I meant what I said. Twisted is my mane goal right now, because its almost finished. I hope to get Amber or Trade Winds updated soon, but I have only one more chapter of Twisted and then the Epilogue to go and that's enough for me to buckle down and work on it.

So once it's finished I can work on other things.

But yes, here you go, the second to the last chapter! Whee! I am so excited! Once again its not edited, but that's because my Beta is busy traveling around Europe but shall be back eventually….I promise!

Ravyn

I credit all the information on Kaoru's sword style and some of the bits I took from Kenshin's to the websites that I got them from on my site since the links won't work here. But the names are Samurai-X and Hitokiris Anonymous. There both lovely sites and I was thankful for the information.

I do not own Kenshin.

Violence in the chapter. You have been warned.


Yahiko stared down at the bokken in front of him and felt his muscles clench. The noise had stopped. However, as untrained as he was in Chi, he could still feel the flaring of emotions that was coming from inside the Dojo. Yahiko didn't know what Kenshin had taken apart in his fit of dangerous fury, but he knew that when he came out of the Dojo, they were going to go hunting. He could still remember the mess he had left his room after they had found Gein's horrible doll. Saitoh had left not long after telling them of the situation. Something odd had crossed over his eyes as he told them to stay put while he went to gather information.

Something about them just being in the way.

He almost jumped out of his skin when the Gate to the Dojo opened. He wasn't even aware of Kenshin moving until he was standing next to him. A presence that almost burned along his side and shoulder. The only person who could have been aware of what happened was Saitoh and Tae-san, so it was logical that one of them was coming. What walked in the Dojo was not a sight he had expected to see.

Kenshin watched with eyes that were narrowed with a fury he could barely contain, as a woman who was quite clearly late in her last trimester waddled in. Saitoh was behind her, his expression oddly furious, with a mixture of surprise he had never thought have to seen in the Wolf's face.

"You're Tokio." Kenshin informed her darkly. "What do you want?" He had never met the dark haired woman, but he had seen her; once or twice in the past few months.

"Sit down and be quite, Himura." Tokio waspishly told him. Fine beads of sweat lined her pale face and she seemed to be huffing. "Yahiko, you are Yahiko, yes? Good, go and fix me some tea. I need something to calm my nerves down and my glaring husband isn't helping." There was just enough sass to cover her obvious exhaustion and Saitoh's expression turned even darker.

Kenshin moved, so that by the time Tokio made it up the steps, there were several soft cushions for her to rest on. Her face lit up with barely repressed delight and she sank down only after yanking Saitoh over so he would help her. Kenshin watched them with narrowed eyes, pretending not to notice the tenderness in Saitoh's moves as he helped his wife. Even in the dark anger rolling in his blood, hot and shadowed, the faintest touch of amusement flickered through him at the woman's behavior.

"Now," Tokio said with a sigh but Saitoh interrupted her.

"Whatever you wish to say, wife, can wait until the boy brings you that tea." There was an edge to Saitoh's voice and the woman with dark eyes as flashing as his Karou's opened her mouth and then closed it. There was a lingering look that promised he was in trouble.

Yahiko appeared in record time with the Tea, and for all that he rushed to procedures as much as possible, it was fairly decent.

"Thank you." Tokio softlythanked them. Once she had taken several, careful, delicate sips, as if unaware of the tension in the Dojo; she started to speak. "Hajime has told me that Kaoru was kidnapped today. In the market?"

There was a tightening of tension. "Yes." Yahiko finally got out when it was apparent that neither of the men were willing to talk.

Tokio made a little noise in the back of her throat. "I told that girl to go straight to the clinic and then home. I have never met a woman with quite her stubborn streak, that one…" she paused when she caught the expression on his face. Kenshin was quite sure that it was as pole-axed as the dark expression that said that Hajime was just as stunned. Or had been.

"How," Kenshin ground out, tempted to yell but unwilling to howl in front of a pregnant woman who had already proven to have a temper. "Do you know Kaoru?"

Tokio grinned then. "I have had the pleasure of knowing Kaoru since a little after the Kyoto incident that required my husband to chase the lot of you around Japan." Her voice was fond. "I really am not sure how she found me, but there she was, pulling mud from my youngest's fingers and asking how Eiji was."

