Chapter 9

Thanks so much for the reviews and continued reading of my fic! This chapter was harder for me to write. It had an entirely different feel to me, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly why other than Kenshin is missing. Either way, it's an important chapter, so I hope you enjoy!

Queen Emily the Diligent – Yea, my heart beat a little quicker as I wrote that. I'm glad Kenshin doesn't come across as being attracted to Kaoru quite yet because that's just not realistic. SO glad you like it!

Skenshingumi – Welcome! Thanks so much for your input! I agree about Kenshin and Kaoru. It's gotta be a bit of a slow burn with this one. I hope you continue reading!

Summer314 – Oh Saito… you cocky little jerk. Lol! I really like Shinta so far too. Hopefully he's coming across a touch like the rorouni but in kind of a modern way.

Kenkoa4ever – I'm glad you're still reading! The end of that chapter gave me chills as I wrote it too. Buuuurrrrr!

PLEASE ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin.

It had been a week since Saito dropped Yahiko and I off at my apartment with a sharp order to "Stay" like we were dogs waiting for their next treat. "We'll be in touch."

I stared off at his black BMW as it sped away with my eyes narrowed in pure fury. "That's it?" I yelled after him, completely flabbergasted.

"I don't like that guy," Yahiko muttered, looking just as livid. "What if Kenshin's in trouble?"

I shrugged, feeling helpless. "I don't know, Yahiko."

So, we stayed… until we both got so bored we wanted to throw our heads against the wall.

My brain felt like a dice roller. One minute I'd be doing dishes or watching TV with Yahiko in contentment, and the next my thoughts would reel around, and I'd be caught in such deep contemplation that I couldn't seem to do anything but stare into space until the next roll. Or until Yahiko bopped me on the head.

"I don't think he's gone forever," he would say.

And I would smile and nod and suggest we play a game together. Yahiko missed Kenshin's presence as much as I did, and it pulled at my heart strings that he might be feeling a little abandoned. "I bet you're right, kid."

But at the end of the day, we couldn't sit still anymore.

What is it about experiencing a life altering encounter with a beautifully dangerous Samurai from the past that makes the rest of real life so unbearably boring? Monotonous was the word. I robotically went through day to day tasks in a haze that was so monstrously unfulfilling that I was forced to take up my old hobby.

Kamiya Kasshin-ryu!

Yahiko happily joined me, which was really a lot of fun.

The first couple of days or so we were both covered in bumps and bruises, that left us exhausted and me aching for a hot bath and more than one cup of hot sake. By day four we'd both gotten a little better. At least now we could spare without accidentally knocking the daylights out of each other.

It was five days later while we were battling each other in Mario Cart, when there was a knock on the door. Yahiko and I turned to one another, eyes wide, and then I bolted up and yanked it open.

"Kaoru," Magumi asked, standing at my door with her hand on her hip, "what are the chances of you coming back to work?" She pushed her way into my small apartment and gave Yahiko a wink. He flushed furiously and turned back to his videogames.

Work. I'd never been so interested in pointless editing in my entire life. That and I had something cooking in my brain.

"Can Yahiko come with me?" I asked, eyes wide in excitement. I didn't care that Saito told us to stay put anymore. We hadn't heard a single word from the man, so how could he just expect us to sit here and rot?

Megumi glanced over at Yahiko and shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. You know how to make coffee, kid?"

Yahiko grimaced, never taking his eyes off the television screen. "You can't afford my coffee."

The fragrance campaign had officially moved on, and I couldn't have been happier to be editing a commercial for a new burger chain.

"So, he just disappeared?" Megumi asked from beside me.

My office felt darker and smaller than normal now, but it was comforting, like my own little bubble. But when Megumi uttered those words, it felt more like a cave, surrounding and choking me. "Yea, it was horrible." I moved to edit out a random thumb from shot 13.

Megumi sighed, and I wondered if she could hear the helplessness in my voice that I tried to hide by keeping my hands as busy as possible. "This is an easy edit, so after you're done, maybe we can go to lunch." She glanced over at Yahiko, playing his Gameboy beside me. "The brat can come too."

He paused his game to glare at her. "Your coffee price just increased."

Offended, I smacked his knee. "That mouth of yours is going to land you in deep trouble one day." Glancing over I added, "And please get your feet off my chair."

