Updated: 20/09/2008 -27/11/2008

Authors Notes: This an AU fic, I do not and never will own Rurouni Kenshin no matter how hard I pray or wish.

WARNING :This chapter mentions the changes to a female body,as well as language, if this offends you, please kindly skip this chapter.

BLOSSOM

Kaoru awoke in a strange place. The smell was what got her the most though. It smelt like incense burning. She was on a wooden table. She didn't know how she had gotten there or even why for that matter, when a female face came into view. Startling the living daylight out of her, she almost jumped off the table. She looked the woman up and down. Her lips were a deep velvet red, and her eyes had an alluring 'come hither' look about them.

'Great' Kaoru thought. 'I've finally done it, I've died and gone to hell.'

The woman laughed, had she said that last part out loud? Obviously if the woman was covering her face with her hands, trying to soften the deep chuckles. She stared at the woman then intently. Where was she then ? Had the Master finally found her,and this woman was going to be her torturer? She looked at the woman's hands then, no too delicate and soft and feminine. This actually had Kaoru on edge for a minute, yet she didn't understand why.

The woman wiped tears away from her face, before speaking.

"My name's Megumi Takani, I'm one of the doctors in the area, what don't look at me like that, times are changing."

"It's not that Takani-san, you said I'm in a doctor's clinic correct?"

Megumi nodded her head, waiting for the you girl to continue.

"I just wanted to know, what I am doing here?"

Megumi busied herself around the office, sterlizing instruments with cotton swaps dabbed with alcohol. Whilst she talked to the young girl.

"You gave the young handsome man out front, quite a fright, he thought you were very ill or worse dying. You seem to be as healthy as ever though, it's just that time of month."

'What the hell did she mean "Just that time of month."' Kaoru thought, her stomach was aching, she felt like she had a thousand swords driven into her by all her sworn enemies, and she still felt a little faint. Megumi turned around to see the girl had a blank expression on her face.

"You've never had that talk about the eel and the cave have you?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, eels, caves, that time of the month? This is totally confusing, just tell me in simple terms why my stomach is aching and why I feel faint."

"You are having a menstrual cycle meaning you will get one now every month, you may want to write it down on a calander to remember when your next one will be. The bleeding is the uterus lining coming off the walls, to renew and get you ready to be a Mother. If you become pregnant your menstrual cycle will stop for nine months, then start again up until your late years. As you don't know about the cave and the eel, I will take it you aren't sexually active. Men have needs and when..."

"Yes I know about that part of the conversation I just have never heard of sex with the terms you have used, weird eel and cave never thought of it that way before. Anyway how long does this last, and what can I do to prevent bleeding.... well everywhere."

Megumi and Karou had a long talk before Megumi encouraged Karou to change her Kimono since it was stained with blood. Kenshin was pacing outside, several times he wanted to rush in and make sure everything was alright. He had left Jiro in Hiko's house, telling him to await Hiko's return to tell the man where both Kaoru and he had gone.

Finally after what felt like an eternity Karou exited the office with Megumi behind.

"Now Kaoru, if the pain becomes worse I want you to take those herbs, don't forget about the protein."

Kaoru bowed politely giving Megumi her thanks.

"Thank-you so much Megumi-dono I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here, I mean...."

"Relax Ken, come into my office I need to discuss a few things with you."

"Jiro, where's Jiro? Kenshin answer me where's Jiro?"

Kaoru's voice was filled with panic her hands knotted into the weaves of his looked startled, maybe Kaoru had lost it and that's what Megumi wanted to talk about.

How could she have been so stupid? To leave Jiro without first warning the battosai to bring him. She had to get back to the mountain and fast, she had suffered worse pain, she could make it, now all she had to do was just ditch the battosai. He was still looking on concerned.

"Sorry I'm alright, Jiro and I are always together, I just panicked, go have your talk, I'll be fine, I'll just wait outside here for you."

She sat herself down pretending to make herself more comfortable, when she knew he would be inside and preoccupied, she would mask her ki and take flight, she needed to make sure he was fine, she was praying as she made her way up the mountain...hoping Kami-sama was listening to her prayers.

Authors Notes: I know a very long time since I updated but as my daughter gets older, the less time I get to myself. And yes the quote "the cave and the eel" comes from Memoirs of a Geisha sorry I just couldn't resist, the first time I heard this I laughed so hard, and I couldn't stop laughing. Once again if anyone would like to be my beta reader who would like to fix my grammar and spelling, it would be appreciated greatly, as I don't have the time. I will try and update as soon as possible, many thanks once again to readers, reviewers and the likes.