Kassie: Hi everyone! I want to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews I've been getting! They truly do mean a lot to me!

Everyone was impressed with the last chapter and I'm proud of that I suppose…( : ) ) I'm not sure why though, didn't think it was different from the rest. But I was wrong so eh. I can't wait to write more!

Everyone is surprised by Aoi's character now. He's not completely self-absorbed. Gah! I wanna scream to you guys his past but sadly that will have to wait until later chapters. So be patient…though I think I'm the one who should be patient.

I don't own RK, if I did, Kenshin would ALWAYS been possessive over Kaoru!


Misao somberly walked back to the dojo looking at her feet. She didn't know why this bugged her so much. Who cared if Aoi was nicer to other people. She didn't. Well…that was a lie. She did. Because this was the man that…

Urgh! She didn't even want to say it! The thought of Kaoru and that…that…CREEP! It made her skin crawl! She just wanted to scream out her disgust but she dared not to for it was getting late and a lot of mothers where probably trying to get their children into bed. 'Mothers…children…those two kids Aoi helped out…' Misao thought as she went on walking.

After awhile the children had taken the cheap kimonos Aoi had given them and quickly went inside to change. When they came back out Aoi had told them how cute and adorable they had looked and then he picked up the young boy and began to spin him around in the air. As the children laughed and Aoi smiled, Misao couldn't help but smile at their happiness. After a few more minutes of fun Aoi had made an excuse saying he needed to return to a friend's house. They pleaded him to stay awhile but he couldn't. He kissed them both on the forehead and told them something that Misao couldn't catch and then began to make his way back.

Misao quickly thinking had jumped onto a nearby roof and had hid as Aoi passed her by on the streets below. She always made sure he was ahead of her by a few feet. But her eyes were on his face. They watched as he actually sorted out his emotions that were etched upon his face.

She didn't know what to say to that. She had never watched a man that seemed to be in so much pain sort out his feelings. It went from loving and caring, to angry, and then to that damn cocky face that she was use to since that was the only face Aoi showed them since he got here.

But…

Misao sighed. She knew that was an act. She just knew! But why was it an act was what she wanted to know. What happened to the nice young man that had only shown himself when he was helping that old woman, and the family in need?

'Well…hopefully whatever Aoshi-sama finds will tell me!' Misao thought as a smile then crawled upon her face. She couldn't wait to see Aoshi. Not because he had left to get her some information but because he has just simply LEFT. She wanted to see him so bad now. She was over hyper now as she began to skip back to the dojo. Happy thoughts feeling her mind. When he had told her that they were going to see Kaoru-san and Himura Misao was overly happy not to mention hyper…Aoshi-sama didn't really like that having to stop every ten minutes to calm her down because people were staring. It wasn't much as the staring that was bothering him it was more of the fact that he was worried, though he wouldn't admit it, that Misao was going to smack into something like a tree.

'I'm not sure what's going on here but whatever it is, everyone here will have to face it together! Kaoru-san, Himura, Aoshi-sama, Megumi-san, The brat, Bird-brain…everyone! And then when everything is finished and Aoi is out of the picture…Kaoru-san and Himura can get married…then it's mine and Aoshi's turn!' Her eyes beamed at the thought of her walking down the aisle with Aoshi in a white dress. And Aoshi was dressed in one of those…tuxedos? She didn't know exactly what they were called but it was for Western Weddings. She knew Aoshi would look handsome in them.

…But she had to agree…

Aoshi would look damn fine in a kimono as well.

Misao had a deep blush on her face she quickly put her hands over it to cover it and said,

" EEEE! What would Aoshi-sama say if he saw me like this?"

" He'd say you're an idiot." Misao nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Sano's voice. She turned around and saw the young man behind her with a fishbone in his mouth. His hands were in his pockets and his eyebrow was raised in curiosity. Though this was the first time they had seen each other since Kyoto. Yahiko had informed Sanosuke during one of Megumi and his…'breaks' that Misao and Aoshi were here. Of course Misao knew he was here because he did live here.