His feet slid to the floor. "She's trying to put me into child labor!" He exclaimed, eyes wide.

I pursed my lips and turned to Megumi. With her eyes glancing between the two of us, she looked fairly amused. "He has a point."

She chuckled lightly and sat forward in her chair. "Tell you what, Yahiko. I'll give you a dollar every time I ask you to do something for me."

"IF—" I interjected quickly, "You do it without complaining and with extreme politeness. Otherwise, no deal!" My eyes locked on Yahiko's unwaveringly, challenging him.

Looking a little smug, Yahiko paused his game and sat up slowly in his seat, back straight. "Yes, ma'am. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Yea," Megumi snapped and pointed at he door. "Coffee, black, two sugars."

I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing as Yahiko blinked, gave a small, courteous bow and headed to the door. He looked rather like a butler. Before reaching the door, he paused and turned. "Where's the coffee?"

I smiled. "Take a right out of my office and it's the last door on the left."

With a nod, he was gone, leaving us behind and chuckling.

"Has he always been such a smart-aleck?" Megumi asked as she leaned back and crossed her long legs. "I thought I remembered him being cute a couple years ago."

"Oh, he's still cute." I sighed and turned back to the computer. "He's just almost a teenager."

That completely petrifying thought kept me awake at night.

"You're doing a good job, Kaoru."

I wanted to roll my eyes, but instead I gave her a small smile and pursed my lips together conspiratorially, but said nothing. Her brown eyes narrowed at me curiously. "What are you up to?"

"About lunch," I started, feeling giddy as I leaned toward her and laced my fingers together, "what do you think about doing a little investigative work?"

Her red lips curled. "I'm listening."

I glanced at the door. Yahiko was still pretty raw about Kenshin's disappearance and I didn't want to get his hopes up. "You remember Akio, the man who was… controlled… by someone from Kenshin's time?"

Her brow raised. "I spent an hour duck-taping the door he hacked in two. Yes, I remember him."

I shook off her sarcasm. "Well, Akio saw the man who did that to him. I got the address of the cab company he works for. I say we go see if he remembers anything else."

And I wanted to check on the poor old man. How traumatic would that have been?

Megumi's smile only widened. "I think you miss him, Kaoru."

Quickly, I sat straight-back in my seat and threaded my fingers together in my lap. "I just have a feeling that Kenshin and I have some unfinished business is all." I glanced down quickly so as not to see the look Megumi was sure to give me. The one where she knew better than me what I was really thinking.

The door opened and Yahiko walked in hurriedly, puffing out quick breaths of air as he stumbled over and slammed the coffee on my desk. Megumi and I both jumped back as it splattered over the edges. Brown droplets slipped down the front of my computer screen, but Yahiko, flapping his hand in the air, never looked so please with himself. "Your very very hot coffee ma'am. What else do you need?"

"I thought you said we were getting burgers!" Yahiko groaned from the backseat. As if in protest, his stomach let out a loud and low rumble. "I'm starving to death."

At the first sight of those bright yellow cab cars, my heart leapt with excitement.

"Just one quick stop," I assured him. It occurred to me that I now had mom-purse, which translated into always being snack-ready. I dug out a granola bar and handed it back to him. Yahiko snatched it from my hand like it was a raw steak being fed to a hound dog.

Unfortunately, while I had been distracted by Yahiko's loud stomach I hadn't noticed the two black BMW's parked on the side of the brick building. When I glanced back up and saw them, my heart sunk into my stomach. When I saw the mustang beside them, my heart hid there and quivered.

Oh no… Saito.

I was about to yell, "Don't stop!" but Megumi was already swerving into a spot. I sunk down into the passenger seat, hoping nobody had seen me. It hadn't occurred to me that the Japanese Task Force would be questioning Akio now. Shouldn't they have done that days ago?

"Kaoru?" I glanced up at Megumi, but she was staring out the side window, eyes wide. When I followed her gaze, I gasped.

Turns out, the Task Force weren't questioning Akio after all. Six of them were in an all-out battle with him in the small yard behind the offices. Or was it three against one. The other three seemed to be standing solidly on the sidelines, watching with their mouths gaping open, which was very odd.

Yahiko jumped so far up in his seat, he was basically in my lap. "This is the coolest day of my life," he muttered, completely transfixed, and took his last bite of granola. "Is that Kenshin?"

