Chapter Thirty Four

Aoshi looked out at the water. The city's skyline, with all its dazzling bright lights, reflected onto the river beautifully. The city always looked its best on a warm summer evening in Aoshi's opinion. It was alive, vibrant and by the water, calming all at the same time. He would need that calming trait now more than ever. Aoshi's ice-blue eyes narrowed with his thoughts. There could have been only one reason why Misao would want to speak with him; she was going to try to use him. No, Kaoru was going to try to use him to get to Tomoe. The hell if he'd let that happen! Kaoru and her cohort would have to solve the problem of Enishi on their own. Sure, he had given some assistance to her already, but that was done and past.

"Aoshi-sama?" a quiet voice beckoned from behind.

"Weren't you warned not to use that honorfic, Missy?" he asked without turning around to look at Misao.

"Not by you…"

"No. But you seem eager to do her bidding," he said meaningfully.

Misao bit her lip, vexed. "So, you know why I am here?"

"More or less. But why don't you fill me in on all the details," he said mockingly.

"This is not the time to joke. I wouldn't even be here if I didn't think the situation was hopeless. To be honest, I'm not sure if Kaoru's plan will work," Misao said as she moved to stand next to her former lover.

"That is her problem, not mine," Aoshi replied coolly.

"You helped her before. Enishi will try to kill her," Missy said, her frustration apparent in her tone.

"Also her problem," was the reply.

"He will try to kill me, too…" she said quietly.

She finally struck the right nerve. He reluctantly looked down at the girl. Misao thought her heart was going to break all over again. Those eyes, those beautiful eyes of his bore down on her with a feverish intensity. She had seen the look before. When they made love he would look deeply in her eyes. Missy thought she could see straight into his soul. But, the intensity she saw wasn't due to passion. It was hate.

Misao inched closer to Aoshi. Her words were barely a whisper. "Enishi's men tried to kill Sanosuke and Megumi. He killed Kaoru's client. It's only a matter of time before he tries to kill us all."

Aoshi swore under his breath. He knew she was right. Enishi was completely insane. He had no sense of right and wrong. He lacked empathy for all except Tomoe. Other than his dear sister, all he cared about was himself, his pride and his money. People were to be toyed with and disposed of at his leisure.

"What am I supposed to do exactly? You think I can make Tomoe go against her brother? Was that your sister's plan?" Aoshi taunted.

"You have a cruel streak, Aoshi. You don't think that would destroy Enishi?" Misao asked with uncharacteristic venom.

He paused. The wheels in his head turned. Yes, what would he do to stop Enishi? Killing him would be the ideal option, but even that was problematic. All that was left was manipulating him in some way, and the only way to manipulate him was to manipulate Tomoe. Aoshi turned his head back to the water and contemplated for a few moments.

"I don't know how effective that will be," he began. "If it were anyone other than Enishi, I would say there'd be a chance. But, knowing Enishi as I know him, this plan would be foolish."

Misao took in his words and asked, "What if Enishi were neutralized?"

"Excuse me?"

"I did not stutter," Misao replied.

"I know you didn't. I just wouldn't think you'd think of something like that," Aoshi said, part surprised, part admiring.

"I think it is the only logical solution to our particular problem. The questions are, who, how, and when?" Misao thought out loud.

Aoshi turned his back to Misao and began walking down the Riverwalk. He motioned for her to follow, and she did, not yet questioning why he started moving. He would tell her, she was certain. After a couple of minutes, as they walked side-by-side, he did.

"We are being watched," he said. "Do not look around. We just need to stay out of ear shot and hope they don't have voice amplifiers. I can't be seen with you after this moment. If Enishi suspects anything, he will cut me off from Tomoe and we will have no chance."

"Aoshi…"Misao's voice trailed off. There was so much she wanted to say to him. The past few days had been so hard for her. She thought she was beginning to accept what happened, but being with him, talking with him made her unsure. And now was definitely not the time to be thinking about that, she chastised herself.