" You damn rooster head! What gives you the right to scare me like that huh!" Sano then said,

" That fact that you were talking to no one."

"…Was not.'

" Oh yeah? Then who were you talking to?"

"…Myself…' Sano sweatdropped and said,

" That doesn't help you."

"…Shut up…"

" Aren't you one of the greatest ninja of our time? If you couldn't even sense ME…a man who doesn't even know how to suppress chi…what a sad fighter you are." Misao then growled and jumped up and kicked Sano in the head,

" SHUT UP!"

Sano chuckled. " Alright, alright…" Misao just huffed.

" You're a real jerk you know that?"

" Hm? You think so?" He then began to walk with her. He knew she was going to Kaoru's because that was the only place she could go. Plus he knew that her and Kaoru were close friends. Most likely, he could see this, that Misao and Kaoru would be in Kaoru's room and having a sleep over. He chuckled but then he blinked. Didn't Aoshi came along?

" Oi? Where's Aoshi at?" Sano asked. Misao blinked smiled and then said,

" Oh, he went to do something for me. He should be back tomorrow."

" Where'd he go?' Sano asked. Misao looked at him and was thinking to tell him or not. She then said,

" I won't tell you. You'll blab." Sano twitched and he glared at Misao,

" Who says I blab!" Misao shrugged.

" Eh…you just got that face…" Sano touched his face and growled,

" MY FACE IS THE PICTURE OF A MAN OF GREATNESS!" Misao snickered.

" 'Greatness' no…that's Aoshi-sama's face!" Sano snorted.

" Yeah…right…uh-huh…" Misao growled deeply as her eyes went from shining with love and admiration for Aoshi to ready to jump and kill Sano within a second.

" OI! Cut out that tone! Aoshi-sama is a great man! Much better than you!" Sano shrugged.

" Uh-huh.."

" GYAAAAAAA!" Misao took out her kudachi knives looked at Sano and smirked evilly.

" Ehehehehehe…"

" I HAD IT! TAKE THIS AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT AND THAT!" Misao huffed as she bent over to try to get her breath back.

Sano blinked. It became clear that the ninja girl hadn't let up on her training since he had last saw her. He had to be at least two feet off the ground as his feet dangled in the air. His arms and legs were spread wide apart from each other as he looked at Misao who was still bent over and trying to get air back into her lungs.

" Heh…some great man….you didn't even dodge one!"

'…" Misao looked at Sano who was trying to glare but to no avail because he was scared that she would start another kunai throw. Misao then began to laugh. Sano twitched.

" OI! KNOCK IT OFF YOU DAMN WEASEL!"

" YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR FACE!" Sano then thought, 'I don't need to see my face to know that I came pretty damn close to shitting my pants…' He groaned as he hissed to Misao,

" Get me down from here!" Misao smirked.

" No. Bye-Bye!" She then began to skip back to the dojo leaving Sano hanging on the wall.

" YOU DAMN WEASEL WAIT UNTIL I GET YOU! JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! YOU'LL REGRET EVER CROSSING THE PATHS OF SAGARA SANOSUKE!"


Aoi blinked when he looked at Battousai. 'Did I just hear him right? Did he just challenge me to a sword duel?' Aoi looked at Battousai and asked,

" You want to fight me with swords?" Battousai nodded.

" That's right." Aoi put his hand over his mouth and began to laugh…he laughed hard.

" What's so damn funny!" Battousai demanded as his temper flared. He hated it when people laughed at him because he was just shorter than them. Didn't they know that the height of the man didn't MAKE the man? Aoi stopped laughing and looked at Battousai.

" You're serious…"

" I am." Aoi raised his eyebrow and asked,

" What 'bout this about again?" Battousai's eyes never left Aoi's as his glare never stopped it's intensity.

