A/N: Oh...I feel the love. Well, I still like this story. Here we go!

Chapter 10

Kaoru sat, trembling and wondering. Her breath was heavy, especially when she realized what she just did. She paused, and looked over to the phone. She wasn't planning on calling the police; not the police exactly. She was frazzled to the point she couldn't even remember where she had put that picture. And she sat there so long, she was starting to think about other things. About what had happened after the embassy had been bombed. How she watched and prayed to herself that her father was going to be alright. And crying when she got the news that he had passed away. She was thinking about how her mother was gone almost everyday during the court preceding, watching as they contemplated what they were going to do with the red-headed man.

Somewhere in her made her question things; how she would look into his eyes and wonder what it was that was there. There was guilt there, but back then, she was thinking that he was being smug about his accomplishment. When he answered his questions, he would be doing so with a soft voice, and looking straight forward, as though he were trying to apologize through the screen to any of those that were watching. When she turned thirteen, they sentenced him to the death penalty; she couldn't have been happier that day.

How could she be questioning her feelings back then, wanting to change them now? As choked back a few tears. That look was fuzzy; that look in his eyes. It was the same as he pleaded to her while wrestling with Sojiro. He was unsure, but in a slight determination. Kaoru picked herself up off her feet, stumbled, and continued toward her studio. She unlocked it, her hands shaking so bad that she questioned if she actually could. She sat at her desk, looking around at the blank screen and the clean screen.

"Kaoru-" she said low to herself, "you know that you have to do this. It's now or never."

She opened the top drawer and looked at the small photo, unmoved, and picked it up. She turned it over looking at the numbers written out like the person were in a hurry. Kaoru started to boot up the computer, knowing that a double whammy would allow her better chance of getting hold of the policeman that came to her door. She was quick was the e-mail, the went back out the dial the phone. She waited; and the few rings that she waited, it must have been ten thousand heartbeats. Her hand moved to want to settled the phone down on it's cradle. Five rings was too much, and just as she was about to set it down she heard:

"Moshi moshi?"

Kaoru swallowed saliva. "Is someone there?"

"Seijuuro-san?" she asked very shallow.

"Hai." Kaoru felt herself still tempted to set down that phone. She paused, opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

"Were you the one that just sent the message?" he asked. Kaoru nodded to herself.

"Yeah."

"You're Kaoru, right?" he asked.

"Hai."

Kaoru looked at her feet. "Seijuuro-san; I...I really don't know why..."

"You have Kenshin, don't you?"

Kaoru turned to the open sliding doors, the wind billowing her curtains. "Not anymore Seijuuro-san."

"Call me Hiko, first which," he replied. "And secondly, what do you mean you don't have him anymore?" Kaoru cringed, feeling as though she were about to get yelled at.

"He took off...he took off out my back door...with my cousin following him."

Hiko paused this time, hummed in an angered fashion, and then said:

"You mean Sojiro?" he asked with disdain. Kaoru was now more in awe than she was when she called him. She heard clacking.

"How do you know So-chan Hiko-san?" Kaoru asked, she was leaning forward, ready to beg even though Hiko couldn't see her, just so she could know what was going on with everything.

"He works with me."

"You mean..." Kaoru turned her head down. It made sense now, why Sojiro called himself a 'secretary'. She swallowed again.

"Why?" Kaoru asked. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Do you have something to do with all this?" And she knew there was something important that Hiko was trying to say when he and the clacking in the back round paused.

"I'm only trying to find my son, like I told you."

"But there's more to it, isn't there? You aren't the police are you?"

Hiko sighed. "In a way, I am." There was a pause. "I work as a hacker for the government. I keep my eyes on things that might be trying to hurt our systems when the government seems weary of something like that." Kaoru was plucking at her toes. "Do you understand what's going on here Kaoru?" he asked in a harsh voice. Kaoru whimpered, but bit back:

"Do you?"

That made Hiko shut up. "Well Hiko-san? Do you?"

"More than you do."

"Then tell me!" Kaoru demanded.

"Iie. Not now; not over the phone," Kaoru didn't want to think what it might be.

"Why?"

"Do I really need to answer that question?" Now he was just getting annoyed. "Think logically."

"Someone could be taping my phone?"