"Missy," Aoishi said softly. "It will have to be done as soon as possible. I will help where I can. I owe you that much. Not your sister. You. I do…I did love you. You know that right?"

Misao thought she felt her heart skip a beat, but she managed to keep moving forward.

"Aoshi…" was all she managed to whisper. She wanted to grab his hand, stop him in his tracks and kiss him. She needed to feel his body against hers again. It didn't matter if he loved another woman, she tried to tell herself. But it did matter to Misao. She couldn't deny it.

"You owe me much more. I gave you an irreplaceable part of me. You do this for me and for my sister. Like it or not, she is a part of me. Now," Misao stopped in her tracks, turned to face Aoshi and smacked him square across his chiseled cheek. "Now, we have to make this happen. We have to take that bastard down… I'd do it myself just to gain the satisfaction."

The malice in Misao's tone was unmistakable and completely uncharacteristic. What had happened to her? She feared for her life, that's what happened. Enishi is what happened. Pain and understanding crossed Aoshi's face. He grabbed Misao's hand as she was about to strike him again. He laced his fingers into hers as he placed her hand to the side of her body. At that moment, he felt something press against his palm. He looked to Misao, trying to figure out what it was, when suddenly, understanding crossed his face. So risky, he thought. But I'll protect her. She deserves that much. More than that.

Mournful, Misao thought, his eyes are sad and mournful. Then, with a blink and a squeeze of the hand, the look was gone and Aoshi was the large, cool-hearted man she remembered. The man she had fallen so hard and quickly for.

"I will do my part, Misao-sama," he whispered so only she could hear. Yet she wasn't completely sure she heard him at all.

It took Aoshi a while to reach his residence. He remained on foot, preferring to think while walking. It gave him more time to contemplate how this would all go down. Did it really have to come down to killing Enishi? How would he kill Enishi? How could he kill Enishi? To do so would break Tomoe's heart. Crazy or not, that was her beloved brother. They had an inseparable bond, a bond that was tested only when she married Kenshin.

And then there was the thing Missy had given to him. It was a bugging and tracking device. The smallest he had ever seen. What was it for? What did she know that he did not? Was there more she wanted to say and couldn't because they were being followed? With his hands in his pockets, Aoshi rounded the corner of his block. He noticed a black car in front of his home. One of Enishi's goons, Aoshi thought. However, the window rolled down to reveal the object of the previous conversation.

"Tomoe," Aoshi whispered. Though shocked, he did not let it show on his face.

"I need you to come with me," she said in a quiet, yet distressed tone.

"What is wrong?" he probed.

Tomoe paused and cast her eyes down, "Please, just get in."

Aoshi could tell something was amiss with Tomoe, but there was little he could do about it at that point. Aoshi entered the passenger side of the car and Tomoe pulled off.

"What's wrong?" Aoshi repeated.

"Not here," Tomoe said.

Understanding her concern, Aoshi did not ask anything else. Did she think the car was bugged? That he was bugged? If she thought that, she would not divulge where they were heading to. She said nothing and continued to drive in silence. They had stopped somewhere on the east side of the city, right off the water. The homes were posh. They housed lawyers, ballers, doctors and an assortment of other rich folk. It was an area where people kept to themselves and their own expansive estates. It was undoubtedly where Enishi was living while raising hell. As the car made its way up the drive, the door to the carriage house opened up. Once parked, Tomoe exited the vehicle and Aoshi followed her lead. He, however, did not remain quiet.

"What is this place? Are you not concerned about ears?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"We are safe here," Tomoe replied.

"What is wrong, Tomoe?"

She said nothing in reply, but continued walking to the water, which was at the back of the mansion. Following the little stone path, the pair continued on until they reached a very small, sandy beach. The water lapped at the sand gently. It was actually quite soothing. Tomoe removed her shoes and stepped into the warm sand. A smile graced her usually somber face.

"Why were you with her?" she asked quietly.

