Sorry that this chapter took so long. I both love and hate this chapter! It took me a while to get it to a point that I liked; I hope that you like it too! The next chapter should be out in another two weeks. I would love to say next Friday, but that is unlikely. In the mean time, thank you so much for your support. It really helps to motivate me to actually write!

As always, I do not own the characters or Rurouni Kenshin.

Chapter 12

Four long days had passed; four long days of painful loneliness, and four long days of the never ending march of time. Time, it was a funny thing. To Kenshin, it felt like all sense of time had stopped ever sense Kaoru's disappearance those 8 days ago; yet it had continued to move on in its completely stubborn fashion. It was so unyielding it its rigid laws. It wouldn't stop, it wouldn't reverse, no redoes were allowed, and it definitely would never consider returning to his family these currently lost days. The strict God known as Time would only continue its slow forward march through eternity.

Kenshin sighed, just one of many in the last few days. His body continued to slowly heal; after eight long days it would at last permit him to move for short periods of time. There was that horrid word again, time. It really did permeate through all aspects of reality; there was no escaping its all encompassing grip. Kenshin briefly wondered if the fickle God was being kinder to his long lost wife than himself.

God how he missed her. He missed Kaoru's simple smile; how her stubbornly upbeat energy seeped into the whole home and made his spirit brighter. With her gone, everything was darker. It had become so easy to get lost in the disturbing memories of his dark past. Lately, the sinister images from periods best forgotten seemed to be his only companion, well that and time. The excess amount of time, and the lack of action, permitted ample time for his mind to think, to dwell, to brood. Yes, Time was definitely not his friend as of late.

Time really, truly, was a fickle God. Over the last few years, he thought that the two of them had gotten along so well. He lived under the delusion that his past sins might have finally been forgiven, if only on some small level. And although it was not deserved, Kenshin would gladly accept the gift of peace that he was provided. Over the course of time, his heart was healed, his life fulfilled, he was cherished by a wife, blessed with a son, and peaceful days surrounded him. Now, when its very existence was threatened, Time decided to change its allegiances and continue to move forward without him. Maybe this was all a punishment for his hubris; it was a punishment for being happy in spite of his sins. It was punishment for his prideful belief that even he deserved a utopia of serenity. Maybe it was all just some sort of test played out by Fate and Time together; they had worked in cahoots against him in the distant past. His situation distantly reminded him of a bible story he heard from a missionary once. If Kenshin remembered right, the man's name was Job?

Regardless of Time's current ambitions to destroy his life and watch it slowly crumble and collapse around him, Kenshin had to find his wife. It was amazing how one woman, one very active and lively woman, could utterly disappear off the face of the earth. Sano started his search almost immediately after he was done with his "fit." With his large mouth and "modest" personality, he assured everyone that he would show them how it was done. He rounded up all of his friends that remained in Tokyo and got them to help in the search. Sano was sure he would have the problem resolved in a day. Kenshin hadn't actually seen Sano since he took off those 4 days ago; every now and then, one lone friend reports that they still have found nothing.

Yahiko and Yutarou were taking turns teaching at the dojo. When one was teaching, the other would be diligently searching. When classes were over, they would set out together; this had been going on for the entire eight days now. It was scary how focused the two were. Since waking up, Kenshin hadn't heard a single argument, not one scuffle, or any expeditions to visit the fair Tsubame. Both of the young men were so incredibly close to Kaoru; their temporary truce was just one sign of the situation's severity.

Aoshi and Misao disappeared before Sano. Considering they were the two spies, Kenshin held a lot of hope in their network; so far, that hope was not realized. Eight days, eight long days of tireless searching since Kaoru's abrupt disappearing act, and not a single clue was found. It was like Kaoru had disappeared from the planet.