"My phone." Hiko said monotonously. " It wouldn't really surprise me; not with my line of work. And it wouldn't be the first time."

Kaoru held tighter to the phone. "Then, what do you want to do?" Kaoru turned back to the backyard halfway expecting her cousin to come back and continue to berate her.

"I'll be coming over...no that would be to...That cafe' that you go to-"

"Are you spying on me?!" Kaoru started to turn red. "Hiko-san-"

"Iie. It's the police, they had the same thought that I had. We weren't sure. Somebody has been around you, keeping you safe. And they saw you go. I get most of these reports," Hiko abruptly stopped.

"Hiko-san?"

"Look, this is not the best place to be for a conversation like this. I'm only trying to be precautious, we might have already said too much. Just meet me there at six thirty." And the line went dead. For some reason, Kaoru felt it better to keep the phone at her ear. She was still trying to process this whole mess that she was getting caught up in. She finally put the phone down and bit her lip. Six thirty wasn't that long, but it was also too long for her to wait. The other things that she questioned was whether or not there was a reason to fear for her life or not. Kaoru swallow, hung up the phone and went back into her studio. Maybe just a little painting would let her mind calm down.

On the other side of this whole conflict was Kenshin, running for his life with Sojiro still in tow. There was something about the boy that he knew wasn't right. He knew the boy though, the uses of the chip just made him forget just about anything police related besides his father. And he remembered Hiko talking about Sojiro, once bringing him to the penitentiary so they could meet. It wasn't as warm as Kenshin would have hoped it could have been. When Sojiro had left and he was sitting alone with Hiko, he tried to warm the tall man, but Hiko wasn't easily swayed. Needless to say that this would prove to be a useful argument toward Hiko; that is, if he could get everything on his task list done.

Kenshin took a swift turn into an alley trying to avoid as many people as possible. The words were in one ear and out the other before he as able to process them. Though, he was certain, that they were nothing short of spiteful. He kept his eyes out for any police cars. This would have been suspicious to any officer, and no doubt they knew about everything by now.

"Slow down Himura! If you do, this will save from resisting arrest!" Kenshin's heart pounded more. What was it with breaking the law that tended to follow him. He suck in a breath. With only one glance, Kenshin make a quick calculation of the chain link fence and sprung up from the ground. One peek; there was Sojiro. There was Sojiro springing up as well to follow him.

"Where the hell is that bar again...?" Kenshin said in annoyance towards himself and his memory. He could see it in his head, but all this was doing was running him in circles and wearing him out. If there was one thing that he could tell, it was that Sojiro was able to keep up with him and had the same if not more endurance than Kenshin would have anticipated. But he couldn't read Sojiro; the boy was capable of masking his ki to the point that Kenshin was risking his neck to look back and see if the boy was still following him.

Then, there was a spark in his mind. It was something that he remembered. And it urged him to turn around and head straight toward Sojiro. The boy didn't see him coming to the point that he was stunned when Kenshin made sure he didn't hit Sojiro just so he was able to go the other way. It was something about being in Tokyo, something about what was going on that made him remember. He remembered all the old routes and ways to get around. The sudden thoughts made him take the weirdest route he had taken, looking once to see that Sojiro had lost his trail. It was taking a lot of focus. And suddenly, he stopped. There it was. The back door that Kamatari had always prompted him to come to if he ever needed to. His face was red, full of sweat with his bangs sticking to his face. He let out a pant and placed his back on the wall hoping that he could feel Sojiro but he would doubt it.

A few seconds, and Kenshin put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it. He peeked in. There was always something about the back. He was looking into the kitchen. A young woman came to him.

"You need to go to the front." She said.

"I need to speak with Kamatari. Please." He was still trying to catch his breath.

"You'll need to come to the..."

"Okon!" Kamatari's voice rang out. "Man the bar please!"

"Hai!"

The bar tender came back into the kitchen looking at the frazzled man calling upon him. A devious smile curled on Kamatari's lips and he closed his eyes. "Well, it seems that someone finally hooked you. I'm not surprised."

"You care to elaborate?" Kenshin huffed while straightening out his position. Kamatari watched the door fully shut.

"It doesn't seem to me that you would like to do this outside?" Kamatari asked. Kenshin started to shake his head.