Saitoh made a noise in the back of his throat that might have been disbelief but Kenshin was to busy hashing over time-lines and possible visits to worry about it. That wasn't important…

"We became quite good friends after that. We decided it was in our mutual benefit to keep tabs on our…prospective men's lives. So, we would get together once a week or so and discuss what you two, being you, Battousai, and my husband, were doing and attempt to figure out exactly how they coordinated with each other." Tokio gave a delicate little shrug. "To be honest, that little Ninja she brought over some months ago has been the best source of information so far."

There was a silence that had never been heard before at the Kamiya dojo as they sat on the steps that afternoon, absorbing the words that were being spoken.

"However, that is unimportant." Tokio informed them, her dark eyes taking on a shine that was dangerous. "What is important is getting Kaoru back before something happens to that baby."

Kenshin sat the cup that was lightly clutched between his fingers down carefully so that he wouldn't break the cup. Kaoru was very proud of her tea-cups, they had belonged to her mother and were from a time that the Dojo had been more prosperous. She ahd cried everytime Sano or Yahiko had broke one and he refused to give her a reason to cry now. "Baby?" Kenshin asked finally, his voice so low that it was a good thing Yahiko had stopped breathing. They might not have heard it otherwise. "What. Baby."

Tokio blinked. "What do you mean, what baby?" Her voice was annoyed. "Unless there has been someone else sharing her futon, I would think it was quite obvious what baby." She set her cup down at the shocked, frozen look on the face of the man who her husband had never quite beaten. "Kaoru is pregnant." Tokio informed them firmly. "From the sound of it, at least two months along, perhaps more…" she stopped at the expression that was slowly crossing Kenshin's face.

Kenshin let his bangs fall into his face. It was the only shield he had at that moment. Something dark and dangerous was burning in his veins. When he finally got enough control of himself to look up, he ignored the way Yahiko paled. Even Saitoh seemed disturbed at something. Only Tokio met his eyes.

"From everything we know, it's a politician, someone with a grudge that might even extend to the Bakumatsu." She told him softly. "Is there, perhaps, someone who was on the Ishinshishi side who might not be happy with the way things turned out? Someone who you might have offended in the recent years?"

"No." Kenshin informed her quietly, his voice a mere breath of sound.

Tokio nodded. "That's what Kaoru said. She said she was fairly certain that the Rurouni had dealt with his debts before he left and even more certain that you had killed everyone else." She took a deep breath. "Hajime, darling, is there something you would like to add?"

Saitoh was silent and he turned an irritated look at his wife. Tokio calmly ignored the look and instead sipped on her tea and raised a brow over her calm eyes. If he hadn't been in such a hurry to find Kaoru, he would have been highly amused at the situation.

"Hajime," Tokio said simple. "Is there something you would like to add?"


Kaoru rolled the small piece of wood in her hands, crouched low on her heels. Darkness was falling and she hoped it would be to her advantage. Along with the fact that she could smell the sake and she forced herself to think of something other than that. Rolling the wood between her fingers she felt the impurities, slightly thicker than her bokken, and wondered how she would manage it.

'Now is not the time to be getting nervous, Kamiya.' She scolded herself fiercely. 'Its not just you anymore, is it?' She forced her mind away from that terrifying thought and instead ran over her options again.

Hadome.

Hawatari.

A smile curved her lips.

Kecho Giri.

Hadome was simple enough. Tilting her head as she formulated her plan she licked her dry lips. The act of restraining her opponents was easy as breathing now. Between the messes with Jineh, Gohei, Enishi, and even the Oniwabanshu and Shishio had taught her that. Defense had been beaten into her since she was a child and she had perfected those techniques. She knew how to subdue someone.

Then there were the nine points she could hit. She chewed on her bottom lip for a long time. She just didn't know if she could hit them fast enough and hard enough to be able to hit them without brining herself into the line of fire. Her best shots were probably the Karatake, right and left Nagi, or the Sakakaze. Maybe. It would depend on her opponents reach. Her fingers traced patterns across the piece of wood in her hand. It was amazing how much worse it was when you actually had time to think about these things.

Multiple opponents. Hopefully the firelight and shadows would work for her and give her the space she needed. She could hope. If not she only had two other options.

