A/n Wow I come back after a week of neglecting the computer and what do I see? 30 reviews! Woot! Now, like I promised, here is the next chapter, a whole week early no less. See what the power of reviews can do :) Anyways, I'm plowing along in the story. I have many chapters finished, but I read and re-read them over and over to make sure I get all typos and whatnot. (some still slip through though grrr.) I hope I got them all in this chapter.

Reignashii- Shhh.. that's a secret, you won't find out till I tell his story. :p

ToHeLlWiThThEnIcKs – egads don't die now. You'll miss the rest of the story. I loved that review by the way. :)

black-lotusblossom – Sano and Aoshi don't have lifemates yet. But they will Mwhaha. That's another story that will continue on after this one. So I hope you stick around for those too. I always love your great reviews.

blooded wyngs - Me? A Aoshi fan? Well….hmm now that I think about it.. I always did find Aoshi rather hot. :) I always liked Kenshin best but Aoshi is close second. :P

Okay, enough of my chattering. And on to the story.

Here's another favorite quote of mine:

"Be still enfante, or you will end up bruising yourself. There is no way to fight me, and I cannot permit you to harm yourself."

"I hate you."

"You don't hate me Savannah. You fear me, but most of all, you fear what you are."

Gregori (Carpathian healer) to Savannah (Young Carpathian) – "Dark Magic" by Christine Feehan

I give this chapter a PG rating

Where we last left off - He had his back to Kaoru, but he had moved to put himself between her and the vampire's body. He swiped his sword through the air again to rid it of the blood and he returned it to the sheath that rested at his side

Chapter 7

The vampire was still deadly. True his head was severed but if left alone, it would return to its body and the cursed thing would heal and eventually return to its former self. Kenshin created ball of fire in his hands; the sparks flew everywhere and rained down from his hand as he dropped the fire onto the body. Kenshin stood back, emotionless as he watched the fire instantly take hold of the body and engulfed it in roaring flames. The stench of rotten burning flesh filled the night and he backed up even further.

The fire consumed everything, even the pool of blood went aflame like it was a pool of gasoline. A small flame followed the thin trail of blood that led to the head of Chou. It rested just at the bloodied feet of his lifemate. She saw the flame coming at her and she back up so quickly she tripped from her weakness and went down, dragging the girl with her. The flame reached the head and that too burst into sparkling flames.

Suddenly he was flooded with relief. Joy that he had taken care of the creature, taking perverse pleasure in the fact that he had rid him in such a way. Then, just as fast, the joy was replaced with sorrow. He had known Chou from childhood. He was Sanosuke's cousin. Only a few years younger than himself. Why had he not held strong? Why did the man chose to become vampire? Kenshin was no longer an emotionless killer; his lifemate anchored him to reality, to his emotions.

Kenshin felt the prick of tears in his eyes for the first time in centuries. He was so lucky to have Kaoru. So very lucky. No one had known just how close he was to the edge of taking his own life.

He heard Kaoru sob and he turned around to see her struggling to her feet, the girl child left to curl up in a fetal position. Once to her feet Kaoru tried to run but she was so weak she just fell. Kenshin rushed to her side and gathered her up in his arms.

"No! Let me go!" She cried, struggling to pull from his arms.

Kenshin could feel the fear in her, she was afraid of him. His small display of power had obviously terrified her. Having that head roll to her feet was sure to stay in her memories forever. He cursed to himself as he continued to gently hold her to him as she beat at his chest and arms. Her blows felt like the beat of butterflies wings. She was so weak and small. Her pain was his pain and he tried to take the pain from her, but their bond was weak, and she had shared blood with a vampire. That alone would prevent him from helping. Finally she collapsed in his arms and fell into tears.

… . .

Kaoru didn't want to give up, she wanted to go home. She needed to find Yahiko, not stay here in this nightmare of monsters and almost monsters. Things like this didn't happen. People didn't have fangs or turn into wolves or lose their heads.