"Who? Misao?" he asked.

"Hai."

"She said she wanted to see me. Considering how I hurt her, I wanted to oblige her," Aoshi told Tomoe. What was this really about, he wondered.

"Do you still love her?" she surprised him by asking.

"I…I did not love her like I thought I did. No," he admitted.

"Aoshi?" she began, "I am afraid of what will happen to you. Enishi said he was going to kill you. That you were plotting with that girl's whore of a sister against him."

At this point, tears began to fall down her beautiful face. She was troubled by everything that was going on and was completely powerless to change anything. Her brother, it seemed, was a madman. Her husband was unfaithful and in love with a born whore. The only person she had in the world was Aoshi, yet she couldn't rid herself of the inkling that he still held a flame for the young girl.

Aoshi knew he had to be very careful about how he proceeded. He knew that they were probably followed and Enishi's minions were either watching or already there. He could not fail now.

"Tomoe, what is this place? Is this Enishi's house?" he boldly asked.

"Of course not," she snapped, her tone offended. "What, you think I'd kidnap you and feed you to the wolves? No, this is a home my father left me. It is untouched by my brother's eyes. I knew they'd follow, which is why we are by the water. It will be difficult for them to hear with all the interference from the water and wind. Enishi needs to be stopped!"

"And what are you prepared to do to make sure he is stopped?" her companion asked.

Tomoe sighed. Did she really have to say it? "Whatever is necessary, I suppose. Truth be told, my father would have left the 'family business' to me had I wanted it. Yes, he sent his heir-apparent to the States to be protected, but I am the one that stayed by his side all those years. I am the one that saw the inner workings of the Yakuza first-hand. I helped my brother as best I could before he was assassinated. But after that, it was all too real. I wasn't willing to risk people's lives to further my family's interests. I didn't have the heart…or lack of a heart, for such a thing. "

Tomoe paused for a moment and clutched her shirt at her chest. Tears flowed freely down her pale cheek and then she continued.

"Enishi grew up under the protection of thugs and thieves. He had neither his mother nor his sister to guide him. No one to offer him love or affection. He didn't even have the love of his father, who was too preoccupied with keeping the business afloat to worry about his son. It should have been me that was shipped off and Enishi should have stayed with Father. I took all of Father's love and affection and devotion, for all Enishi was his official heir. It is my fault Enishi is what he is. "

Aoshi took in his lover's word. Could he really trust her? She said she was ready to do what needed to be done to stop her brother, but could she really have his death on her conscience? He did not think she had the constitution for it.

"You don't really think Enishi is your creation, do you?" Aoshi asked the woman. "How could you possibly be responsible for the situation you were born in to? Do you forget I was by your side for those couple of years before your father was killed? I told you when he died to not go down that road. I remember the relieved look on your face. I know you would have done as your father would have wished for honor's sake, but there was no need for you to."

Aoshi closed the small distance between him and Tomoe. She cast her eyes down, unwilling to reveal her emotions. A soft hand tilted her chin up and her watery eyes focused on ice blue ones. His fingers softly traced the lines of her face, absorbed the warmth of her skin.

"I knew you, Tomoe. I knew you like no one else did. My flower was sad enough. I did not want your heart to become any heavier. But, because I know you like no one else…I know you will not kill your brother. As you mentioned, you don't have the heart to do it. You are Tomoe. Not Yakuza. You are my Tomoe."

Aoshi's lips brushed against those of his lover's. They reminded Tomoe of fluttering butterflies teasing her. His kiss was soft, gentle and serene. Melting her body into his, she deepened the kiss. Their tongues met and melded with each other, passion beginning to overflow. It was in that moment that Aoshi realized what he had known all along, that he would protect this woman to his last breath. He had always loved her and had he not been so proper and honor bound in the past, he would have had her years ago. Had it not been for Kaoru catching Kenshin's eye, he may never have had this second chance.