Kecho Giri was Misao's favorite stunning attack, a swift kick to the head, and she had forced Kaoru to learn it. Well, circumstances had forced Kaoru to learn it and Misao had gleefully taught it to her. If that didn't give her the space and time she needed to run then that left only one option. Especially if those idiots knew how to use there swords.

Hawatari.

Kaoru swallowed. The Succession technique was difficult in broad daylight with a practice sword coming at her head, much less a naked blade in the dancing firelight. She had spent many days working, beating it into herself, going over and over with it. If she had thought for a moment Kenshin would have helped she would have beaten him until he complied in helping her finish her training.

The wooden shaft was enough for it, but if she failed to complete it then she would be open for attack. Completely open. If not, then she would have bought herself the time to hit the man with her own attack. Preferably something that would break a bone or two. Again she wasn't certain of the force she could put into her blows.

She was going to try.

There was no way she was going to sit down and let herself be rescued again. If she got away and back to the dojo in time, then perhaps she could have proved that she was capable of taking care of herself and Kenshin would feel the relief and be allowed to leave. Or this kidnapping attempt would chain her to him forever. Heat boiled up in her stomach, heat born of pain and longing and sweetest desire. They deserved what was coming to them for that alone.

She listened to the sounds of footsteps, clenched her teeth, and readied herself for her attack. The door creaked open with a wave of sake and she watched as one of men blundered in. The change of lighting momentarily blinded him and she struck.

This was one of those times she wished someone could fall gracefully and silently. It took two swipes of her stick across his temple before his body registered the impact and he fell like a giant tree hitting the forest floor. With all the impact and noise. Kaoru slid out the door and attempted to blend into the wood hut. She desperetly blinked, attempting to grow accustomed to the firelight.

By the time she could see again, they were moving in her direction. She could only hope that the light had blinded them enough so that they couldn't see her. 'You just had to pick this day to wear pink and yellow. You honestly have the worse sense of timing, Kamiya. Next time, make sure you wearing something appreciatively dark.'

She licked her lips and almost screamed when the door banged shut next to her. If she had been an inch closer her arm would have been smashed and then she would have been defenseless. Swallowing she tightened her grip on her bokken to hide her nerves. Just because this wasn't the first time she had been in a life-threatening situation, didn't mean that her nerves would behave. She knew she would look back at this and be thankful that she hadn't become used to such a situation, but right now it was just disgusting.

"Stupid Bitch!" A male voiced hissed furiously, "She is gone!"

"When we find her," another voice, deep and rough, "we are going to share her. Screw orders."

Kaoru tightened her hands on her 'bokken'. As she listened to them talking she bit her lip. Her best bet was to make for the woods and hope she was heading the right direction, but if she could trust what they were saying, if they didn't find her they would find someone else to take there aggression out on.

Closing her eyes she felt her stomach knot and twist and sweat dribbled down her temples and the valley between her breasts so that she was slick with it. She had a better chance than any helpless woman on the street. Steadying herself with a deep breath and biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, she attempted to remember what Misao had taught her about blending in the shadows.

"Spread out," dark and rough ordered. "She can't have gotten far."

'Right…their spreading out Kaoru. You can take them out if there in groups of one, you know you can. Their brutes and plain thugs. You were taking care of their kind by yourself long before you were part of the Kenshin-gumi.' Kaoru pep talked herself. A curious smile crossed her face as she moved to a better view on the three men who were left.

'Besides, you chased the man who you thought was the Hitokiri Battousai through the streets of Tokyo,' Kaoru mused as she slipped to another shadow, watching as two men slipped into the woods and the other picked up the jar of sake and took another pull.

Her movements would have been perfect, if not for the dry stick she miss-stepped on. The man whirled, his mouth full of sake, and stared at her.

Kaoru lunged forward. It was all she could do. Sake hit her on the side of her face so that it stung on the mild cuts there, mixing with her sweat. She was suddenly thankful that she had grown used to the smell with Sano or she might have hurled. Dodging the mans punch she swung at his stomach with a quick slicing cut that knocked the breath from him. Or it should have. Apparently he had stomach muscles like a brick. She danced out of his next blow, watching as his eyes swung down and she didn't have to look to know his Katana was there.