When he wasn't brooding over dark memories, Kenshin was trying to figure out his own best course of action. Replaying that night over and over in his mind had not yet helped. He was not able to glean any new information, no additional clues, no further understanding of why. Kenshin was not used to the attacks not being centered on him; he wasn't exactly sure how to process the fact that his wife was at the center of a plot for revenge. A plot for revenge that from everything Kenshin knew was unwarranted. Regardless, Kenshin also could not hold back the sense of guilt he felt for his part in the situation. Although Kenshin was slightly surprised by Koshijiro's supposed abilities, he surmised that he should not have been, knowing everything he knows about Kaoru and the Kamiya style. The fact that the legacy of the Battousai was used on Koshijiro, and ultimately brought about his demise, deeply bothered Kenshin. Then to top things off, his own uselessness was the exact reason that Koshijiro's daughter was now in danger.

There was one truth that Kenshin was able to glean from that night, once sense of clarity that he now possessed; that he could not win against Tamake-san. The power of the feared Battousai had finally waned and in his current state, he held no chance of winning a re-match. Kenshin realized that although fool-hardy, Kaoru-dono's actions truly did save his life. Therefore, the final question remained, when they finally did locate the wayward Kaoru, how would he ever bring her back? "God, I really am a Baka-Deshi," thought Kenshin. Then time once again seemed to slow to a standstill as Kenshin got a flash of brilliance. "Wait! That's it! I really am a Baka-Deshi! MEGUMI!"

Early the next morning, the dojo's courtyard was packed by the short notice meeting. Kenshin was still amazed that Megumi was able to track down everyone so quickly and convince them to come back to the dojo, well surprised that she could convince Sano more accurately. Yutarou and Yahiko quietly leaned against the well with somber, serious expressions painted on their face. Neither was looking anywhere in particular; their minds were obviously elsewhere. Both appeared to be exhausted, but stubbornly determined; they were absolutely Kaoru-dono's students thought Kenshin. To the left, Aoshi placed himself along the fence in the shadows, quietly observing the energy in the atmosphere. Although, Kenshin wondered how he could feel any energy besides the overly excited Misao's, who was standing by his side as always. Misao appeared like a lit firework that was being forcefully held in place. She was literally bouncing up and down; the tension must have been getting to her. Lounging casually along the porch next to Kenshin was Sano with his characteristic fish bone hanging from his mouth. Well casually was a slight overstatement. Sano was trying to give off the appearance of nonchalance; however, Kenshin could read the slight signs of stress. Dark circles were just beginning to form under his eyes. He had his arms folded over his chest, and although hidden, Kenshin could tell his fists were clenched by the visible strain of his muscles and veins. Sano had already chewed through his fourth fish bone in the last 10 minutes. Kenshin briefly wondered how his friend had any teeth left at all? Megumi was casually strolling through the front gate, having brought Kenji to Tae's for the afternoon.

"Well, are we going to get on with this little pow-wow Kenshin, or are we just going to waste more time?" growled out Sano.

Kenshin sighed. "Yes Sano." Kenshin waited a few more moments as his gaze panned across his gathered friends. "I called you all here this morning, because I have made a decision that will affect you all."

Kenshin could see the signs of apprehension cross almost everyone's face simultaneously, save for one stoic ninja. "I'm leaving…" but Kenshin was cut off before he could finish by the sound of Sano's fist punching through one of the porch's support beams.

Sano's face darkened as he rounded a hard glare on his small friend. "What did you say?"

Kenshin shook his head in slight amusement. His friend's already short fuse was non-existent these days. "I said I am leaving Sano, but…"

Once again, Kenshin was drowned out by the furious Sano, "There are no buts for abandoning Jo-chan! She is your wife! You are way past the point of being a wanderer Kenshin! This crazy dude is after Jo-chan, not you! How will leaving solve anything!"

