Ch 9

Like Old Times

She healed quickly, her body long accustomed to functioning well under stress. She had essentially stolen Kenshin's bed for a week during her convalescence. This morning she had taken an ace bandage and several thin metal pieces from her hosts very well stocked medicine cabinet and settled in the center of his bed to create a brace for her ankle.

Carefully, she examined her work. With the swelling of her joint almost completely receded this slender brace would allow her to wear normal shoes with almost complete mobility. Her wounds had healed well and Megumi had given her a nearly clean bill of health yesterday. Kaoru was confident that Misao would be able to make her remaining injuries disappear almost entirely with the correct application of makeup this evening.

Rising she tested the contraption… minimal discomfort. Balancing on her bad foot she executed a slow front kick, followed by a side kick and a round house just to test her fighting ability if it came down to that. She refused to be a liability. Other than a bit of stiffness with the back kick she would only need to keep anyone from directly striking her ankle. Pulling on a sock to hide her activities, a broad grin spread over her face and she strode confidently out of Kenshin's bedroom.

He looked around the kitchen partition at the sound of the door, "Kaoru, should you be walking on that?"

He inquired turning back to the stove. She grinned and scattering her ki snuck up behind him delivering a high kick that missed him by inches when he leaned slightly forward at the last moment.

"Gah! How can you tell?" she exclaimed exasperated.

There was a smile in his voice when he responded glancing over his shoulder at her, "experience… and I could hear the linoleum rippling when you stepped there," he gestured at a slightly warped section in front of the sink.

Kaoru frowned and sighed dramatically, "Fine then…be that skilled."

Pivoting on her heel she caught him by surprise and snapped the ends of her ponytail across his face, the stinging black stands just clipping his nose. Kaoru sensed him flinch back startled and giggled before she beat a quick getaway.


Things had come together smoothly, thanks to Aoshi's willing assistance. It helped immensely that they had both ceased their puffed up posturing about 'thier' women spending time with the other. Misao had practically moved into his home during daylight hours, and no matter how 'trusted' an associate Kenshin was, the Okashira would always see Battousai.

Kenshin was grateful for this tentative trust and went out of his way not to test it. He treated his two houseguests with utmost care not to unnerve the smallest of his company. He seriously doubted Kaoru could be frightened. Just last evening she had been rummaging through his linen cabinet and had uncovered one of his stashed weapons. She had happily hefted the forty-five weighing it for ammo, before taking aim at a pitcher in the kitchen. He could have sworn he heard her giggle as she returned the gun to its place.

Kaoru seemed to have picked up on this caution instinctively and made sure her friend was too absorbed in her needs to worry at all about the identity of their host. She had proven remarkably good at needing aid for everything from sitting up to eating, thereby keeping Misao hopping. The instant the door shut behind her small friend all such needs vanished and he received a dark glare for even thinking of pampering her.

The days passed quickly. Kaoru had adapted to his habits with ease. It was an assignment day, so if anyone could snatch more sleep the couch had pillows. It was a surprisingly lazy day. None of the usual humming tension filled his blood as he basically napped the daylight hours away.

Then Misao appeared.


Kaoru almost giggled at the pole axed expression on Kenshin's face. He was currently surveying an overburdened Misao who stood in his doorway, no less than three suitcases hanging off her person.

"Hiya! Now scoot mister, I've got work to do," she announced barging blithely into the apartment.

The look had yet to fade by the time Misao had hustled her into the bathroom and locked the door. It was then her turn to look horrified as the true extent of her friend's arsenal was revealed.

"No, oh no, this is way, way too much."

The younger rolled her eyes tugging her friend down on a chair before the mirror.

"I think the lady doth protest too much," she said in a mock solemn tone.

Kaoru gave her a look and Misao giggled a broad grin breaking the pose, "You, my friend are a distraction, therefore, I have full reign to make you distracting!"

Shooting a horrified look at one of the open suitcases Kaoru uttered a soft whine of protest before Misao began.

