Standard disclaims apply!
Note: This chapter sucks. -_-
::Chapter 10::
Visibility was very bad. Even with the window wipers moving as fast as they were designed to, the accumulating snow was faster. Still, she knew she could drive carefully home. They were nearly there.
She knew the sharp curve into their neighborhood was coming up. Carefully, she braked and signaled to take the left turn in.
Cautiously peering for oncoming traffic, she saw there was none. As she began to make the turn, careful to avoid losing control on the thin sheets of ice, her mother began to scream.
"Kaoru!"
She turned her head just in time to see her father thrust himself at her from the passenger seat, as the oncoming truck veered towards them.
Kaoru screamed, waking in a pool of sweat.
She could still hear the screaming, ringing in her head. She began to shake.
As tears rolled down her face, she remembered.
When she had woken up in the hospital, unharmed, the doctors had told her of her parent's instant death. The loss of both her parents at once was profound.
It wasn't the truck driver's fault. At least, that was in the report. He had lost control on the road, resulting in the tragic accident.
Later on, she had seen pictures of the scene of the accident. She died a little that day.
The remains of her parents' Audi A4 had been but a crumpled, ball of steel. As she looked at picture after picture, she stopped at one.
It was the picture of how the emergency crew had found the family of three.
She gasped on a sob. Bringing the picture close to her, she crumbled onto the floor in a heap, weeping at her loss. She hugged the picture dearly, clutching it as if it were her parents.
In the upturned car, her mother's lifeless hand had lay on the cold concrete ground, in a pool of blood. Her father's form could be seen, curled almost into a ball.
The knowledge that it was she who had lain in his arms, protected, brought waves and waves of pain, anguish, and most of all, loss.
As the darkness enveloped her in the silence of the hospital room, Kaoru began to weep.
She wept for the loss of her parents, the loss of two years, and the loss of Kenshin.
In her despair, she sensed movement and two warm arms wrapped around her in comfort. Silently.
Finally, in exhaustion, Kaoru slumped over, falling asleep.
Eyes full of misery and anguished watched silent as Kaoru fell back asleep. Witnessing her despair and tragedy had been the hardest thing Kenshin could ever do.
Watching her weep so incessantly had left him dejected.
His eyes glittering with unshed tears, he left just as silently as he had come. He had things to do. To find answers to unanswered questions.
He knew he would find them with Sano. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed Sano.
"Hello?"
"Sano. I need some explanations."
"Ok, where?"
"Heading to your place now."
"Ok. Doors opened."
There just possibly couldn't be another person who hated himself more than Kenshin at this moment.
I should have been there for her!, he berated himself.
Kenshin sat on Sano's couch, beating himself up as Sano gave him pitying looks.
"Kenshin," Sano started, "Kaoru is strong. She has been slowly getting over it."
"That's not the point," Kenshin pointed out, tiredly. "For God's sake! She blamed herself for her parent's death! She went through that alone!" .
"Well, not exactly alone," Sano shot back, feeling confronted.
Kenshin shot him a look. "You couldn't possibly have been with her 24/7, now could you?"
Sano grimaced. "True."
Kenshin sighed sadly. "No wonder she said I wasn't there when she needed me the most. I had once been always there for her but when it came time where it truly mattered, I wasn't there"
"Well, you really wanted to go to Japan, Kenshin. It was your dream," Sano replied.
Kenshin lay back on the sofa, dejected. "Yeah, but it wasn't worth breaking my promise to Kaoru for. I realize this now. There were so many options and I was stupid. I chose the one that hurt Kaoru."
Sano sighed. "I'm sorry, man."
"Yeah, I'm sorry, too."
Kaoru opened her eyes, grimacing at the light shining in from the windows. Someone had opened them.
Feeling tired and disoriented, she stared up at the ceiling. She knew her eyes were puffy and swollen.
She sighed.
Thinking back to the night before, she could scantily remember someone being present through her ordeal.
Am I imagining stuff? She asked herself. It was almost as if…no, Kenshin couldn't have…could he?