"Preferably not."

Kamatari shrugged and looked around at all the cooks staring at him. Kamatari was being especially eccentric this night by showing off the feminism that he had. With his hands on his hips, Kamatari shrugged his shoulders and motioned for Kenshin to follow him. "You know, you haven't changed too much."

"It's glad to know that you haven't changed jobs either."

"I'm a conductor sweetheart. This is my Underground Railroad if you know what I mean." Kenshin nodded. They were in the bar now. The smell of the liquor was getting to him at that moment. The night he had with Kaoru just days before was coming back to him.

"Now, where do you think would be a wiser place to carry this conversation? We have back booths, but Kami-sama only knows what will be going on next to us." Kenshin crossed his arms in a paranoid fashion. "There are mostly drunkards here sweetie, no one will notice you, and if they think they do, I can assure them otherwise." Kamatari was being very proud of his figure. "Now, booths?"

"It will have to do."

Kamatari took his hand and giggled. Kenshin closed his eyes. He didn't really like this place; there were a lot of things that were not only surrounding him now, but in the past that made this the center of attention. "Why were you running hun?" Kamatari asked while setting down in the closed off booth. Kenshin took a quick glance around then looked to the temperamental bartender tapping fingers on the sticky table. Kenshin was trying to keep his arms from it.

"There's probably more on that seat than on this table sweetie. Don't get too germaphobic on me now."

"I'll try not to."

Kamatari leaned back in the booth with his arms crossed. He had a halter top on and his hair fluffed up. If there was anything that Kenshin had to say about Kamatari, it was that he had a good transition from male to female at any time.

"Now, please, do tell me what you must have risked your neck for sweetheart." Kamatari prompted looking toward his nicely polished nails. Kenshin heard a sound that he wasn't comfortable with, but he was able to stay focused nonetheless.

"As you can obviously tell, our mystical spell has been lifted."

"Yes; I can see that you clawed at your cheek very much. By the way? How did it happen?"

"It got interference I think one night when we went out o dance."

"We? Who is this 'we'?" Kamatari asked.

Kenshin shrugged. "Kaoru. And I frightened her. I couldn't think straight, all those repressed things..."

"They take a little to come back. So? You were the guy that Kaoru-dear got? That doesn't surprise me." Kamatari laughed. "I always thought that someone like you would be able to contain her.

"Dear, I need you to tell me why you need me? Is there someone following you?"

"Shishio is out," Kenshin said quickly, as though it were breaking news. Kamatari's eye brows went up. He then leaned his head down.

"I know sweetie. I've tried to find him myself, but as you can imagine, he doesn't trust me anymore." Kamatari was toying with a small pendant near where his breasts were. "How did you find him?"

"He has a woman. But, I think he's already relieved himself of the chip."

"That I already knew too."

Kenshin started to scowl holding back his want to hit Kamatari. "You want to tell me what all you know first?"

"Iie. I'm just waiting for you to reveal something to me that I don't already know."

"Are you still working with the government?" Kenshin asked.

"Do you really want to keep avoiding who was chasing you?"

"Kamatari, are you still working with the government?"

Kamatari looked away from Kenshin wanting to hit him as well. "I am. And with Your Dreams as well. I work to get the fliers out to women who come to the bar and then I keep track for the government who needs it. Yes, I am still working with the government. Quid pro quo Kenshin."

When Kamatari started calling Kenshin by him name, that meant that he was starting to get serious. "Sojiro."

"Is he working with the police?" Kamatari asked.

"My father."

Kamatari raised his brows. "Then, are you concerned whether or not Hiko-sama knows that your like this."

"He probably already knows, knowing him," Kenshin stated. "And even though Sojiro works for him, I have a feeling that it's not like that."

"What we have another double agent or something?" Kenshin shrugged.

"It's always possible, or Sojiro doesn't think that Hiko needs to be involved."

Kamatari snorted. "The day Hiko is not involved in something is the day that Hell freezes over," Kamatari leaned on the table.

"Why did you decide to still work with the government?" Kenshin asked, knowing that the 'quid pro quo' would be followed.

"It was an under-the-table deal alright? Because, after finishing the work I finished with Shishio, I was still charged so, they set me up with Your Dreams but not as any kind of bridge between the two of them. I was there as..."