Several hours later the door was flung open, crashing against the wall. Kaoru backed out looking almost unrecognizable. She had caught on of Misao's hands in hers and was holding it away from her body as she backed out the door.

"No, no I am done!"

"C'mon! It's the finishing touch you've let me do so much."

"Exactly, be satisfied, you demonic fiend."

"It doesn't look finished!" Misao complained.

"Oh yes, yes it does."

Misao stopped struggling and frowned darkly at her friend, "Fine… I leave it."

Heaving a sigh of relief Kaoru released her, turning around to face Kenshin.

"So, what do you th—" her question cut off with a startled squeak as Misao plastered something over her left shoulder blade.

"Neyahaa! Can't remove it now for fifteen minutes unless you want to have random black smudges across your back all night!" the smaller woman crowed, triumphant.

Kaoru whipped around her hands curled to grasp a throat and Misao danced happily out of reach, "You little—!"

"Twerp!" Misao sung out before slamming the bathroom door in Kaoru's face. There was the distinct click of the lock and Misao's giggles through the door.

Approaching cautiously Kenshin touched the palm sized piece of synthetic cloth or canvas, well soaked in some sort of developing agent.

"If I may be so bold… what exactly is this?" he asked.

Kaoru groaned from where her forehead rested against the door, "That, is a tattoo."

"It will come off with soap and water when this is finished," he soothed the fuming woman.

She covered her face a low wail escaping, "No, it won't. She knows me better than that. This is semi-permanent ink. In three to four weeks it will be reabsorbed into my skin. Till then… tat."

"Oh…"

" 'Oh' is right."

"Umm… why?"

In an artificially high pitched voice obviously intended to imitate her friend Kaoru explained, "Everybody with half a brain can pick out a temp. This is what tattoo parlors will use to let prospective customers see what the finished product will look like without committing."

From behind the locked bathroom door Misao called out, "You should thank me…And I don't sound like that!"

Kaoru sighed rubbing her temples, "Whatever, it's done, other than that how do I look."

She turned slowly for emphasis.

Kenshin watched her a small smile on his face. It was something utterly other than what Kaoru would pick for herself, but then so was his own outfit.

Thigh high, square heeled boots in shiny patent leather put her on eye level with him. A ripped mini jean skirt that ended in a tasseled edge of black silk squares sifted revealing tantalizing glimpses of pale thighs. An actual corset began just below her navel, it was matte sapphire blue edged in black lace and made her breasts seem well… even more well endowed. A black leather choker was studded with large sapphire colored glass gems and similarly gaudy sapphire colored jewels dangled from thin black chains on each ear.

Her hair had been pulled up with two black chopsticks still more of the blue gems dangling from these and the rest of her hair fell in a cascade of inky curls that brushed the nape of her neck.

The overall effect served to make her hair seem blacker than night and her eyes nearly electric blue.

He coughed, "You look…different." Seductive… not mentioning seductive.

When the time came he helped her peel the applicator strip off her back revealing a branch of jasmine blossoms, five blossoms were shown falling from the branch and these were each outlined in blue.

Nervous at his silence Kaoru twisted around trying to see what it was, "It's bad isn't it… probably a heart… or worse… butterflies."

"No, it's not too terrible, jasmine blossoms… it's classy… as far as tattoos go."

"Fine then… tell Misao she can come out… I need to go find a way to hide knives in this outfit."

He quirked a brow, "Where did you get knives?"

She smiled at him, "Misao brought me my set, and the chopsticks, actually good quality steel. While the rest of this monkey suit may burn for all I care, I'm keeping the chopsticks."

"What about the smoke bombs?" he was eyeing her ensemble rather critically. There was no way she was hiding those on her.

"The boning on the bottom edge of the corset isn't real boning, the seams on the skirt have been stuffed, and there are three down the inside edge of the boots."

Then she disappeared into his room her tail of curls swishing back and forth revealing the soft, soft skin at the base of her neck.

When she returned it was time for the show to begin.