She wasn't quite sure. But then again, nothing related to Kenshin seemed to be absolute. Not promises, not his presence.
Kaoru knew she was being a little too harsh to Kenshin. Yet, despite knowing that, she couldn't seem to help the stagnant feeling of anger and betrayal from resurfacing each time she saw him.
He had broken their promise and left her once. Then, despite her friends' frantic efforts, she had found out about his lady escapades, especially of one in particular with a super model, Tomoe Yukishiro.
At first, she had been shocked. Then, as the betrayal settled in her heart, she became angry. She had remained faithful to him, waiting.
It was then that she ceased all communications with Kenshin Himura.
"Hey," came a quiet greeting, jostling Kaoru out of her deep thoughts.
She whipped her head around, surprised.
Kenshin stood at the door, holding a package with a label from her favorite restaurant. He held it up, as if in offering.
"Hungry?"
Unsure of how to analyze Kenshin's display of effort, she slowly nodded.
"Good," he finally grinned. He pulled the table up from the side of the bed and set the bag on it. "I wasn't sure whether this place was still your favorite but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try."
He busied himself with taking food out of the bag, arranging them for Kaoru.
Pausing for a moment, he looked down at Kaoru. Whether it was because he was unsure of himself or of Kaoru's reaction, she wasn't sure but she broke eye contact and glanced away, uncomfortable.
"You used to like spicy scallop rolls," he quietly murmured. "Here. Eat. I even got you the mochi ice cream you like."
"Thanks"
"No problem," he said, plopping himself down on the stool.
As she began to reach for a pair of chopsticks, she glanced at him quizzically.
"Aren't you eating?"
Kenshin grinned. "I thought you'd never ask," he said, as he reached into the bag once more and pulled out his own assortment of rolls.
They ate in silence. The sound of their munching filled the room but neither occupants were inclined to initiate conversation.
Kaoru was the first to break the silence.
"Why," she began, unable to look at Kenshin, "are you doing all this?"
Kenshin feigned innocence. "What do you mean?"
Kaoru waved her arm, indicated the food, everything. "This! You trying!" she said in frustration.
Kenshin put his chopsticks down; he was almost done anyways.
"I'm just asking you to give me another chance, Kaoru…"
"Kenshin. I told you, I can't," she replied sadly. "I don't know where to begin to trust you again."
"Why?" he burst out.
"Because you left! Because you weren't there! Because you found another woman so easily when you left!" she nearly screamed at him.
Kenshin froze, shocked.
"You…know about…Tomoe?" he stuttered.
"Yes."
He had never meant for Kaoru to find out.
Then, slowly, things began to click into place.
The way Kaoru had always sounded distant on the phone, only to cease all communications with him; her sudden interest in other guys; her seeming hatred for him. It suddenly all made sense.
There were no words to express his anguish. His guilt.
It hadn't been anything special, his "fling" with Tomoe. Truth be told, it hadn't even been a fling. He had just been Tomoe's cover up. But now was not the time to explain. Now was the time for Kaoru.
"Kaoru— "
"Let's not talk about it," she whispered, gazing at her food.
"I now understand to what extent I hurt you," he said.
"Good," she stated bitterly.
He gently took her hand in his. "I'm sorry. I won't make excuses."
Kaoru pulled her hand out of his and he let them go. But he couldn't stop the sadness from spreading through every one of his pores.
Suddenly, overwhelmed by emotions, he cleared his throat.
"Please," he quietly begged. "Let me be here for you while you're recovering. Just, let me do that. If you want me to go then, I will."
Tears welled up in Kaoru's eyes.
"I…" she paused. "I don't know if I want even that much…."
"Just friends.." he offered, silently praying to God that she relent. But her words broke his heart.
"No…" she whispered.
Dejected, Kenshin gave a short nod, holding his own tears back, and silently left the room.
Up next: Is Kenshin really going to give up? Is the gang willing to stand by and watch the KenKao couple suffer? Or will there be interference?
To be continued tomorrow.