An update! Yay! As I recover from a crazy ridiculous holiday season, I found the time to finally get the next chapter up. Forgive the delay. Being a grown up really is not at all what's it cracked put to be. But on to it!

Sanosuke bounced on the balls of his feet. The past twenty-four hours had seen his entire world change on its head. The couple in the car slowly emerged and he fought the urge to bound down the steps and embrace his best friend. He was happy to see her in one piece.

Next to him Megumi appeared. "She won't."

"She won't what?"

"She won't reject you."

He looked over at her. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you're incessantly repeating 'don't reject me' over and over in your head."

"That's not fair."

"What?"

"You've figured how to keep me out, but I haven't done the same."

Megumi sighed and turned him towards her. She took his face in her hands. "She loves you. And considering everything she's gone through, I don't think you becoing a vampire is going to drastically change how she feels."

He searched her face. She had been with him adfter his meeting with Hiko. The last remnants of the change had been intense and she had helped him through it. Early, after he had finally spoken to Kaoru, they had gone out. She had been reluctant to allow him to feed, mostly as he had seent he green spike of jealousy in her mind. However it had been necessary. Now he worried the day away, hoping to finally be able to see Kaoru.

He glance over to where she approached, the redhead at her side. "What if I hurt her?" He murmured.

Megumi snorted. "I don't think you'll be allowed close enough for that to happen."

"What does that mean?" He demanded.

She raised one dark eyebrow. "Youll realize it in a moment."

Sauntering down the steps she went to greet the pair. Aoshi returned. "Are you here to ensure that I don't atempt to drain my best friend?"

"Not exactly."

"You people like to speak in riddles." He stated in annoyance.

The tall vampire looked at him. "I don't think you'll attempt to feed on her. Though her blood will tempt you, you'll quicky realize why you won't. If for some reason you aren't able to curb the desire, I'm here to ensure Battousai doesn't rip you limb from limb for touching what belongs to him."

Sanosuke blinked, taken aback by the statemtn. Before he had a chance to register what he meant Kaoru was at the bottom of the steps. "Sano?"

He looked over at her. All his fear and anxity melted away and he closed the distance between them, bounding down the stairs and pulling her in for a fierce hug. Next to her, he heard Kenshin hiss, but he ignored it focsuing on the knowledge the womanw as safe.

"I was worried there Jou-Chan."

"You were worried!" She pulled back slightly and smacked him on the shoulder. "I thought you were dead!"

"You and I both knew that wasn't going to happen."

She licked her lips. A breeze shifted and Sano caught a whiff of her scent. It was floral and sweet, soemthing that he instantly felt a craving for. He stiffened, feeling the sharp edges of his teeth. Sensing his change in demeanor, Kaoru grew still. Beneath it another scent lingered, clinging to her, almost a stench. He frowned, curious, and leaned in to inhale her neck. He caught the scent of something darker and deeper, and not at all appealing. Before he had a chance to figure it out, a snarl filled the air and hands grabbed him.

He was flung away from Kaoru, the golden flashing eyes of Kenshin in front of him, his fangs bared. Instinct kicked in, and Sano bared his as well. Megumi was then between them, holding her hands up to keep Kenshin at bay. Aoshi had an arm around the petite redhead's frame, barely able to restrain him.

"Stop it!"

The voice cut across the air, causing all of them to come to a halt. Despite the need to protect himself, the desire to comply was stronger. He immediately dropped his stance and noticed that the rest of them did as well. Sanosuke looked around, wondering where the command had come from.

From her spot in the middle of them, Kaoru stood. Her eyes were ablaze with an eery blue light, her cheeks flushed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Sanosuke flushed, as much as he could, and looked at his feet, not sure what had just happened. He looked up at Megumi. Her dark eyes were wide as she stared at Kaoru. Kenshin dropped his stance and looked at her sheepishly. "Forgive me, Kaoru-dono. I did not appreciate him smelling you so casually."

She stared at him. "So what if he smelled me. It's not like he tried to eat me which is what you thought he would do." She declared.

Sano wanted to vanish into the earth at that satement. While he wouldn't deny that she had smelled delectable, something else had warned him that drinking from her was a bad iea. "I was curious to what it was." He muttered.

Megumi turned her attention back to him. "What it was?"

"Her scent."

Now the woman turned towards Kenshi. "Please tell me you didn't." She murmured.

His eyes flashed, "You made your choice; I made mine."

"Kenshin, I know what you and I did." Kaoru had paced a hand on the redhead's arm. "But he is my friend and means me no harm."

"Don't you realize Koaru-dono? It isn't just about harming you; No one touches you."

Feeling as though he had missed something, Sanosuke felt his gaze darting between the pair. What's going on? He screamed in his head. As he had hoped, Megumi winced and she looked over at him.

Their eyes met and she cocked her head slightly to the side. Kenshin marked her as his. Anyone attempts to lay a finger on her and he will deal with him.

Sanosuke looked at her. I didn't touch her.

"He's just feeling possessive." She whispered aloud.

"Can you deny it now?"