Startled by his own thoughts, he abruptly ended the passionate kiss. Tomoe looked up at Aoshi with a puzzled expression. Her partner simply shook his head and turned from her. He needed to focus on what was important at the moment. That was getting Enishi out of the picture. And his desire for Tomoe muddled his thoughts.

"Enishi might have to be eliminated, Tomoe. Can you possibly live with that?" he asked, putting all his chips on the table.

Her answer came without any hesitation. "Hai."

"I have to be satisfied with that, I guess." Aoshi said.

"Trust me; you will be more than satisfied." Tomoe said, placing her arms around Aoshi.

Meanwhile, Enishi could see all that was happening, but he couldn't hear a damn thing. He didn't realize up until now how alike he and his sister thought. This house of hers, every house their father gave her, in fact, was heavily protected from spyware and gadgets. He couldn't get close enough to place anything near the premises. The best he could do with watch from a boat on the river, using his binoculars to spy on the intimate moment she was sharing with Aoshi. It burned him that he did not know what was being said. Instead of Tomoe being the most reliable piece on his chess board, she became the most unpredictable. What did this all mean?

"Take me back to the pier!" Enishi snapped at his boatman, and quickly the craft cut through the water and headed towards the shore. From the distance, he could see a figure near where he needed to dock. Just what was this?

::LL::

As Enishi's boat got closer, he saw it was none other than me, Kaoru, waiting for him. Dressed to kill in my pinstriped suit and an evil smile was upon my face, Enishi's expression changed from angered to interest.

I waited for him to undock from his craft before speaking, though the glances I shot him certainly said more than a mouthful. He walked towards me casually, a smirk on his face.

"If I didn't have such personal intimate knowledge, I'd swear you'd have balls the size of King Kong," he said jokingly. I knew he was trying to bait me, but I was well past all of that.

"Enishi, would you please follow me?" I asked politely.

He placed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to the side questioningly. "And just why would I do that?"

"I have some information that will be of interest to you," I said.

Enishi walked right up to me. He was domineering and very, very masculine. A slight shiver went down my spine. A visceral reaction to his evil, that's what I chalked it up to.

"Kaoru, are we not past these games? There is nothing you have that is of interest to me," he said, placing emphasis where he thought would bother me the most. My lips turned up to smile I knew he found infuriating. I took a step forward, making the distance between us non-existent. As masculine as he was, I was just as feminine.

"Are you so sure of that?" I purred. The look in his eyes told me that he wasn't. "I have a car waiting for us."

I turned and started walking down the pier, my heels making a hollow sound as the clanked against the wooden boards. I knew I was exuding confidence, a confidence I had not felt in a long while. A confidence I knew alone would intrigue my prey. As I predicted, he followed me the short distance to the black Lincoln MKZ. One of my favorite cars. I opened the rear door for him, and he slid across the leather seat. I joined him. The car began moving after I entered the vehicle and closed the door. After a short time, Enishi decided the break the silence.

"So, Kaoru, what is all this about? I must say with all the sneaking out and dodging my surveillance, I am surprised you have come to meet with me. What is this all about? What are you up to? If I know anything about you, I know you never move without a plan," Enishi mused. And he was right. I planned every move. Carefully.

"To be frank with you, this whole thing has gotten out of hand. Now, I know you targeted me for two reasons; my involvement with Kenshin and my client you so conveniently disposed of. But, you are hurting those around me. I cannot allow you to do that, Enishi. I think we can come to some sort of compromise, yes?" I asked my companion. I knew what his answer would be, so I wasn't surprised when he laughed.

"You cannot be serious, Kaoru. Certainly you didn't lure me into this car just to ask me that. But, let me correct something for you," he said as turned to fully face me. "While I do admit that taking away his mistress was part of the plan to break him, I toyed with you because it pleased me. I was attracted to you. I saw in you a fit partner. I actually did not realize you were in love with my sister's husband at first. But, you were in love with him, and my pride as hurt a little bit. What allure does that short bastard hold for women?"

