't respect her and he didn't want her as his teacher but looking at him now…Kaoru sighed. No wonder he didn't want to look her in the eye.

She straightened her shoulders. Yahiko was hers now. Her student. And she would take care of him and the make sure that he never had to wait for someone else to come dry his tears. He would never have to cry secretly again. His fears, his sorrow, his defeat and his hope...they were hers. And she would protect him...no matter what.