" The simple fact that you're hurting Kaoru and I cannot allow it to continue." Aoi took a breath and looked at the wound that was much better than it was before and looked at Battousai again and said,

" Very well…but I cannot fight right now. I need 2-4 weeks for my arm to fully heal." Battousai looked over at his arm. It was a clean cut. But that was about right.

" Very well then…I shall give you 3 weeks. In 3 weeks, exactly 3 weeks from today, we shall fight. The terms and conditions are to be made soon but not now." Battousai then got up and went to the food and began to make another bowl as he sensed Misao growing closer to the dojo. Aoi looked back at Battousai and asked,

" Just what is this Kamiya girl to you anyway? You don't seem to have any family ties to her…"

" I don't."

" Then?" Battousai looked back at him and just smirked,

" Can't you see? Or are you just THAT stupid? I love her. I will protect her even if I lose my life in the process. Kaoru means the world to me. Nothing nor no one will stop us from being together."

"…"

" I'M BACK!" Both of the men looked back toward the sliding door and watched as Misao with a huge grin on her face walked in. She glared at Aoi and blinked at Battousai. Confusion was in her eyes. Battousai shrugged at that. She was wondering why his eyes were amber and not a light color violet, and he knew.

Misao shaking her head. 'I must be seeing things…' She told herself. She looked at Battousai or to her Himura and said,

" Oi! Himura, where's Kaoru-san?" Battousai said,

" She's in her room but she wishes to be alone."

" EH? What did you do?"

" I didn't do anything!…I hope…" Misao then looked at Aoi and still couldn't believe what she had seen earlier that day. Aoi felt her eyes on him and looked at her.

" What?"

" Nothing…" He just blinked at her and felt highly annoyed and made sure he made it shown. His eye began to twitch and said,

" Do you mind then? I would like to eat without someone watching me." Misao looked at him and just nodded and looked away.

" Yeah…"

" Weasel girl." Battousai's voice cut though. Misao jumped and glared at Battousai while she hissed,

" DON"T CALL ME THAT!'

" Your food is done." Misao growled at him and took the food and then stomped to the table causing it to jump. But then sat down and muttered something that shouldn't be said by a proper young woman but then again, who the hell said Misao was proper?

" Where's Aoshi?' Battousai cut in before Misao even got a chance to take a bite of her food. She looked up at him and she said,

" He went to do something for me, he said he would be back tomorrow."

" Ah…where's Sano?'

"…" He noticed she twitched when he had asked where Sano was so he then said,

" Misao…"

" SANOSUKE IS A DAMN BIRD HEAD MAN WHO HAS BIRD BRAINS AS WELL! I LEFT HIM HANGING DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT!" Battousai blinked and saw that Misao would jump him if he said anything close to 'yes', so he thought it was best to keep his mouth shut and just nod. Misao tried calming down and was twitching very badly as she continued to eat. Battousai just sighed.

" How do you put up with them? I can understand Kaoru…oh I can really understand Kaoru…" He smirked at the Rurouni who was still tied up but no longer gagged. The Rurouni glared and said,

" They are our friends now you behave or switch with me!"

" My dear Rurouni, you are in no condition to be telling me what to do now are you? I mean I could very easily keep you in here for the rest of the night."

"…"

" That's what I thought."

" KENSHIN!"

" ORO?" Battousai blinked as he was soon face to face with the ex-thug. He blinked at Sano. He couldn't hold his fits of laughter in.

Sano white outfit was torn from head to toe. It was like some kind of monster had began to eat him and then spit him out. Only his hair seemed to be safe for there was no holes there.

"…Give me the food and I won't hurt you…" Sano said as he glared at Battousai. He knew that he was holding in his fit of laughter.

" J-Just give me a minute…pfft…" He began to make Sano a bowl. Sano twitched and said,

" It's not that funny!'

" The hell it's not!' Aoi said as he caught a look at Sano. " You must didn't have tasted very good."