It was just past midnight, the high point of the night, Kaoru had had trouble moving at all, the dance floor was packed with sweat slick young bodies, and the blinding lights flashing intermittently from the DJ station near the back of the club, was quite ruining her night vision…

No matter, the crowd meant it was hard for security to zero in on one person, namely her. At the moment she was seated in one of the circular booths on the edges of the room.

There was a loud pop, and a billow of smoke from near the DJ's stand. Kaoru heard a chorus of confused shouts, and then the fire alarms were blaring, and three more bombs went off smoke rapidly filling the room.

General pandemonium spread in seconds and it was a simple matter to duck down under the table and wait. Soon, anyone who wasn't aware of the shadier things going on behind the bar would be gone. Already employees were fighting against the crowds trying to put out what they assumed was an electrical fire, before it spread to something dangerous… like the ammo cash.

Just as they managed to reach the area, the second round of bombs went off, sending the less hardy diving for cover.


As a door behind the bar swung open and more men rushed out Kaoru rose and in the thick screen of smoke slipped in as the door slammed shut. Left… Aoshi's intel said the weapon's cash was on the second story, above the dance floor.

"Oye! What're you doing here?" Someone yelled.

Kaoru snorted, "Well, I was fucking your boss, but he ran off when the alarms went."

A large hand closed on her wrist, "So what're you doin' wandering around, huh bitch?"

She directed a cutting glare at the man who dared detain her, "Unless you want to have a personal meeting with Daro yourself, you will kindly LET GO."

The detaining hand dropped away instantly and she rolled her eyes, "I want my purse, you idiot, I left it in his office," as she walked off she waved airily calling out, "You needn't worry about me hun, I'm a regular."

And with that she was around a corner and gone, after all, a saucy call girl was the least of their problems right now.

Up the stairs, one, two, three, oh look, the Battousai had been here… ahh yes.

She quickly retrieved the lock picks that had been conveniently disguised as metal accents on her corset. The lock was a good one, but aside from the body, the hall was empty and from the screams and shouts below, it was likely to stay that way.

Several minutes later the lock gave with a protesting groan of metal on metal, and the door swung open. My oh my… someone had been very naughty. There was enough C-4 in here to take down the whole building.

A final charge was concealed in the heel of her boot, the timer already programmed was activated at a touch and she made sure her addition to the cache was unnoticeable, hidden well beneath the first layer of C-4 bricks. Perfect.

She swung the door shut behind her, hearing it lock with a click. She paused briefly to smear her lipstick, and twist her corset so her breasts looked to have been shoved hastily back in, and took off down the hall at a panicked run, whimpering and wringing her hands.

Once outside she blended in perfectly with the throng of evacuated patrons and rubberneckers gawking at the building which still billowed smoke from every open door and window.

She should go… It would be best she were gone before the blast went off. Not much time, the building had to go before any emergency crews decided to be heroic. With a final long look at the club, now reduced to little more than a kicked anthill she turned away, unsurprised when a man in tight white pants and a scarlet shirt, the very image of dandy, fell in beside her, his arm falling heavily across her shoulders.

"Ano… I may have miscalculated the trajectory of a few bullets from a submachine gun," A familiar voice huffed with a rueful laugh beside her ear.

"Heaven preserve me," she muttered as cops began shoving aside the crowd trying to make room for a fire engine to get down the narrow street.

Three, two, one.

The ensuing explosion nearly toppled her and her burden off their feet, but Kaoru kept hers an managed to pull Kenshin further onto her shoulders, half dragging him away from the scene.

"C'mon, let's get you home, it will be just like old times," Kaoru said as she raised a hand to flag down a taxi.

END


Wow. The end. Guys… I actually finished a story that was on hiatus. Finished. Finished. HAHA. All the accomplishment. I hope it wasn't too abrupt, opinions are welcome, I'm still thinking about whether or not to include an epilogue… dunno. I just really have to many things going on right now to know where to go with this fic, so its best left here for the time being. Thank you to everyone who stuck with me from the beginning and those of you who found me the second run about. I have really enjoyed hearing from all of you. Hopefully now that this is done I'll have the impetuous to pick up some of my other err… not abandoned… long term storage stories.