Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Why? Because I'm poor.

Only one review for the last chapter? Oh dear…was the last chapter that bad (lol)? Oh well, I write for the love, not the money (or the reviews…right on, right on). On a happier note, my sisters got me a beta fish for Christmas, and I named him Kenji. I drew a picture of another beta fish and whenever I put it near his bowl he attacks it. Its fun, try it!

BE WARNED…AGAIN: Once again this chapter contains child rape and abuse themes, so, be warned, again!!

Chp. 7

Kenji sat near the window, watching the clouds play with sky. He was sick, and tired, and lonely. When they had first brought him here, he had yelled, screamed, cried, and fought. But now he just sat, scared and alone. He missed his mother and father, his brother and sister, his aunts and uncles, and stupid Yahiko. They hadn't brought any toys or anything interesting for him to play with either. So the 5 year old sat in the cold dark lonely room.

"Mama…" Kenji whimpered slightly, a small trickle of tears running down his dirty face. They hadn't even let him take a bath.

Then the door to the room slammed open and a tall man with blonde hair walked in.

"Kenji", the man said in broken Japanese, "Take clothes off, man come in, be quiet!"

Kenji stared at him dumbfounded. He wasn't going to take his clothes off! But the man rushed at him and grabbed his wrist, swinging him violently.

"Take clothes off!" the strange man yelled in his bad Japanese, "man come in, sit still and quiet!"

Kenji, scared out of his wits, did as he was told. Maybe, he thought, his 5 year old brain furiously trying to work out everything that had happened the past 2 weeks, if I do what they want they'll take me home. I can see mother and father again!

So Kenji almost eagerly did everything the man said, from taking of his clothes to lying still on the bed.

"Good" the man said again, smiling showing yellowed teeth, "Sit still, man come in, no talk, no move, just sit still and quiet."

The tall blonde man left and less than a minute later a short squat dark haired man came in. The fat man took off his clothes as Kenji watched bored from the bed. Even as the fat man came closer and closer, Kenji still could not figure out his motives.

Why are we both naked Kenji thought completely bewildered, are we both going to take a bath together? Kenji smiled at the happy memories of bathing together with his father and brother.

The fat man finally came up close to the bed and grabbed Kenji, hugging him close. Oh, Kenji thought to himself good naturally, he just wants a hug. Kenji hugged him back and asked him kindly, "You don't have anyone to hug you at home?"

The fat man, however, like most of the people in the house, did not understand Japanese, as Kenji was to figure out as the weeks dragged on. But for now, Kenji just thought the man was ignoring him. The fat man didn't answer him, but maneuvered his bloated body onto the bed.

All this for a hug, Kenji thought as the man finished working himself onto the bed. "If you wanted a hug," Kenji told the man, "You should've just asked your mama for one…that's what I do." But the man ignored him and just started hugging him again.

It was hot and sweaty underneath the man, and Kenji strained to breath. Why all this for a hug, Kenji thought getting angry, all for some stupid…then everything turned into a very bad dream that Kenji would never forget for the rest of his life.

~~~---~~~

Present day Kenji looked to his right and looked to his left as he opened the shoji screen door of the room he had been sleeping in. Before while inside the room, he had gotten all of his thoughts together.

"I can't be dead," he said to himself looking around, "because I have Chizura's necklace…and I doubt heaven looks like this. So there's no other explanation…those customers must have been from some rival brothel. They kidnapped me and brought me here….but that still doesn't explain why I have Chizura's necklace."

Kenji looked again at the fading flower in the vase and furrowed his brow. Why…why do I feel so uneasy about Chizura?

Kenji got up and stretched, "Oh well," he said, "first things first and that's escaping from here!"

Kenji, after making sure no one was watching, snuck out of his room.

This'll be easy, he thought to himself, walking leisurely down the hallway. There were no guards and the door to the outside was right down the hall!

"Where are you going, Kenji-chan?"

Kenji whirled himself around and found himself face to face with a man barely taller then he was, with a slight smile on his face and twinkling violet eyes.

~~~---~~~

He's up

That was the first thought Kenshin had as he opened his eye's to the early morning sunlight filtering through the shoji screen walls.

He turned slightly to the right, looking lovingly at the sleeping form of his wife and daughter. Both were sound asleep, their chest's rising and falling in tune with their breathing.

Kenshin got up slowly and dressed himself quietly so as not to wake them. He threw out his ki throughout the rest of the house. Everyone else was just as deeply asleep as Kaoru and Kaori, especially Sano, Aoshi, Kai, and Yahiko. They had all been exhausted by the night before, so Kenshin let them sleep undisturbed.

Kenshin had set his ki on Kenji before he had gone to bed, so that if Kenji woke up before they did, he would be able to catch him. His foresight paid off, because Kenji had woken up at 3 in the morning.

Kenshin walked down the stairs and stopped as he spied Kenji poking his head through the door of his room. Kenshin didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. Here was Kenji, his long lost son, only a few feet away from him. He could walk up and talk to him right now if he wanted, but he wanted to see what Kenji was trying to do first.

Kenji swiveled his head from his left to his right, and making sure that the coast was clear, he walked out of his room, walking toward the door to the outside.