It was my turn to laugh. I wasn't sure if he was trying to flatter me or insult me. No, he was just trying to distract me. Regaining my composure, I placed my hand in his leg and patted it.

"I will ignore the latter part of your speech, but as for me being serious, I am. I have it under the stricted of confidence that your sister does not approve of your actions and would use force to stop you. You don't want that to happen. You love your sister. Just as you love your sister, I love mine. I love Megumi as a sister. And seriously, what has Sanosuke done to you in the last decade…other than having been associated with me?" I asked as I leaned back a bit to get more comfortable. "I have researched you, Enishi. You are usually more methodical in your revenges. Why involve these people? I know you are upset, but I can forgive you."

I got an arching brow in response. I pressed onward.

"I can forgive you, if you simple leave us all be. My sister is hurt, but she will survive. Sanosuke will probably live a non-descript life. Kenshin lost his wife and his career is in jeopardy. But, most importantly, your sister is happy, for all she's unhappy with your actions."

Enishi appeared to give it some thought to my request, but then moved in a direction I did not really expect.

"You think I did all this for Tomoe?" he quizzed. "Hmm, you're not as smart as I thought you were."

I was shocked, but I did not let it show. I simply asked, "If you did not do this for her…then who?"

The man I was sitting next to sighed deeply, as if he were trying to explain something simple to a small child. He motioned his hands casually as he talked.

"Don't you remember what I told you after those first few days? You didn't believe me then and you don't believe me now, I see. Kaoru…I did it for you," he said with a sardonic grin.

"Nani…" was all I was able to muster. It truly made no sense. "But, I flat out told you that you couldn't expect me to want to be with you after all the havoc you wrought! Now you are telling me you thought the opposite?"

"Calm down. Even though you are ravishing when you are angry, you are not particularly rational. You can say I did it because of you. Well, I guess it is a little complicated…but I wanted to hurt you because you hurt me. I did like you. And Kenshin…I just hate him. I hate that he managed to get your love before I had the opportunity." he said in a way that suggested his actions weren't that big of a deal.

I didn't know what to say or think. Just when I thought I had everything figured out. Just when I thought I found the correct course of action, I find out this man's motivation was completely different than what we all expected. He wanted to hurt me because I didn't fall for him after a one night stand? Though he may not have known initially I loved Kenshin, I knew I told him. Maybe it didn't matter I told him. Maybe he decided from the moment he saw me that I would be his. Just as I decided when I first saw Kenshin he would be mine. The parallels were unnerving. Was it true he and I had more in common than I'd like to admit? The smirk on his face made me want to smack him.

"You are the single most infuriating man I ever met," I said, my tone angry and dangerous.

"And you are the most amazing woman I've ever met. What's sad is that you don't know your true worth quite yet. You think you do, but you have no idea," and before I could react, Enishi kissed me.

It was a forceful, demanding kiss. Caught off guard and in such a tight space, he pinned my arms to my side as he assaulted my body. I struggled against him. I found his kiss, his touch quite repulsive. I was internally outraged. How dare he think he could do this to me? But, my body began responding to his blandishments for some reason. I could feel the stirrings of desire in my belly. Why was my body betraying me? Did it remember the unbridled pleasure this man gave me once? Was I mad at him, or myself?

I found my lips parting for him. The shiver of disgust had turned into something in else. My mind was racing. It was as if I was caught in his web instead of the other way around. Haven't I been caught in his web since the moment I saw the glint of his glasses at the bar? Since I met Kenshin?

Kenshin.

Abruptly, the assault on my body stopped. Enshin's curious eyes glared at me, as if he sensed that I was thinking about Kenshin while he was trying to take advantage of me. Free from his touch, I was able to think and breathe again. I was ashamed of myself.

"I can't even for a second make you forget him, can I?" Enishi asked, his tone dangerous.