They all turned to Aohsi who had asked the question. "Deny what?"Kaoru asked.

"What just occurred."

"They were being utterly ridiculous." She scoffed. "I just told him to stop and he listened."

Kenshin opened his mouth and Kaoru whirled around on him. "You better not say anything. I get why you did it, but that doesn't excuse it." She told him. Sanosuke still wasn't fully sure what had occurred. He decided it better to just sit back and watch. However Kaoru turned her attention back on him. She approached him wearliy. "You're alright?"

He nodded. "Takes more than a few vampires to get rid of me. I'm afraid you're stuck."

She grinned and embraced him. He held his breath so as not to inadvertandly set off the redhead again. "I could use a nap." She muttered.

She stepped back from him only to have Kenshin come to her side. He took her elbow and lead her up the stairs. "You aren't off the hook." He heard her hiss to him as they disappeared inside.

"Would someone please explain to me what the hell just happened?" He demanded.

Aoshi merely looked at him before following the couple into the house. Megumi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It appears Kenshin and Kaoru marked each other. Bascially, they now belong to one another. I hink you sensedhis mark on her, but because you're so young, you didn't realie what it was. When ou leaned into her neck, Kenshin saw it as a sign of you indirectly challenging him."

"Becuase I went to smell her?"

"Don't you understand? Kenshin marked her; anyone so much as touches her and they will answer to Battousai." She told hium.

"How is htat different than what happened between you and I?"

She touched his cheek. "When I changed you, somehow you and I mated. Vampires mate for life. Because of that bond is how you and I are able to communicate telepathically."

Sanosuke swallowed. "Like husband and wife?"

Licking her lips, Megumi nodded. "Something like that. Our lives will inexplicably be entwined until one of us dies. What the two of them did is something different. They aren't mated; they claimed one another. Until Kenshin relinquishes his hold on Kaoru, for all intents and purposes, she belongs to him."

"And he thought I was attempting to take her away from him?"

"Challenge him." The woman shook her head. "I've never known Kenshin to act this way. He was involved with a woman once, a demon of broken hearts. She broke his and then took her life. And while I would say that Kenshin loved her deeply, I don't think he ever made a claim. The fact that he has now, after all these years tells me that something much deeper is going on here."

"Like what?"

The woman pursed her lips and absently tapped her mouth. "I'm not sure. But notice how Aoshi asked her about the command she gave? I immediately wanted to do what she told me. I think there's more going on and if we want to find out, we should follow them."

Megumi turned to go inside and he grabbed her wrist. He tugged her back to him. He was worried about Kaour, but clearly she had found someone else to watch ove her. Gingerl he ran a finger down the waomn's cheek and then along her jaw. "I chose to allow you to change me and whatever came with it. There are worst things I can thing of than having my life entangled with yours." She offered him a wry grin. He leaned down and nipped at her ear. She shivered in his arms. "It would be better to have you entweined in my bed." he murmured.

The woman growled and Sano grinned as he pulled back to meet her gaze. "Soon" she whispered almost shyly.

He kissed her then, savoring the taste of her lips. Sanosuke realized he hadn't really kissed her since the night in the gym so long ago and yet it ahd only been a few days. "That I wil hold you to."

"What the hell was that all about?"

Kenshin still kept a tight lid on his emotions as he attempted to settle the beast within. The sight of the tall brunette casually leaning in to smell his woman still burned against his eyelids. "I told you, that I did. No one is to touch you."

"He didn't." Kaoru came around and tilted her head to the side. "You are going to have to curb this streak of possessiveness. I won't stand for it."

Kenshin opened his eyes, his temper simmering just beneath the surface. "You can't possibly understand what it felt like to see him. I told you that you're mine now, something you asked me to do. I won't have anyone, even your best friend, touch you."

"He didn't touch me." Her own temper seemed to flare and it took every ounce of control to keep himself where he stood.

She whirled, her dark azure eyes ablaze. "You thought to kill him." He opened his mouth and she took a step towards him, "Don't deny it."

He shut his mouth and grasped her wrist. "I won't. If he had made any attempt to bite you I would have ripped his head off."

She shook her head in exasperation. "You cannot act like that around him. He is one of my closest friends. There will be times where you won't be able to stop him from hugging me or being near me."

Kenshin gritted his teeth. "I won't allow that."

"The hell you wont!" She poked her finger into his chest. "I have no intention of straying from our devotion, but I am still my own person."

A thought went through his head, on how to make her understand. The front door opened and Aoshi entered and hesitated. An idea formed. "Where is the slayer?" he demanded.

The tall vampire paused and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Not used to being questioned, he turned towards him. "Tell me."

"She is with Yahiko."

Abruptly he grabbed Kaoru's wrist and dragged her down the hall and up the stairs. He moved swiftly, the woman behind struggling to keep up. "Kenshin, let go."

Having reached the door to the youing vampire's sanctuary, he released her. He flung open the door. The various monitors glowed, lighting the petite slayer sitting in the chair in front of them. She spun around. "If you're looking for Yahiko, he went out to talk to Hiko about where he thinks we might be able to find the key."