" Oh shut up you rich punk before I smack your face in!" Sano snarled at him. He was upset. He whimpered. He was now at Megumi's mercy because she had to fix his clothes…sadly these were his ONLY clothes. He looked at Misao who was staring at him with an angelic face on.

" Yes Sanosuke-kun?"

"…"

Twitch.

" Something wrong?'

Twitch. Twitch.

" Your clothes look really nice like that…"

" DIE!" He was about ready to plunge over to Misao and take her down and beat her. Even if she was a girl…

SHE RUINED HIS AKU SHIRT!

THAT WAS UNFORGIVABLE!

By Kami's eyes she would PAY!

" That's enough." Battousai said as he grabbed Sano's collar.

RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

" Oro?"

Sano fell face forward and landed flat on the ground. And in Battousai's hand was Sano's collar. He sweatdropped and looked between that and Sano who was on the ground twitching. Misao sweatdropped, 'Maybe the extra hundred was a little much…'


Kaoru had listened to what was going on outside in the eating room. She couldn't seem to smile at what was happening.

Too much maybe?

Perhaps…

She couldn't right now, she couldn't seem to find any of that close to being funny.

'A sword duel…over me…?' She thought to herself as she sat in a corner gazing at the wall that was across from her. Her eyes didn't hold the usual light they held. They seemed darker than the sapphire color they were. They were close to being black.

She let out a sob as she put her legs closer to her chest and laid her head on her knees.

'How could you father? Give me away like I was nothing! Didn't you believe in me?'

She let out another sob as her body trembled.

'No…I wasn't nothing to you was I? I'm merely a tool to give you a grandchild…a boy right? You didn't see any use for a daughter did you…?'

Visible tears were in her eyes as they began to run down her cheeks and land on the floor. She held her arms tighter against herself in order to gain the little comfort she had.

'The only way to get out of this is to…be…wed…'

Marriage…

To Kenshin perhaps?

She would have blushed at the thought but this was serious, this wasn't the time for girlish fantasies she may have for the ex-Hitokiri.

Leaning against the wall her bottom lip trembled. Those doubts that everyone had came back at her. Being in her mentally weakened state she whimpered.

Why would he marry her?

Like Megumi and Aoi said, she was nothing but a sweaty little girl.

But…

Didn't Battousai say that they wanted her?

Only for her body though…

No Battousai said that he wanted her to love him.

What does that have to do with anything? He could just want her to fall in love with him and then break her heart.

Well we encountered a problem.

She was already in love with him and everyone knew it.

But was it only one-sided love?

" No." Kaoru said as she shook her head causing her raven locks to fly with the turn of her head.

It makes no difference if he didn't say it.

" Actions…speak louder than words…" With that she used the wall for support and walked over to her window. She didn't feel like leaving through the front door because she would have to walk past everyone. How she felt right now she didn't want to see them.

She opened her window and then sat on the ledge and put her legs over and jumped down as she landed on both her feet. She made sure she was quiet as she ran out of the front gates.

She needed to have a few moments to herself to breathe and to think. That was all she wanted right now. Time to herself.


Battousai walked down to her room carrying a tray of food. He knocked.

" Kaoru?" When no reply was heard he grew nervous and opened up the shoji door and said,

" Kaoru?" His amber eyes scanned around the room and there was no trance of his Kaoru anywhere.

The tray of food landed with a loud CLINK.


Kassie: ORO:listening to Fushigi Yugi soundtrack: FLY HIGH SUZAKU LA

Viper: STOP THE TOTURE!

Kassie: (#.#) Oh this CD came today…ahhh…I love it…watch me I'm going to get so into this that I'll end up using the opening theme for something…eh…can't help what you love right:starts to sing(horribly) to the soundtrack again:

Viper: Why god? Did I do something to upset you…? WHY?

Alright if you like this chapter, or even if you just read it, please R&R!

Hugs and kisses

-TennyoAkana