She had to move quick.

Her entire body shrieked with protest when he gave a shout, calling for his friends. In that split second she swung upward with all the strength she had and hit him swear in the jaw. There was a sickening popping noise and the man fell, barely missing the fire. She turned in frustration as she heard the sounds of branches snapping. Frantically she looked for something and she found a small jar of sake.

Sake. Fire. Explosion.

Reaching down she grabbed the clay jar and looked up at the man running at her, his blade unsheathed. Her hand clutched the wood in her hand and she waited for the right moment. The man's eyes caught the firelight and she could clearly read the intent in his eyes as he licked his lips. Her right arm reared back and she hurled the stick with as much accuracy as she could manage, and then chunked the sake at the fire. Spinning she dove away from the fire as it flared up, the heat hot against her back. She covered her eyes in an attempt not to loose her night vision. Once the sounds and echoes and spot cleared from her eyes she rolled to her knees. The man was lying on his back and she could only assume her stick had manage to hit him in the head. Moving forward she stumbled a bit in the uneven terrain and stared at him.

Reaching down she found a good sized rock and held it between her two hands just in case. She didn't expect the man to lunge up, wrapping her up and taking her down, hard. Her head hit the ground with enough force to daze her,and she frantically thought about the baby and the pushed the thought out of her mind. She was brought back forcible when he roughly grouped her, his hard hands clutching at her breasts and clothing. She tried not to panic and to think through the sudden fear, and her hands grouped around behind her as she struggled to kick him off her. Her desperate fingers found the rock she had early and she brought it up to smash into his temple. He made a single noise and fell onto her hard.

Kaoru shoved him off and rose to her feet with a sob. She shook for a moment, her breasts burning with the impression of hands: rough and meaty and calloused hands, pushing and digging into her skin. Forcing herself to shove that memory out of her mind, she looked around and blinked back tears.

Two…that meant there was one more…

Athick hand picked her up by her left shoulder and threw her. Kaoru hit the ground with a roll, her body hitting several stiff and unforgiving objects along the way. She gasped in pain as she finally stopped moving and she looked up and sucked in deep breaths of air as she watched the man in front of her bare his teeth at her. She had the vague impression that she couldn't take to many more hits to her body like that. Not with the baby. She could loose the baby. Like hell.

It was amazing, how each man who attacked her, always wore that expression. Except for Kamatari of course…this would have been beneath him…

"You have cost me three of my men and given me far too much trouble." He picked up his sheathed Katana and smiled at her. The bottom of her stomach dropped out. "I am going to teach you how a real man responds to a woman like you, and then I am going to leave bits and pieces of you floating around for the Battousai to find."

She was weaponless. He was three times as big as she was. The only thing she had was her own temper and…

'I told you…'

and…

'If you misjudge the situation, it's certain death, but . . .'

Kaoru swallowed. Her eyes dropped away from him and quickly scanned the ground. She found what she was looking for in a small pile of wood that appeared to have been a pile of wood at one point.

'Even your adjunct master has never used it successfully in a match, let alone a real fight…'

Standing up she tossed her hair back, clutching something roughly the size of her hilt, maybe longer, in her hands, she let the dim lit and her Kimono hide the stance of her feet. She knew he thought she was helpless now, and that she was defeated. It was the arrogance of his shoulders and the way he moved. He was going to attempt to stun her with one hit and then…there wasn't going to be a then.

"You can try," Kaoru sneered at him, forcing bravado into her voice."But it won't work." She wouldn't fail. Her life, her baby's life, depended on it. She watched him; concentrating on the way he moved, the way his body would move with the strike.

'Unlike the usual way of blocking with your hands, you do it with your sword still in your grip. Restraining your opponent's sword is the main point of this form, Defense succession technique Hadome. Then, you move to the second form, Attack succession technique. The faster you move, the more of your opponent's strength can be used against him! It's an extreme sword technique. If you misjudge the situation, it's certain death…' Kaoru reminded herself fiercely, the speech she had given Yahiko so long ago echoing in her memory.

Right…so don't screw up.