That's when I saw him. At first the flash of red seemed like a trick in the sunlight, but my eyes were drawn to it like a moth to a flame. The tall man at his side ducked to avoid the slash of Akio's sword and there he was.

My heart was about to burst from my chest, and then the glare of his glasses made me blink.

Shinta.

He was crouched to the ground, his hair whipping like a crown around his head, having just given Akio a swift kick to his ribs. It was fast and sharp, and I saw Akio's head lash back in pain. The agent beside Kenshin then reached into the holster at his side, revealing a shiny black gun.

I whipped around to Yahiko. "If you get out of this car, you'll be grounded for a month. Do you understand?" I waited, those deep round eyes staring widely into mine. "Yahiko?" I asked again, emphasizing each syllable in his name slowly. "Do you understand?"

He must have heard the seriousness in my tone, for a moment later, he nodded, still half chewing. "Yea, I understand."

I was out the door, running and shouting all at once. "STOP! It's not him!"

Five sets of eyes landed on me. It wasn't Akio's surprise, or Saito's glare that had me stopping in my tracks. Rather, the brick wall I seemed to slam into as Shinta stepped suddenly in front of me. His arm went around my waist, spinning us both full circle before pushing me behind him. I was left dizzy and breathless as he turned to glare at me from the corner of his eye. Distantly, I realized his glasses had fallen off.

"Kaoru, what are you doing here?" he growled.

Those violet eyes, mixed with worry and anger, momentarily paralyzed me. "Don't shoot him," I pleaded, my voice cracked and winded. "It's not Akio. It's someone else."

But the other agent raised his gun.

"Get that woman out of here!" Saito ordered furiously. He growled as Akio took a swing at him and missed, seemingly on purpose. The cab driver then chuckled lightly and stepped away again, taunting them.

I grasped Shinta's shoulders. "Please, Shinta! Don't kill him."

"We're not going to kill him, Kaoru," he said raggedly. "We're apprehending him."

My eyes went wide. "What?"

"Akio is part of this." Shinta's teeth set, hard. "Look at him, Kaoru!"

So, I peeked over his shoulders. Akio looked younger once again, not a strand of grey shining against his temple. And he moved like someone half his age. "Kaoru?" He asked, voice like silk. Very unlike the husky voice, ripened with age like I was used to. His head tilted to the side so his eyes met mine. "Don't worry, I'm very much enjoying this."

"What are you doing, Akio?" I asked, still studying his young features. It was like Akio had suddenly developed the Benjamin Button disease.

He paused for a moment, letting his sword fall to his side. "Akio?" for a moment his eyes clouded as he thought. "Yes, that's my name."

My eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

It was as if two people were in charge of one brain.

"I want to fight, I'm ready to fight! It's been such a long time!" He pressed a fist to his forehead roughly before opening his eyes and glaring at us. "As long as I'm here they can't send me back."

Shinta's eyes narrowed. "Who are they?"

At the same time, I asked, "as long as you're where?"

Speaking to me, but watching Shinta, Akio raised his sword and pointed it at the redhead. "That one," he said menacingly, not answering either of us. "I want to fight him again, Kaoru. Do you remember? He was very good."

Shinta's voice was low and hard. "I don't fight with swords, Akio." He put his hand on mine and squeezed, grounding me to him, as if he could sense I was about to run into the middle of the fight.

He'd been right.

"You fight better with a sword than any man I've ever seen!" Akio let out a loud, humorless burst of laughter and tilted his head at us mockingly. His eyes slid purposefully to Shinta's hand on mine. "Is she your woman, Battousai?"

"Akio, wait!" His eyes lazily trailed back up to mine and I flinched at the annoyance in them. "What's your other name?"

A smile crept with eerie slowness over his lips, and dread filled my whole body. "I'd really rather show you than tell you."

He stared at me, and suddenly I felt as if I were drowning in the richly blue heughs swirling in his dark eyes. On it's own accord, my body went heavy, and I swayed. Shinta instantly spun around, catching me as my limbs went limp. He swung me into his arms, gathering me close. I wanted to inhale the pine scent I knew I'd find at the crook of his neck, but I couldn't get the breath in.

A strangled sound escaped my lips and Shinta's eyes widened. "Kaoru?" He bent, gently lying me on the ground. His fingers were cool as they touched my cheek, then suddenly they were frantic. "She can't breathe!"