"I know that. You were there as was most of the men." Kamatari smiled. "I'm glad that I was able to get out though."

Kamatari had something about him that made Kenshin worry. The face was starting to become less silly and more serious. Biting his nail for a moment Kenshin looked at a spot on the table, started to rub at it, then looked up toward Kamatari. "I had no doubt you would, but.."

"But what?"

"How did Shishio get out? And why was he chosen?" Kamatari asked. "They usually choose good looking men like me and you, but Shishio, you think that someone would recognize him, especially after his testimony at the trial..."Kenshin put his hand up to insinuate to Kamatari that he should stop. "Well, anyway. What do you need?"

"I need help Kamatari, and I know that you can help me. How many have come to you?" Kamatari bit his lip."Kamatari, please be honest with me."

"Several men have came, just like you; confused, scared, misunderstood. Do you realize what that chip does to us? Do you?"

"I think..."

"Don't think. Don't assume. You'll just be making and ass out of u and me." Kamatari informed. His fingers were twisting in the curls around his ears. "You said that you forgot things, and they just came back to you. Keep thinking on those. What should you do? Should you run away. Run from all your problems? Kenshin, you are still the child that I met those years ago. You have yet to change."

"I've changed. I've changed a lot?"

"You've seen some sort of light. What went wrong?"

"No. No not that. It's not from them; it's now."

"Oh?" Kamatari raised his nose to the air. The fluorescent lights above them flickered a moment, and the raunchy sounds coming from the next booth was much more audible in the silence. "What is it?"

"Love; I guess."

"You guess? With Kaoru?" Kamatari started to laugh. "You're fearing all your decisions. What did you do?" Kamatari leaned closer to Kenshin, his smile wide like he really didn't need the answer to the question, but wanted to hear his thoughts read aloud.

"What I did?" Kenshin shrugged. "I frightened her. I didn't know who she was. I thought that maybe she was a threat. I was in a dream state almost. It was like the world was just swirling around me. Would you have done something?"

"I did something sweetheart." Kamatari said. "I made a very big mess. A very big, red, mess." Kamatari told him. "And look at your hands. They're still stained with something."

"Meat. Beef or chicken. I was cooking up something. Cutting it and the blood from it was coating my hands. I haven't wiped it off yet."

"So? If you are going to run, where will you go to hide yourself? How will you hide yourself sweetheart?"

"Cut my hair; dye it. Do something to get rid of my scar. I can do a lot of things."

"Can you forget though? Guilt is one thing that you can't stop. And it will eat at you." Kamatari shrugged. "You should do what they would least expect. Wait for a little bit first, control that anger the chip was controlling. Sort things out, and go back to her. Tell her what you feel, and then the res--the rest is up to you. I can only push you so far sweetheart, you know?"

"Yeah. I understand," Kamatari didn't rise, seeing that Kenshin was still wanting to ask questions.

"Is there something on your mind darling?"

"Me?" Kenshin pointed to himself. "I was just curious about you. How have you survived through all this? How has Shishio yet to come back to you? To kill you."

"Oh, I don't think he really gives a damn about me anymore. I'm just a bartender who tries to help women with their love lives. What threat am I except possibly extending the population."

"You know things?"

"Sweetie. You worry about you, and I'll worry about me? Yes?" Kamatari asked. "So, keep your mind and eyes open, that's the only thing that you can do, you know? As for the other men that you know who are in this situation--" Kamatari read Kenshin's eyes"--do what you think is right with that situation. I wouldn't know. They're not in danger, as far as I see it."

"Will the police come after us?"

"Not unless Your Dreams finds out about the chip. But then, they loose the tracking device to so, I don't think anyone can find you if you make yourself small. And, if you really need something, find a good hacker."

Kamatari lifted himself from the booth, prompting Kenshin to do the same. Kamatari kissed Kenshin on the cheek before going back out to the bar. The red head stood stunned, cracked a small grin and took the back exit.

A/N: There is a lot going on here. You need to really keep up. Who's on whose side mostly. Do you trust Sojiro? And how important is Shishio? Did Kenshin really blow up the embassy? Till next time, KenSan out!