"Sano!" quipped a terse Megumi. "Maybe if you would actually let Ken-san finish a sentence, you would find out! Quit firing off like a premature rocket and listen to others you stupid rooster head!" As Megumi finished, the glare that she had been fixing on Sano changed to an expression of annoyance. Megumi's face resembled that of a mother scolding an impatient child more than a grown man. As he took his seat once more, face slightly red, Megumi gave out one quick huff and used her hand to flip her hair behind her shoulders. "Really, children these days! You may continue Ken-san."

Kenshin gave off his first small smile in days; his spirit was lightened slightly by the antics of his friends. It was this light hearted banter that made things seem almost normal. Kenshin shook his head, an effort to dispel the distraction. "I am leaving for Kyoto."

Yutarou was floored. How could going to Kyoto help anyone? He turned his head slightly towards Yakiko, expecting a similar response to his own; however, Yahiko was surprisingly calm. As a matter of fact, he even appeared slightly excited. Yutarou guessed that this must be one of those times when his prolonged absence equaled a lack of information.

"Kenshin," Yahiko spoke, "does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yes Yahiko, I would suspect so. I am going back to hopefully train with Master."

"But Kenshin, I thought that you already lost most of your former power. Wasn't your body to small to handle it? And besides, didn't you already learn everything about the Hiten Mitsurugi style?" voiced Misao. Kenshin was not surprised by her outburst; actually, Kenshin was really surprised that she was able to stay quite as long as she did. Aoshi's presences really did calm her greatly.

"Ah, I see," spoke an enlightened Megumi. "I don't know why I didn't see this before. I believe Misao, that Ken-san wants to train his body this time. If he is able to train his body and build muscle mass, it might be able to counteract the waning of his power. However Kenshin, the Hiten Mitsurugi wasn't the only thing that took its toll. Years of war has left many scars on your body and impeded your ability to fight. Trying to regain power at this point will not be easy, I would even dare to say dangerous. You could do permanent damage to your muscles, especially with the sort of training you will be doing. You may be putting your very life at risk, I can't recommend such actions."

Kenshin nodded his head in acknowledgement and understanding. "I know Megumi, I understand my body more than anyone. Even so, I must go. This is my best chance to rescue Kaoru-dono."

"Well excuse me, but wouldn't finding Jo-chan be her best chance of rescue?" muttered Sano. Upon noticing Megumi's glare, Sano rolled his eyes and turned his body towards Kenshin. "Look, all I am sayin is that training won't do a bit of good if you don't know where to go."

"I understand that too; however, what shall I do when I do find her Sano? In my current condition I cannot beat Tamake-san; I know this now. Years ago, it would have been a different story, but I must now face this reality. Should I throw myself head first into the impending fight regardless; therefore making Kaoru-dono's sacrifice meaningless? I will train, and trust in all of you to find Kaoru's location in my absence. That way, when she is found, I will possess the strength to win her back."

Kenshin saw that Sano was about to throw him a retort, but he anticipated his response. "I know that I can rely on your strength when it comes time for battle, and I am sure that I will. However, Tamake-san alone was a very serious opponent, and we do not yet know how many others are with him. I do not yet know the full extent of his powers, but it could rival Shishio's. This is not a fight that we can take lightly and rush into head first. We must all take time to prepare."

"But Kenshin, we don't have Time! Right this minute, Jo-chan could be…, she could be…, he could be doing…" Sano's retort sounded more like a plea, like he was begging Kenshin to understand. Kenshin pitied him a bit; he shared the same feelings not very long ago.

"Sometimes time must be sacrificed in order to gain it back again." All heads turned towards the quiet shadow that spoke in the eerily calm, icy voice. It was the first action Aoshi had shown the entire meeting. "We must use this time where we have been neglected to gather valuable information. Running into a slaughter due to impatience will not help anyone."

Kenshin nodded his head once in confirmation; Aoshi took the words right out of his mouth. "I will be leaving at first light. Yahiko and Yutarou, I need you to continue to look after the school." Both young men nodded their heads somberly in affirmation. "Megumi-dono, I know you are busy, but please watch after Kenji."