His strike was hard, and everything was slow motion. She watched her hands, someone else's hands, rise up and twist as the blade sheathed Katana hit the hilt, and she carried through the motions as if she had practiced them a hundred times. The man made a noise of surprise, but she didn't have time to think. She hit him so hard with the hilt into the section between the belly and the sternum she wasn't aware she had done it until the air rose from his lungs like one of those curious whales surfacing she had seen once.

Then she caught him in the temple.

It was really quite.

Sitting down on nerveless knees she felt the burning behind her eyes that had nothing to do with soot and debris and sake. Taking deep breaths she forced herself to think. These guys were only knocked out…standing up, aware that her body was shaking, she moved back into the hut, one hand pressing into her tummy. Half-way to the shack she was sick to her stomach, and dizzy from her excertion.

Some time later, the moon was already beginning to lower, she sat back and admired her handy work. Taking a deep breath she turned over her options. She could wait here, until someone found her and risk being here if her knots failed or she could attempted to figure out her location by the stars and get back to Tokyo, and possible the dojo, by morning.

Looking up she searched the skies until she found something familiar and felt her eyes prickle so that the stars blurred. She was suddenly very thankful for her Rurouni's habit of stargazing and his willingness to teach her the constellations on cold nights.

Her tabi-clad feet protested and she realized it was going to be a long, long walk back to the dojo.


Kenshin stood at the gate and watched as Yahiko helped Tokio down. It was growing late, the sun having reached the tree-line and sinking fast. "Yahiko…." His mouth was a thin line that spoke far more about his mental state than anything else could. "Yahiko," His words were tight. "I have a favor to ask."

Yahiko frowned as he attempted to read Kenshin's voice. Tokio was watching the men with something in her eyes that might have understanding, but Kenshin never turned in her direction. He frowned as he put the pieces together. "You want me to stay here." There was an edge in his voice.

"Yes," He agreed without hesitation. There was no sugarcoating and Yahiko found he had to respect him for it. Give him all hell and brimstone, but respect him for it. "But not for the reasons you think."

Yahiko shifted his weight a bit, suddenly understanding.

"You need to stay and make sure…"

"That Tokio gets home safely." Yahiko sighed. "And to check on the Akebeko because they hit there once thinking they could find one of us and if something goes wrong they will hit there again."

Saitoh blew out a cloud of smoke. "This one has a few more brains than your pet rooster."

There was another reason. Yahiko knew it to well but was unwilling to say it if Kenshin wasn't going to. It was going to be dark as night in that forested area that Saitoh had tracked them to. Except for the few patches of starlight and moonlight, it was going to be almost impossible to keep up if he couldn't read Ki. Kenshin was fast enough and quick enough to track them with all the speed from the Bakumatsu and Saitoh was good enough to at least keep an eye on his trail. Assuming Kenshin left one.

Yahiko raised his eyes. "I will stay with Tokio as long as necessary…just…send word if she is alright?" His voice was soft and the nod from Kenshin was all he needed. If he was needed he would know.

"Tokio," Saitoh softly interrupted. "Take the kids and go to your mothers."

Tokio's mouth hardened. "We will be waiting for you when you get back." Her tone was firm.

"Tokio," his voice was a warning and Tokio mutely shook her head. "We will be fine. They have what they want with Kaoru-san and Yahiko will be keeping an eye on things. Get back soon, anata. You know I can't sleep without you."

Yahiko restrained his twitching as he helped Tokio onto the street with only the most supreme of efforts.

"Think you can find their tracks in this murk?" Saitoh ask amused.

Kenshin turned and offered him a moon lit glance. "I hunted your people on nights darker than this through wind, rain and snow. I can find four measly men who can't cover their tracks." He paused from where his body was moving forward. "Keep up."

Then Saitoh was alone.

Taking another long pull on his cigarette, he dropped it onto the dirt and squished it with the toe of his boot, and then he followed.

Kenshin cursed lightly as he realized how late it had grown. He had never once really stopped moving, not the race across Tokyp or the trails he had followed through the woods. Tracking the men had taken the better part of the night and the idea that Kaoru had been in there hands for this long infuriated him.

"I smell smoke."