"You make me sick, Enishi. How can my mind stay on you?" was my retort. "Don't you have more finesse? One would think you wouldn't have to resort to rape to get what you want from a woman."

I paused to collect myself. I looked over at Enishi and his expression had changed little. He was ever sarcastic and sardonic. "I know this is hard for you, but let's stay focused. This is what's going to happen if you do not gain my forgiveness…"

"The plot thickens," Enishi mused.

"I'm going to level with you, Enishi. The more I think about it, the more I know you were right about a few things." I said.

"Oh really? And what was I right about?" Enishi asked.

"You were right when you said we had much in common a while back. My last name is not really Kamiya," I began. Enishi's expression did not change, so I continued. "Well, it is our mother's maiden name. Our father's last name is Kiosei. You are familiar with the name, yes?"

Dead silence.

How sweet was the sound! I basked in my triumph for a few moments as I watched the hatred stew within him.

"The Kiosei clan has been involved in the Yakuza for many generations. Mother and Father did not want us to be Yakuza, so when we were very little, my mother sent me and Missy to live with her sister and brother-in-law. Father said it was for our safety and no one must never know who were really were. Still we saw our parents almost every year," I explained.

The look on Enishi's face was priceless. His coloring had changed from ghostly white to red. His jaw tightly clenched, I wondered if he'd drop dead of a stroke or something. That would have made things oh so easy.

"In essence, I knew of you, but no real details. It wasn't until I was in law school I found out the whole truth. I kept it hidden from everyone except Missy. Megumi doesn't even know. Neither does Kenshin. But you forced my hand. I had no choice but to use my Yakuza connections. The driver here, Yahiko-kun, was sent here by my father. Yahiko's been a major help getting around all your surveillance and helped us get surveillance on you and your sister. He provided me with several small, undetectable bugs. I had one on me and I gave one to Aoshi."

Enishi was shaking from his fists to his toes, but I could tell he was trying to recover himself. A few moments passed and he has not said a word, the only noise being that of traffic and the road. Yahiko was just driving us around town. No special destination.

Yet.

"Your father..." he began. "Your father is Kiosei Masuda?"

"Yes," I said in a much-too-chipper tone.

"Your father…killed my father," he continued.

"Hai, Enishi," I replied.

Enishi was silent again, so I pressed on.

"Now, this can happen one of two ways. I know you won't like either choice, but that's not really my concern. You can go back to where you came from, and we will forget this whole thing happened. You will be forgiven and we will all live out our lives. You will not threaten me or mine, and I will not threaten you or yours. Essentially, we will have a truce between our two families. If you are bent on bringing us harm, well, then the death you will endure will make your father's look like a trip to the day spa. I imagine it was impossible to have an open casket, with him being drawn and quartered?"

I waited for his response. His face was eerily calm. Despite being off on his motivation for trying to ruin our lives, I was certain my approach to ending this battle was the correct one. I never wanted to reveal my true identity. The risks were grave for me and Missy. Our saving grace has been our relative anonymity. But Enishi would not take the threats of a mere lawyer seriously. I knew it would take a poker hand unlike any other. My father's name was a game winner.

"I will kill you," Enishi screamed, finally losing his composure. A vein throbbed violently across his temple, his eye nearly bugging out of his head.

"No, you won't. If I die, my father will know it was you. You will bring the wrath of my entire clan onto your head," I said with an infuriating calm. "However, if you die, who will it be blamed on? Aoshi? Sanosuke? O'Nelly's crew? I would be at the bottom of the 'People That Want Enishi Dead' list. No one knows who I really am, Enishi. You didn't even know."

Yes, Saitou was absolutely right. The tortured look on Enishi's face was too sweet for words. This wasn't the torture I had initially envisioned, but it was just as sweet. Toying with his existence, with his warped mind was more fun than I could have ever imagined. Watching the emotions play over his face was a revelation. Sadness. Anger. Frustration. Contempt. Hate. The one feeling I did not get from Enishi was resignation.