"I'm here to see you."

The woman cockted her head to the side and rose. Her hand strayed behind her back and he suspected she hid a blade there. "Why? What's going on?"

"Kenshin."

The low voice was Aoshi behind him. Kenshin ignored him. "Just something I wanted to know."

He flickered a glanced in Kaoru's direction. Her eys were flitting betweent the pair, attempting to figure out what was going on. Misao looked at Aoshi, her anxiety just susceptible underneath her calm veneer. "Know what?"

Kenshin approached her slowly, his hands opem, showing he meant no harm. He stood in front of her and gently grasped her upper arms. Already he could inhale her scent. It spoke to him in a different way than Kaoru's, though he could smell the sweetness it would be. He fought the urge to bare his fangs, briefly wondering how Aoshi managed it. Behind him, he could sense the woman's anger once again.

"Testing a theory if you will." He told her softly before burying his nose in the crook of her neck.

The woman gasped as he inhaled up the column of her neck. Behind him he heard Aoshi growl. However it was Kaoru's reaction he wanted.

Before he could lift his head, the woman was violently shoved from him. Misao cried out as she hit the chair and sailed several feet. Kaoru stood in front of him, her malice directed at the petite woman. "What have you been doing?" She hissed.

Misao stated up at her. "What the hell is going on?"

"What did you do? Have you been giving him signals after I told you he was mine?" The woman seethed. Kenshin grabbed her arm in an attempt to wrangle her under control, but her rage was at a level he hadn't thought would occur. She shook him off and stalked towards her friend. "He is mine!"

Aoshi came between the two females before the situation could escalate further. He shot Kenshin a nasty look, but the red head ignored him, focusing instead on Kaoru. Before she could fully comprehend what had happened, he wrapped his arms about her and quickly escorted her out of the room. "Stop!" She cried.

Determined to end this, Kenshin was able to bypass her command and shoved her furhter down the hall. He came to the door he wanted and pushed her inside. Her senses returning, her malevolence turned on him. "You did that on purpose."

He moved passed her and into the room. It was dark as the curtains were drawn. He debated about opening it, something he hadn't done for many years. "I needed you to understand." He murmured as he moved to one of the curtains.

"Understand? You just randomly walked up to her and thought I would be okay for you to smell her?"

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "I didn't think you would be okay."

"You treated it as though it was no big deal!"

He whipped around, his own temper flaring. "And how did it make you feel to see it? So casually done, as though it was nothing?" He demanded. His patience snapped and he took a step towards her. Her fury matched his, her blue eyes alight with it. Then she took a deep breath and released it. "Fine. I get it."

Kenshin sighed, his own anger immediately dminishing. He turned back away from her and moved back one of the curtains to peer into the fading light. "This is why we don't mate very often, if at all." He leaned wearily agains the window. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows on this side of the house. "I don't mean to come across as possessive. However instincts sometimes override the senses."

He heard her move behind him. The curtain opened and he stood up a bit straiter. As the golden hues filled the room, he looked back over at her. She came behind him, wrapping her arms about his waist. Resting her cheek against his back he felt her sigh. "I'm sorry I didn't fully comprehend the ramifications of the choice we made."

Closing his eyes, he tamped down the pain. "Forgive me for being so rash. If I could take it back now I would."

Her grip lessened and she moved around to face him. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "is that what you would want?"

He studied her. "Isn't it?"

She shook her head. "i get it. But I made this choice just as much as you did. I don't want to take it back."

"Kaoru-dono..."

"Shh." She placed a finger over his mouth. "I might not have fully understood, but I do now." She leaned up, pressing her own lips against her finger. Her eyes searched his as she slowly dropped her hand. "I don't want anything more than to belong to you. And for you to belong to me."

He stared down at her and Kenshin wondered just when the moment he'd lost himself to this woman. Before he could even stop hmself, he slipped his hand around her neck and closed the brief distance between them. She threw herself agaisnt him, offering everything she had. He acepted it and for a moment lost himself in the everything that was her.

Kaoru pulled back slightly. "I will say I can't promise that I won't push the boundary. Sanosuke is my closest and dearest friend. Until we find our place in this world, I'm going to stumble."

Whispering a curse he rested his forehead against hers. "i hate that I've dragged you into this world."

"Please stop." She begged. "I wanted to be a part of this world. If what you and Aoshi thinks is true then I was a part long before you and I ever met."

He ran a hand through her dark hair and cupped cheek. "Still...I wish I had found you sooner."

She captured his hand against her face and nuzzled into it. "Tomorrow is when it happens?"

Kenshin blinked. "the Ascension?" He sighed realizing the moment had come so close. "it is." He tilted his head to the side and studied her. "We don't havemuch time left." He murmured, hoping he had acurately caught where her thoughts had turned.

For the first time she glanced around. "Where are we?"

He looked around as well, attempting to see the room for the first time. "It mine."

And there you go. Just stating that the characters are not mine. Any and all thoughts and comments are always welcome. Until next time! ^_^