"You still think of me as a monster Kaoru?" Kenshin cooed in an irritatingly calm voice.

"Leave me alone, and get out of my head. I need to find Yahiko!" Her strength returned somewhat and she picked up the struggle again, whatever good it did her. It felt like she was fighting against arms of iron. She didn't care; she just wanted to get away from his calming voice and his touch.

"We are one, my firecracker. I can't help but know what you are thinking." His voice was smooth and calm; she felt the fear melt out of her as he lowered his voice an octave. "Calm down, everything is going to be alright. Yahiko is fine."

'No! It's some kind of spell, he's trying to control me.'

"I can't lie to you Kaoru. You are not under a spell." Kenshin said patently.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!" Kaoru screamed, aiming her punches at his face. Kenshin just leaned back so she couldn't reach him and grabbed her arms. He gripped the shackle that held her to the cave wall and the metal shattered to bits, leaving behind her slightly bruised wrist.

"Is this how you intend to control your woman, Kenshin?"

Kaoru jerked her head in the direction of the second voice and was greeted by a man darker and more deadly than anything she had ever seen. His voice was gold, perfectly pitched and it sent her body shivering from the power. Dark blue eyes pierced her resistance and she fell limp again in Kenshins' arms.

"What did you do to me?...Bastard!" she spat as she lay almost helpless against Kenshin. The red-head glared at the newcomer.

"Aoshi, I have yet to explain much to her, nor have we made any bonds. It's hard to calm her or take her pain from her. And from now on it would be a smart thing to never do that to my woman ever again." He ended in a low growl of warning. Kaoru stared helplessly in fear as Kenshin clutched her possessively to his chest.

… ..

Aoshi blinked at Kenshin a few times as he continued to glare at him with his glowing golden eyes. Then, respectively, he backed up a step and away from the woman.

"I meant only to keep her from further harming herself. She is wounded and is in desperate need of blood. You didn't seem to have full control over her." He said simply and in a calm emotionless voice. "I couldn't find Shishio," he added.

"Excuse me! I'm right here!" the woman shrieked. "Stop talking to me like I'm a thing to be owned!"

Kenshin sighed. "Our women are very precious to us Kaoru. We must see to their every need. You were going to over exhaust yourself." Shishio had escaped them yet again. The creature was really starting to piss Kenshin off. How the Hell did the thing escape Aoshi?

"What I need... is to get away from you!" She shot him a look of death. Kenshin couldn't help but smile at her stubbornness. His action seemed to only anger her more, so he swallowed his laughter.

"Aoshi here will heal you; he is the healer of our people. You will be well taken care of." Kenshin soothed as he turned back to Aoshi so the Healer could do his work. He felt her trying to struggle; he could hear her swearing at him in her mind.

"No! I'll go to the hospital! Where HUMANS will care for me!" She screamed again. Totally unwilling to accept everything that happened to her. Kenshin felt torn, he wanted to do what she wanted, but he knew she could never go to a human hospital ever again. She was so traumatized; it was no wonder she wanted to find something normal to grasp.

"HEY!" came a call from behind them and Kenshin felt a kick behind his knee that would have sent him to the ground if he was human, but he just staggered slightly and turned. The anger in his face melted when he saw the pissed off face of Yahiko.

"What are you doing to her you jerk!?" he turned his brown eyes to Aoshi. "You said you were going to help her!"

"Yahiko!" Kaoru tried to lift her arms to the boy but she was just too weak from the calming nature of Aoshi's gaze. Kenshin took pity on his lifemate and turned her so the boy to hug her himself. "Oh Yahiko I was so afraid, they were going to go after you."

"Don't worry Kaoru; I won't let those freaks around you anymore." He stated as he glared at the men over Kaoru's shoulder. "Lets go home."