Kenshin nodded in agreement. He had been forced to deal with Saitoh several different times as they were forced to search out the trail as it simple disappeared once or twice. He had to give the men a bit of credit, but all it was going to do was increase the amount of time he spent beating on them once they found them. There was the faintest glow, as if the embers of a firewere just dying out. Moving forward silently he knew that the Wolf would follow. He moved like a shadow and searched for some sign of life.

All he saw were faint lumps in the moonlight.

"What do we have here?" Saitoh mused softly as he followed, both been seemingly coming to the same conclusion at the same time. The men had been cold-clocked quite soundly. Kenshin found three men outside, all with various knots on there heads, one witha possible broken jaw, and Saitoh kicked another man out of the rickety little hut.

"Looks like someone got here first," Saitoh calmly stating the obvious, lighting up another cigarette.

"There was a fight," Kenshin agreed as he paced around the little fire's remains. He looked into the fire and his brows rose when he found little pottery bits in the fire.

"The question is, Himura, is where the girl is." Saitoh informed him lightly, kicking one of the men when they started too groan. "And if she was taken by someone else, who took her."

Kenshin frowned darkly and took a menacing step towards one of the men and stilled when he caught sight of the man's wounds and what had been nagging at him finally registered. "Saitoh, does this look like it was done by a blunt object?"

Saitoh looked down. "Unusual, for a katana sheath to leave such a mark."

Kenshin's eyes swung around. The place was littered with various sizes of firewood and other debris and he frowned. Then he smiled. It was more of a baring of teeth, but it was the closet thing he had come to one since that afternoon. "It wasn't a katana sheath. Kaoru got her hands on something like a bokken, with all this wood lying around it would be easy."

Saitoh paused. "You think the girl managed to defeat these louts?"

Kenshin shrugged. "Ask them when they wake up." He walked along until he found what he was looking for. A pair of prints moving away from the site into the woods. Light prints, the prints of a woman. "She is missing a shoe." His voice was absent as he made that statment. "When you get back to Tokio, tell Yahiko to stay at the Akebeko until further notice and that she is alright and will be home soon. I have a Shihandai to find."

Saitoh grunted. "So you want me to clean up the mess."

He was already talking to thin air.

"Its almost surprising that the girl managed to hold her own against you louts, but I suppose it should have been expected," he drawled as he watched them start to wake. His eyes gleamed in the light of his smoke. "I am looking forward to getting all the information I need to make my kill out of you idiots."

They men groaned a bit as they began to wake and Saitoh allowed himself the rare pleasure of a feral grin.


Kaoru stumbled back into the dojo just as pre-dawn began. It was in the utter pitch of the night sky. Giving a moaning sob of relief she stumbled into the dojo. Her body and mind ached with weariness and she knew she was close to being hysterical and hated herself for it. She was filthy.

She latched onto that thought and switched directions. The dojo was silent. Either everyone was sleeping or they were out looking for her and she needed to be clean. She was utterly weary to the bone and completely ignored the firewood pile Kenshin had stacked at some point.

Duping the cold rinse-water over her head she shivered but soaped herself up and scrubbed herself until her scratches sung and burned and bled. She didn't care.The scent ofsake and sweat left her, leaving behind jasmine. Dumping another bucked of water that had almost not been worth pulling from the well, she rinsed the soap and stood there, dripping. How she wished the water was warm and she could slid into its welcoming depths and never leave. Reaching blindly in the dark she groped for a towel and roughly dried herself.

She was afraid she would drop the lantern.

Now that she was clean she could see how things were inside the dojo. Stumbling, still barefoot, she was going to have to buy new shoes; she walked into the dojo, bypassing the kitchen area completely. Desperately, as if she was afraid of what she would see, she jerked on Kenshin's shoji and stilled at the sight.

The first thought was simple.

'He's ruined another futon.'

The second wasn't quite so simple.

'He left. He is gone. Just like last time. With the doll.'

She was aware that she was tired and she wasn't thinking clearly and that she was pregnant and that her hormones were off, but even by stuffing a fist into her mouth she couldn't seem to stop the high pitched wail that broke from her throat. Stumbling into her room she stumbled to her futon, ripped it open, and collapsed.