Oh, Kenshin thought, watching as Kenji walked toward the door, he's trying to get away.

Kenshin walked up to Kenji using all of his former hitokiri skills of stealth. He was at a total loss of what he would say to him so he said the only thing that was on his mind.

"Where are you going, Kenji-chan?"

~~~---~~~

"Where are you going Kenji?"

Kenji looked up at the man, Mr. Howard, and narrowed his dark blue eyes.

"Outside"

The Mr. Howard man laughed and pulled Kenji away from the door by his shirt collar.

"Kenji, Kenji, Kenji…we've been over this. You're not allowed to go outside." he said as he pulled Kenji farther and farther away from the door.

Kenji folded his arms and scowled. He had been at the brothel for 2 years now, and could now speak English fluently. Abuse and neglect had hardened his once innocent baby face. The 7 year old now had the look of a child who had been through more than what most adults go through their entire lives.

"There's nothing for you out there anyway," Howard said locking the door, incase Kenji tried anything again, "Only people who would beat and try to kill you, or take you to another place like this. Anyway, we have a friend for you."

Howard motioned for Kenji to follow him, and he did stoically and silently.

"She's a real pretty one, and they told me that she was on the same boat as you," Howard said pleasantly as they walked up to the room where she was, "You might remember her. Do you remember any of the other children on that boat?"

Kenji shook his head no and continued to follow Howard.

"Huh? Too bad, but I'm sure you two can find something to talk about, you're both Jap's right? Hah, hah, don't look at me like that Kenji, it's just a joke!" At this Howard stopped at a door.

"Alright, she's in here. Show her the ropes and stuff alright? And be sure to be back in your room before it gets dark alright?"

With that Howard left, and Kenji stood alone at the door to the room.

Kenji shrugged his shoulders and opened the door. The room held a bed and that was about it. On the bed was a little girl, with long black hair, looking down at the floor. She didn't even react when Kenji closed the door and sat beside her.

"What's your name?" Kenji asked in Japanese, strangely curious about the girl.

"Chizura Rekioji," she answered looking up at him with big brown sad eyes.

She's pretty, Kenji thought blushing slightly and looking away.

"Did your mommy and daddy sell you to?" Chizura asked.

"No," Kenji shook his head, "I was taken"

"Oh" she said, looking back down again and then started to cry.

Kenji sat in shock, bewildered and didn't know what to do. "H-hey, what are you crying for?!" Kenji asked waving his arms and looking around as if help would come from somewhere and make the girl stop crying.

"I-its just…I-I miss my mommy, and daddy, and sisters…e-even though they sold me…" she said between hiccups.

Kenji sat and watched as the girl cried. It had been so long since he had thought of his family. He had given up long ago that they would ever find him, and he found that thinking about them just made him sad on the inside.

But what do girls like…Kenji thought racking his brain to try and find a way to make Chizura stop crying, what do girls like? There were no other children at the brothel, and Kenji's only experience with girls were with his older sister, who he could barely remember.

Girls…Kenji thought…what do girls…aha!!

"Stay here" Kenji told Chizura as he jumped off of the bed and raced down the stairs. The ladies here are girls, just bigger, Kenji thought racing down the stairs, and they always like it when the customers send them flowers!

Kenji grabbed a random vase with a bunch of flowers in it and went back up to the room, being careful not to drop the vase.

In the room, he sat the vase down on the floor, and picked out the prettiest flower of the bunch. He tapped Chizura on the shoulder and handed it to her, waiting for her reaction.

She looked at the flower silently for a moment and rubbing her eyes she said an almost silent, "Thank you".

And then Kenji smiled, the first honest smile he had had since he came to the brothel. And for the rest of the afternoon, and for the rest of the days after that, Kenji sat talking and playing with Chizura.

~~~---~~~

Chizura coughed a little as Fujita stood above her, watching as she drank all of the liquid.

"What have they done to you?" Fujita said almost to herself softly. When Akira and the others had brought Chizura (more like thrown her on the ground) to her room, she had been so shocked she couldn't say anything.

Chizura obviously had a broken nose, and she was covered in bruises. Upon further examination, Fujita found that Chizura had 3 broken ribs, a broken leg, and a broken arm. Fujita herself knew how ruthless Akira was, but she would never have believed in a million years that he would do something like this.

Chizura had been thankfully asleep while Fujita bandaged her and set her broken bones, but when she woke up she howled in pain. Fujita had been prepared for it, and had made a drink to stop the pain, which she was making Chizura drink now.

"Drink all of it child…it'll make the pain go away" Fujita said watching Chizura slowly down the drink.

"It's foul" Chizura answered, after she had finished the cup. Her voice was hoarse, and rasping.

"I know, I know, but the pain will go away soon and you'll go to sleep" Fujita said, cleaning up the cup.

Once she had finished cleaning up Fujita sat across from Chizura watching as the girl dozed the medicine working quickly. But before she went to sleep Fujita had one question for Chizura.