"Of course Ken-san."

"We'll go back to Kyoto with you Kenshin!" spoke a much too eager Misao. Her tone implied that they were simply leaving for a vacation. Kenshin wondered if she forgot the true purpose of the trip?

"We'll be able to use our networks more effectively from there," clarified Aoshi.

"Thank you both," replied a grateful Kenshin. He understood fully that their best chance of finding Kaoru lied with the Oniwabanshu and their intricate information network. Aoshi was correct, he could control and monitor the information more closely at the source.

"Well what about me? What am I, chopped liver?" quipped Sano.

"No, broiled rooster," retorted Megumi.

"I assumed you would continue your search here Sano, and protect everyone in my stead. Am I mistaken?" Kenshin calmly gazed at his friend, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Uh No! And that way, I can take out this Tamake bastard when I find him!" Sano pounded his fist into his hand and he said this; he almost looked gleeful at the possibility. That is, until the atmosphere began to turn dark and a tense electricity filled the air. Sano turned his gauze towards Kenshin, not all to surprised by what he saw. He figured this more demon like Kenshin would make another appearance or two before this issue was resolved.

With resolved golden eyes, hair as red as fire, and a fiercely firm grip on his sword, Kenshin growled out in a low deep voice, "Tamake is mine."

Later that evening, as the sun was setting over the horizon, Kenshin found his son sitting alone on the porch. His hands were at his sides, gripping the porch as his legs swung back and forth. His gaze seemed fixated on the horizon, where the setting sun was painting the sky an interesting combination of reds and blues. It was as though even the sky was depressed by the foreboding future. Kenshin could hear the distinct sound of humming coming from the child, it was a tune Kaoru had sung to him quite often. Kenshin's own heart broke as he watched Kenji wipe a lone tear from his cheek.

Kenshin had always hoped to spare Kenji from pain. For a few years there, he stupidly thought he could. It was a nice delusion, but still a delusion nonetheless. Pain is intertwined with the joys of life, it was a simple fact. And although acknowledging the fact that pains made joys that much sweeter, it did not lessen the pain.

Kenshin was also sure that his absence from Kenji's life over the last 8 days, so soon after losing his mother, did not help. It was necessary, and Kenshin had little control over it, but it still did not make dealing with things any easier for such a young child. Life was anything but fair sometimes. Kaoru disappeared, now Kenshin had to leave, and a young child was left behind to wait for all the wrongs to be put right. It was a wait that could be fruitless should Kenshin and his friends fail. Kenshin shook such dark thoughts from his mind as he took a seat by his son.

The two sat there in silence for a few moments, both content to stare at the curiously sad sky. Kenshin, unsure exactly what to say to Kenji, was satisfied to comfort him with his humble presence.

"Mom's gone," muttered Kenji quietly.

Kenshin turned his gaze to Kenji, who was still staring out at the sky. Upon returning his gaze to match his son's, Kenshin replied simply, "I know."

"Megumi-san said that you are leaving too."

"I am."

"Is Mom coming back?"

"I hope."

"Are you coming back?"

"I hope."

"Why did Mom leave?"

Kenshin turned his head towards Kenji again, wanting to impress the truth behind his words into his son. "She didn't want to leave. She left to protect us from a sad and angry man. I couldn't protect her, so she left to protect us."

Kenji's head shifted to look at his father; two more tears were slowly making their way down his face. "Why do you have to leave?"

Kenshin placed a comforting hand on Kenji's cheek, brushing the tears away with his thumb. "I have to go get mommy."

Kenji nodded his head in understanding and he turned to face the sky once more.

Kenshin shifted towards the small boy, wrapping his arm lovingly, comfortingly around his shoulders as small shakes shook his body. "I miss mommy."

One lone tear made its way down its oblivious owner's cheek, too concerned with his son. As the two sat there, staring at the nothingness of the darkening sky, Kenshin replied the only way he could, "Me too Kenji, me too."