Distantly, I heard car doors open, and Megumi screaming for Yahiko. I would have to remember to live up to my threat of grounding him for a month.

It was a strange feeling. Part of me was screaming on the inside, fighting and scared and aggressively angry that this was happening to me. The other part was oddly calm, wanting to drift away on the waves of darkness into a nice sound sleep.

Was I dying?

"Shoot him in the knee!" Saito ordered. It occurred to me that the other three agents had yet to budge. Were they paralyzed like me? No. They weren't moving but they were breathing.

Why couldn't I breathe?!

The bang of the gunshot made my body jolt. And then there was a laugh, an irrational, crazy laugh. "Fools! You either kill me or she dies!"

Yahiko's face was abruptly there, right in front of mine, blinding me to the commotion. I clutched the ground, feeling rough dirt filling my fingernails, and opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out.

Yahiko couldn't watch me die!

Something happened then that I hadn't expected. Shinta's eyes narrowed, swirling with a gold that burned like molten lava. His head whipped towards Akio and he stood. I let my head fall to the side, watching as he approached the man dangerously.

Akio laughed again, this time delightedly. His eyes, I noticed, were an intense deep blue color. "Yes, Battousai!" Even with a gunshot to his knee, he stood, limping in a circle as he leaned on the hilt of his sword.

"What did you do to her?" Shinta asked venomously.

Yahiko was calling my name. It echoed like a symphony in my head, and then his hand was on my face, turning me to look up at him. Faintly, I could hear the fighting to my side, but my eyes locked on to his sweet round face, covered in tears and calling for me helplessly. I'd never seen that look on his face before; desperate and alone.

I had to breathe!

"Let her go, Jin-e!" Shinta's voice was low and lethal. He was going to kill Akio to save me, and then we'd never find Kenshin. I just knew it.

I had to breathe!

It was such a simple act, taking in a breath, letting sweet air fill your lungs, lighten your body, fill your limbs and muscles and organs with life.

Yahiko pushed on my chest and blew his breath between my lips, but nothing worked. I was paralyzed. Cold touched my fingertips and toes, and made an achingly slow crawl up my arms and legs.

"Breath, Kaoru!" He cried again.

I tried. I really tried. But it was as if something were lodged stiffly in my throat. Nothing could get through.

No, I wouldn't let this happen to him!

Nothing is there, Kaoru! Just breathe!

There was a clash of metal, a thump and the sound of another gunshot.

Yahiko fell onto my body, protecting me, and I whimpered. It should be me protecting him! Not the other way around.

Megumi was suddenly there, pulling at Yahiko's arm to get him away from the danger. But he pushed her away roughly and grasped ahold of me. His soft cheek pressed against mine, warm and wet with tears. "Kaoru," he cried. "I need you."

Yahiko needed me. I couldn't die.

My eyes fluttered closed, taking in his trembling heartbeat, the clutch of his hands on my shoulders, and the hiccup as he wept…

My body jolted, and whatever had blocked my airways settled in the back of my throat like dry dust. I took in a sudden, long, gasping breath, and coughed until my face turned red.

Everyone stopped.

I sat up shakily and yanked Yahiko into my arms before the energy had a chance to take hold of my body. Painfully deep gulps of air left me dizzy as he cried into my shoulder. My heavy eyes found Shinta through a haze of streaming tears. He watched us with slanted golden eyes that barely caged the anger inside of him. There was a gash across his shoulder but otherwise he was unharmed. He took a ragged breath before bending his head, looking almost defeated, his tangled hair brushing his flushed cheeks. Something screamed at me that he had been seconds away from taking Akio's life. With what? I wasn't sure. He didn't hold a single weapon.

Beside him, however, Akio, lay on the ground, still obscenely chuckling as he grasped his side. His body was pummeled from head to toe with blossoming bruises and gashes that leaked with blood.

"I'm not leaving this body, Battousai," he jestered eerily, attempting to stand. I glanced away when he tumbled to the ground again, seeing the bullet hole in his other knee. "You'll have to kill me."

"Call an ambulance," Saito ordered quietly, sounding surprisingly tired and relieved. "And back away, Shinta. The girl is alive."

Megumi's arms flung around Yahiko and me. "It's okay," she breathed. "It's okay now."

But at that moment, I wondered if anything would be okay ever again.

To be continued…