"Where is Kenji, Chizura?" Fujita asked. The news that Kenji was gone had spread like wildfire throughout the brothel and for good reason. Kenji was their lifeblood, he made most of the money that came into the brothel. But Fujita was worried about Kenji for different reasons. To her, he was like a son, all of her other children had been taken away by war or disease. She was worried about him.

Chizura gave a weak smile, still a beauty even with a broken nose and in severe pain.

"He's with his family obaasan…" and with that Chizura fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~~~---~~~

What. The. Hell.

That was all Kenji could think as he stared at the man who looked so much like him. Am I staring into a mirror? Kenji backed away slowly at the man who was staring at him with a soft smile on his face.

I must really be dead…and in hell, Kenji thought staring at the man, or I'm in the future. Well, there's only one way to find out!

"Who the hell are you?!" Kenji barked at the man, scared but determined not to show it.

The man smiled warmly at him, and Kenji felt odd. He couldn't put a word on the feeling.

"I'm your father, Kenji-chan" the man replied.

Kenji stood still for a moment in shock.

"N-no you can't be…" It felt like his whole entire world was spinning. His father? No, this man was lying. He can't be his father! His father, his family was gone. They had forgotten about him, and he had forgotten about them. It just wasn't…but this man looked so much like him.

"I am…Kenji…" Kenshin took a step toward Kenji but stopped when Kenji yelled "Stop, stay back!"

"Kenji…" Kenshin murmured staring at his son.

"You," Kenji said pointing a finger at him, "You stay away from me! You are not my father! I don't have a father!"

A look of hurt passed over the mans face but Kenji didn't care. Who was this man to come to him saying he was his father? Kenji realized by now that this man probably was his father, but who was he to come to him saying that? After all he had been through and gone through was he supposed to just accept this man as his father?

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Kenji continued, flecks of amber started to form in his eyes, "Who the hell do you think you are? After everything that's happened, after all these years and you're coming to me telling me you're my father! Where the hell have you been?!"

Kenshins sad, pained eyes looked back at Kenji as he replied, "I'm sorry Kenji"

Kenji could feel his inner rage that he had built up for 10 long years building. Those years of waiting and wishing for his parents to come save him, of being so sure and having so much faith that his tousan would bust through the doors at any moment and rescue him. Then the years of pain and despair realizing that his parents and no one would come to save him, that the life dealt to him would be nothing but painful nights and suffering days.

"I'm sorry?" Kenji said staring at his father with steely amber eyes, "Is that all you have to say is I'm sorry? Do you know what I've been through?! 10 years and all you have to say for yourself is I'm sorry?!

Kenshin shook his head, "That's all I can say Kenji"

Kenji was getting so angry that he was starting not to be able to see straight, but he didn't care.

"That's all I can say" Kenji said mocking Kenshin, "You're damn straight that's all you can say! Say it till you're blue in the face, till you run out of fucking breath! I don't want or need any of your damn sorry's!"

Kenji took a step toward Kenshin, his now pure crimson eyes raging.

"You don't know what I've been through! You don't know anything about me! Should I describe it for you?! Do you want me to describe all the things I've had to do?! I'll never forgive you! Ever!"

Kenshin shook his head looking tired and worn. In fact he had been expecting this. He had been expecting the vehement hot ki that rose from his son in waves, attacking his very soul. He had expected the hurt and hate in his sons eye's when he looked at him. But to have to experience it was painful beyond compare.

"Kenji…I know that no amount of apologies will ever be able to make everything up to you, and I'm not asking you for forgiveness, but…I truly am sorry for not finding you sooner."

Kenji clenched his fists and looked down at the ground, his rage starting to dissipate. He was angry, yes, very angry, but there were more pressing matters at the moment. He could have this conversation (or more like one-sided argument) with his father later.

"So where am I anyway?" Kenji asked looking up.

"You're at the Aoi-Ya Inn…we brought you here after we took you from…there" Kenshin answered, he couldn't bring himself to say the word brothel.

"So…you were one of the customers last night?"

"Yes"

"Who were the others?"

"Friends who helped out"

Then he knows Chizura, Kenji thought remembering that night all to clearly. "Why do I have Chizura's necklace?" Kenji asked.

"She put it around your neck before we left"

"Then…you left her there…?"

"We asked her to come with us, but she said that she would stay behind and stall them a bit, by staying in your room…Kenji?" Kenshin stopped as he saw the look of horror pass over his son's face.

"Are you a fucking moron?!" Kenji yelled, "Do you know what they will do to her if they find me gone and her in the room?!" Chizura…Chizura you fucking idiot, was all Kenji could think his mind going mad. Do you know what Akira will do to you Chizura!? And by the look on his face, Kenji thought looking at Kenshins surprised face, he must not have known the danger in leaving Chizura there without me.

"We have to go, now!" Kenji said turning to leave, but stopping when he saw a tall rooster like man leaning on the door.

"Wow" Sano said staring at Kenji, "This one has quite a mouth on him doesn't he?"

Next chapter, Kenji meets all the members of the Kenshin-gumi, yay!!! He was quite angry in this chapter…don't expect anything different next chapter. What, it's not like he was just going to run up to Kenshin going, "Daddy!". In any case the next chapter will be coming out…next year! Get it? Next year, new years, hah, hah! I crack myself up…