"Not just yet Yahiko." Kenshin said, gently pulling the woman from the boys' grasp. Yahiko looked about ready to rip him to shreds. Kenshin couldn't help but smile, his heart warming at such protectiveness. He lowered his voice and set a hand on the boys' spiky hair. "Aoshi and I are going to heal her. You don't have to worry about her safety with me. We have been friends a very long time haven't we?" He paused and watched the still angry eyes of the boy. They were slightly vacant and he gave a slight nod.

"What are you doing to him…monster! You're just like that vampire!" Kaoru fell into hysterics. Kenshin shook his head but continued to talk to the boy.

"These men that did this to you and Kaoru will never return, you don't have to fear them again. I will be protecting you and Kaoru from now on."

"Swear it?" The boy clenched his fists together.

"I swear it with my very life." Kenshin smiled and ruffled his hair before turning back to Kaoru who looked livid and absolutely terrified. "The boy has been traumatized; you wouldn't want him to go through life fearing such an attack again would you?" He asked honestly. "I don't."

Kaoru grumbled and cursed but made no further retort. Just then Kenshin felt Sanosuke approach them. He clutched Kaoru back to him as he and Aoshi turned. Aoshi waved a hand and the fog he created rolled away to show Sanosuke with a handful of the slave women that Shishio released.

"You may have all the fun Kenshin but I have all the girls." Sanosuke joked softly as he walked up to them, his eyes going instantly to Kaoru and wincing at her condition. One look told Kenshin that the women were under Sanos' "spell" as Kaoru like to call it. They were calm, and completely trusting of the man that lead them back to the cave of their nightmares.

"Are you sure you found them all?" Aoshi asked as he picked up the child that was still curled on the ground. She had been put into a deep sleep by Aoshi when he exited the cave.

"Don't worry about it." Sano drawled in a lazy tone as he took the girl from the dark and powerful Carpathian.

… . .

'wake up..wake up.. this can not be real.' Kaoru chanted to herself. At first she was willing to think that Kenshin was some strange deranged person playing a sick game with her. But standing there, held tightly to him, with two more of the most powerful men she had ever felt…It seemed surreal. She felt Kenshin tighten his hold on her in comfort. She hated to admit it but she felt treasured the way he was holding her so.

'You are treasured my dear.'

'You know, just when I was feeling on even ground with you, you have to pull something like that!' She snarled.

'What?' He asked, completely confused.

'Reading my thoughts!'

"I can't help that Kaoru, you and I are one. You can read mine too; just merge your mind with mine. '

'Pish no thank you.'

'You will soon little firecracker," He sounded so sure of himself, Kaoru wish she had enough strength to claw his eyes out. She sent him that mental image and he only chuckled softly. "I think, Aoshi, it's time for you to heal her so we can get away from this place."

"Yeah, I'll just go ahead and take these girls to the city where the police can find them." Sanosuke excused himself, leaving them to as much privacy as they would get. He nodded respectfully to Kaoru before turning. The women followed him dutifully.

Kaoru was suddenly nervous, of the men; she seemed to like the new one best. She didn't want to be left with to two serious sticks in the mud. And Yahiko was sitting in the sand like some zombie.

"His name is Sanosuke Sagara." Kenshin said softly as he gathered Kaoru in his arms like a child.

"Stop reading my mind damn you." She grumbled, not at all liking the fact that she was totally helpless and that she was enjoying the feeling of being carried by this man.

Aoshi raised an eyebrow at Kenshin. But both men kept silent. Apparently, Carpathian women were weak willed or something. They didn't seem to be use to a woman like her. Well, Kaoru knew he was going to have to get use to it. She wasn't going to change for no one, not even him.

"Now I need you to stay calm and very still." Aoshi stepped up to them and rested his hands on Kaoru. One on her shoulder and the other on her knee. She felt a slight fury rise up in Kenshin and she shifted her eyes from Aoshi to the red-headed man.

He was jealous of the other man touching her.