"I do not think I can play nice, Kaoru. We are true enemies now," Enishi said through grit teeth.

"A fact that no one needs to know. Can you imagine how embarrassing this whole situation would be if the truth were found out? You do understand the power my family has, do you not? I know you are used to doing exactly as you please, but I don't think that is an option for you. The only options you have are the ones I laid out for you. Now, for all I was raised as normal, Japanese-American girl, my education in self defense and weapons was not neglected. I want to see you suffer for moments on end then watch the life struggle to flee your body. I think you want to live, however."

I wasn't sure if I was hearing correctly at first, but the sound coming from Enishi was definitely a laugh. It started out very low, but soon burst into a display of hysterics. Yahiko had already pulled over into a secluded area and was ready to assist if the need arose. It would do no good to underestimate Enishi now.

"Now more than ever," he said between fits of laughter, "I think you are fit to be my woman. You are completely diabolical. I have underestimated that devil that lurks inside of you. You are Yakuza, whether you want to be or not. It is in your blood. It is who you are. Why deny it?"

"I am me, Enishi," I said simply.

The anger had seemed to leave him. He was once again his calm, calculating self. I wondered if I had succeeding in reasoning with the unreasonable. I hoped I had.

"I still want Kenshin to suffer," he whined.

"Trust me, he will not suffer over your death, because that is what you are choosing with your statement," I warned.

"You drive a hard bargain," he mused.

"Choose now, or I choose for you," I said tightly.

"You have already chosen, have you not?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that?"

Enishi shook his head. "No, I suppose not. But I do wonder how you think your secret will stay secret?"

"Your life depends on your discretion," I said gravely.

Enishi looked out the tinted windows of the car and into the night. The stars were just coming out. The location Yahiko stopped the car was near one of the dense parks in the area, so there were few lights to dim the twinkling orbs. Enishi was obviously thinking very hard. Hopefully, I thought, he'd make the right choice.

"I will agree to your terms," he said, finally. "However, if in the future your father makes a move against my family…"

"The same goes for you, Enishi," I said, interrupting him. "If you do more than think about harming my father, Kenshin or anyone else close to me, the gloves come off. I don't want that to happen any more than you do, but if it needed to be done, it will be."

"You are ruthless," Enishi said. Was that a twinkle in his eye?

"I am," I agreed. "Let me take you back to the pier before your henchmen get worried about you. If anyone asks, we were discussing the murder of O'Nelly and any possible role you may have played. I'm doing research for a pending civil suit."

Enishi smiled his sardonic smile. "Hmmm, think I could get you to be my lawyer?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Not a chance in hell."

Enishi shrugged as if saying I had to give it a try. We spent the rest of the drive in silence. Was it a comfortable silence? No. I'd say it was more contented, satisfied that there was nothing left to say. I had Yahiko drop Enishi off where I had promised. His limo was waiting for him. Enishi exited the car, giving me a barely perceptible nod as he did so. As I heard the door shut softly, I cheered on the inside.

I won. I, Kamiya Kaoru, outsmarted Enishi. I won. I won. I won.

Those two words echoed in my brain for what seemed forever. I watched Enishi step in his limo and the driver pulled off without pause. Yahiko, my driver, was waiting for his next order.

"Who should I see first, Yahiko-kun?" I asked him.

His soft brown eyes looked at me through the rear view mirror. "You should talk to Misao-chan first."

I arched my brow and smiled a bit. He wanted me to see Missy first, eh? I had seen the way he looked at her the few times they met. He noted to me how sad she seemed. I didn't feel it was my place to tell him all the details of what happened her and Aoshi, so I told him to talk to her himself. I had a strange feeling that he would.

"Alright, we will see Missy first," I agreed.

And when I told her the news, her sad face brightened considerably. She leapt over the coffee shop table and hugged me tightly. I returned the hug, comforting her as best I could. I knew she was very, very happy the whole ordeal was over. Luckily, there was no one but the shopkeeper and Yahiko there to stare at us, so our tears flowed freely.