Exhausted and cold and terrified that she was alone again, rationale or not, she broke down and sobbed. It shook her frame and made her teeth chatter and shegave great wails of pain. It was a like a damn that had broken, tears that had built up in her heart from the time the Rurouni left that she had never allowed herself to shed. When it was over, the birds were chirping there greeting to the dawn and she was lying there, boneless and hurting and wiping swollen eyes. Pulling the covers back, she crawled into them, tears still drizzling down the corners of her eyes, and pulled the covers over her head like a little child hiding from a ghost and hiccupped until she fell asleep.


Yahiko sat on the porch with Tokio, watching as the sun began to rise. He hadn't managed to sleep and was surprisingly aware. His eyes burned a little in the morning sun and Tokio had disappeared and come back with some tea.

"You know, Kaoru is going to be fine." Tokio told him gently. "You have confedence in yourself, but you have to think where you got it. If Kaoru is strong enough to teach you to defend yourself, she is strong enough to defend herself."

Yahiko nodded. "I know. I am worried about the baby." There was a spark of wonder in his eyes. "She is having a baby. Why didn't she say anything?"

Tokio sipped her tea. "I think that is something she is going to have to tell. However, I can tell you it wasn't because she was ashamed of having it. You know how much Kaoru adores the idea of a family."

Yahiko nodded, shifting his weight a little when he became aware that parts of him ewre going numb. "I know. I don't think I am going to stay at the dojo much longer."

Tokio turned to him surprised. "You think its not your home anymore?"

Yahiko grinned at her, and it was surprisingly boyish. Tokio was suddenly reminded at exactly how young he was. "No, not that. It's just that Kenshin is going to drag Karou towards the nearest temple and marry her as soon as she is rested and there going to want some privacy."

Tokio looked amused. "Is he now?"

Yahiko shrugged. "It's a direct quote. You didn't see his face when we took everything inside so it would be out of the way. He is going to do everything in his power to keep her and if that means dragging her to temple without her consent I think he would do it."

Tokio looked thoughtful. "It might just be what she needs."

Yahiko gave her a questioning look but she didn't elaborate, instead she took another sip of her tea.


Sunshine was pouring into the Dojo by the time he made it back. He wasn't breathing hard, afraid he would loose her faint trail that he had been forced to take it slow. She had lead him around and around so that he had been forced to pay careful attention to her steps. He had found signs of her loosing herself and it looked like she had even climbed a tree once to figure out her location.

He admired her determination but when he got his hands on her he was either going to shake her or kiss her until she was breathless and clinging. He might not be able to stop what that would bring about, but one way or another he was going to get his answers.

First being about his child. There child. The life growing inside her this instant. Then he was going to find out what the hell she thought she was doing, going with the men who had taken her. Carrying his child.

Then he was going to find out if they hurt her and if they had even touched her once he was going to break into their jail cells and butcher them like the cattle they were.

Then he was going to drag her to a temple and bind her to him legally.

Leaping over the locked Dojo gate he headed towards the slightly, steady pulse of her Ki.


Bet you weren't expecting that, were you?

Hadome-- Defense Succession technique. The act of restraining the opponent's weapon.

Hawatari-- Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu's Succession Technique; the user crosses his arms when his opponent's weapon is coming towards him. Once the weapon is near, the user brings his hands together to trap the weapon in between them. Following, the user must quickly disarm his opponent, leaving the opponent wide open for an attack. If the user fails to do so, he is left wide open instead. User(s): Kamiya Kaoru and Myoujin Yahiko

Kecho Giri-- flying kick to the head

Kuzu Ryu Sen (9 head dragon flash-- Hits 9 vital points of the body at the same time.

Karatake (downward stroke) Kesagiri, the slantwise downward stroke to the shoulder Reverse Kesagiri Right Nagi (belly stroke) Left Nagi (reverse belly stroke) Right upward cut Left upward cut Sakakaze, upward stroke Tsuki, the stroke that pierces at the shortest range to the chest

This last bit I used in the story but is actually part of Hiten Mitsurgi Ryu. However, I decided that the names of the hit would be one of those things everyone knows, or something like that. If I am completely wrong, please correct me. Otherwise things are staying as they are.

I think thats everything. A big thanks to J.D. for supplying the dialouge from the practice session before Enishi came when Karou was attempting to teach Yahiko the Succession Techniques. I will post a link for that bit as well once I get it from her.