Kaoru would have laughed if she wasn't so afraid of what the dark one called Aoshi was going to do to her. For once she was glad to listen to these medieval crazed men. She stayed perfectly still and calm. Both men lowered their heads over her and Kenshin held her out between them and they started chanting in unison. She didn't know the language, and she had never heard it before. But she had a feeling it was as ancient as time. Kaoru suddenly didn't have to hold herself still, it was as if she was flooded with a heat unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was like hot soup for her cold, starving body. Then all she knew was darkness.

… . .

Kenshin knew the very moment his mate lost consciousness, but he didn't break the healing chant. Aoshi was doing all the work; his energy poured into Kaoru and mended her from the inside out. Kenshin could picture the hundreds of small wounds on her feet and legs slowly close up and heal as if it never happened. When he looked, it was indeed as if nothing had ever happened.

Kenshin felt Aoshi move his healing energy slowly up her legs, checking every little scratch or mark and healing it. He pause over her chest and spent a bit of time there. Kenshin kept the chant going right along with Aoshi, not daring to break his concentration. He could only guess that she had a broken rib. Then Aoshi was moving again and didn't stop till he reached the horrific oozing gash in her neck.

A tremendous amount of energy went into healing every little cell.

'She must be perfect.' Aoshi stated even as he continued to chant in their ancient tongue. Kenshin silently agreed and watched as the wound grew smaller and smaller. When it was gone, her smooth slender neck was just as unmarked as it had been. Finally, they stopped chanting and Aoshi lifted his head. The Healer was drained, lines etched his perfectly dark face and he was pale.

Kenshin instantly shifted Kaoru to one arm and slit his wrist with one sharp nail and offered it to Aoshi. Without a word the healer took the offered blood, latching his lips over the cut and drew in Kenshin's blood. It was the least he could do for healing Kaoru. Though he knew Aoshi would have helped her no matter what. After a moment he felt Aoshi draw his tongue over the cut, sealing it before he pulled away. Kenshin was hit with a sudden weariness. He had yet to feed that night, rushing right to Kaoru's aid. Now that the small battle was over and then this small transfusion, his body was crying out for blood.

"Thank you for helping Aoshi." Kenshin said in a deep slightly raspy voice.

Aoshi shook his head. "No need to thank me for something I would do even if you refused it." He face fell back into an emotionless mask, his voice dropping as well. "Take her home, keep her asleep. When she wakes up, she will be starving. She needs blood badly. You need it too."

"I'll feed her when she awakes. The bites on her neck showed that she was fed on twice. She has taken blood at least twice. I must give her mine to complete the change that she is underway." He gazed lovingly at her pale sleeping face.

"Are you sure the change will not harm her? We never changed a human female to Carpathian. She has taken vampire blood. What if she goes mad like female vampires?" Aoshi inquired.

Kenshin thought for a moment, his face became beautifully stone still. "Then I'll have no choice but to end her life, and my own." He finally answered truthfully.

"And the boy?" Aoshi looked down at Yahiko who gazed unknowingly out at the sea. "What will become of him?"

"I trust you or Sano to take care of the boy, to see that he finds a home with humans. Maybe foster parents." Kenshin offered, knowing now that his choice was going to affect everyone in Kaoru's life. A matter that left him feeling guilty.

Aoshi bowed solemnly. "Take care of yourself, so you will be able to care for her adequately." He warned before vanishing before Kenshin's very eyes.

A/n Yay! Kaoru is all better. Physically at least. But it sucked that Shishio got away. Me thinks we will be seeing him again in later chapters. But for now, Kaoru needs to share blood just one more time and then she turns. Lets cross our fingers and hope that Kaoru comes out of that a-okay.

Anyways, lets see.. how bout we go for another 30 review goal. That would be great! Being a review hog and all. And don't forget, any questions? Please ask. I answer all questions. (not always with a straight answer, but I do hehe)

Until next time, and as always, reviews are loved.