Hello again dear readers.. Here is chapter 9. Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Kaoru`s pain

"Enishi, is dead? But how? I can't believe it. How it happened?" Kenshin asked Tomoe, curius about what had happened to him.

"I will explain everything later my love. Now let's go" Tomoe said and brushed a tear from her eye. It was obvious that her brother's death was hurting her very much. She then noticed from the first time a young girl standing in front of them. Immediately she asked Kenshin.

"Kenshin who is that girl?" Tomoe asked him. Kaoru`s eyes widened when she heard Tomoe`s words. She was not just a little girl .She was a woman and a fighter. She wanted to give a slap to the woman's face but she tried to control herself. She didn`t want Kenshin to hate her.

"Tomoe, this is Kamiya Kaoru. She is my friend and she is the one who opened her home for me and accepted me despite my past when I was a wanderer. I own her my life Tomoe. She saved me many times and also for myself. I don't know what I would do without her. I would have become Battousai again if she wasn't there to help me. She is a very important person for me" Kenshin said and Kaoru started to blush. Kenshin didn't notice Kaoru`s blush and continued. "Kaoru this is Tomoe Yukishiro Himura. My wife" he said and once again took Tomoe`s small hand in his large one.

"Nice to meet you ,Mrs. Yukishiro. Kensin has told me so many things about you" Kaoru said and forced her self to smile.

Tomoe smiled to her but inside her heart was beating very fast. She saw how Kaoru was looking at Kenshin. She knew that the girl was not looking at him like a friend. She was in love with him. In her absence Kenshin and Kaoru had created a strong bond between them but now that she had returned she would break that bond. Kenshin belonged only to her. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Kenshin saying.

"Alright, now I think it`s time for us to leave. Soon it will be dark and we have to find a place to stay for the night. Tomorrow we are leaving for Kyoto, to miss Kaoru`s home. You will meet also our friends. Sanosuke, Megumi, Yahiko, Suzume, Ayame , and doctor Genzai. They are living with us in the Dojo and they are all good friends of mine" Kenshin said smiling all the time to her.

"Oh, I am sure that I will like them anata: she said and brought her head to his chest. Kenshin was the one who was blushing now. Tomoe smiled. She knew that Kenshin was still in love with her. After everything they have been through they were now together.

Kaoru , Kenshin and Tomoe left the tavern in order to find a place to stay for the night. They were exhausted and they needed tome to rest. Kaoru`s eyes were red from all the tears but Kenshin looked happy. He was smiling and that smile was coming from his heart. He and Tomoe were talking while Kaoru was behind them. She didn't know if she could handle this pain. It seemed like they were lost in their own world. She wanted to scream, to shout or to do anything in order to have their attention.

"Tomoe, are you ok? Do you need anything?" Kenshin asked her.

"Kenshin I am fine. You don't have to worry so much about me" she said and started to laugh.

Kaoru was walking behind them. Her eyes were red from all the tears. She felt that she was going to collapse. This was a true nightmare

"Look at them. They are so happy. They are together again. What is going to happen from now on? Tomoe is very beautiful woman. Why Kenshin invited her to our house? Of course he is his wife and wherever he goes she will go too. They are still married. And everything was going so well. I had him. He had told me that he would forget her and that we could be together. Why she had to return. Why?"..Kaoru said .

"Kaoru, Kaoru are you ok? Kenshin asked her. Kenshin had stopped immediately when he noticed that Kaoru wasn't coming with them. He turned his head towards her and saw her standing in the road and she was looking to the ground. Guilt started to dominate his heart. He had played with her feelings. He had told her that he would move on and forget Tomoe. He had told her that they would be together from now on. And then , suddenly Tomoe appeared and he went to her like a lovesick teenager. He had lied to Kaoru and that made him feel like a monster. He needed to speak with her. He hoped that Kaoru would understand the situation. He was also confused. He didn't know what to do. He cared for Kaoru and he didn't want to see her suffer but now Tomoe had returned and she was his wife. He loved her so much. He would never let her go. He had to speak with Kaoru and solve everything. But he would do it tomorrow. Tonight he needed rest and he wanted to find the truth. Tonight he would discover everything that happened to the past .But the most important of all. How Tomoe managed to survive when he thought that she was dead? And who helped her?And then he realized that Kaoru still hadn`t answered to him. He begun to speak again when he heard Kaoru`s voice.

"I am fine Kenshin really. Actually I am very happy that you found your wife again" she said smiling. But Kenshin could see the truth in Kaoru`s eyes. She was suffering. Pain and sadness were the feelings that Kaoru had now. They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul and this was exactly what Kenshin saw in her eyes.

"I am so sorry Kaoru. I didn't want things to happen this way. Forgive me Kaoru, forgive me…

Author`s note:

Poor Kaoru. She suffers so much. What will happen now? In next chapter Tomoe will say the truth to Kenshin. What happened to her all these years? And how Kaoru will react to Kenshin`s and Tomoe`s reunion? You will have to wait until next chapter. Dear readers please review and tell me if you liked it and I will update soon. Kisses

Lady Lucila