We sat back down, regaining our composure. Missy wiped a couple of random tears away from her face, but she was smiling.

"What happens now, Kay?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked out the large-paned window. "I don't know. It seems I averted disaster just barely. I want to tell you again that I am sorry. I am sorry I got you caught up in this mess and that you got hurt."

"Me? I'll be ok. I think you owe Sano and Meg a huge apology…and an apartment," Missy laughed.

"Yeah," I laughed, "You are right. I have a lot to make up to them…to everybody."

There was silence for a few moments, then Missy asked, "What about you and Kenshin?"

"Go ahead and answer her. I'd like to know, myself?"

My head shot up and there was Kenshin standing before us. Without hesitation, I leapt into his arms and held him as if I would never let him go. I never wanted to let him go. I felt his hand caress my hair in a soothing manner and he begged me to stopped crying. Damn, I was crying again. I stepped back from the embrace and wiped my eyes as Missy had done just minutes before. Kenshin was looking so damn handsome, and happy. I was happy, too.

"Missy, I'm going to go talk to Kenshin. You don't mind if I leave you here with Yahiko, do you?" I asked my sister.

Missy looked stunned. You would have thought I asked her to be babysat by a wolf. Yahiko walked over to the little table and smiled at Missy. She had the decency to blush.

"Can I sit with you, Misao-chan?" the young man asked politely.

"Sure, Yahiko-kun," then she turned to me and said, "I'll see you later, Kay."

I nodded and with my hand in Kenshin's, we walked out the coffee shop.

"I'm glad you were successful," he said as an understatement.

"I still can hardly believe it," I said.

"And just exactly how did you achieve this impossible feat?" he asked, genuinely curious.

I smiled and said, "That is the only secret I will keep from you."

We continued on foot towards Downtown. It was a very long walk and by the time we reached the plaza that dipped towards the water, I had removed my pumps and my jacket. Kenshin was dressed comfortably in khakis and a white button-up shirt and was gallantly holding my discarded belonging. As we approached the railing on the Riverwalk, he placed the items on a bench and pulled me into his arms. The night air was warm, the breeze off the water, calming. He looked into my eyes, his violet ones filled with emotion…many emotions.

I realized at that moment that I could feel what he was feeling. I could feel his joy, his pensiveness, his anger and his love. It wasn't just that I was feeling the same things. It was that we understood each other. I loved him for him and he loved me for me.

"I signed divorce papers today. It was Tomoe that filed. Carter made everything push through at lightning speed," he said finally. His tone was neither happy nor sad. It was simply what it was. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but you were busy saving the world."

"So you and Aoshi…Tomoe and Aoshi…" I began. Kenshin shook his head, trying to find a way to explain it.

"Aoshi has always loved her. I pushed her into his arms. I can't blame either of them, and I won't. I messed up, Kaoru. I hurt her. I hurt my best friend. I put you at risk. I put our careers at risk. I am sorry. I am happy I found you, but I never wanted to find love like this," Kenshin explained briskly.

I put my hand up for him to stop. I knew if I hadn't he would have went on and on and on. I had to put him at ease. It was only fair and right.

"I messed up to, and you know it. Kenshin, the only thing I ask of you is that you put the Yakuza behind you. With O'Nelly gone and Enishi pacified, there's no need to go down that road again. I love you. I want nothing to happen to you. I want nothing to come between us ever again," I said, putting my head on his firm chest. I could feel his heartbeat. It was fast and rhythmic. He did not answer me immediately. He just held me, and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"Anything for you," he said.

"No, not for me. You have to want it for yourself, Kenshin," I said.

"Then for you, for me and our future," he said.

I looked up at Kenshin, my eyes twinkling. "And what does our future hold?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, you Devil in a Pinstriped Suit," he said with a smile. "But, I know my life will never be dull. You complete me."

And finally, slowly and surely, Kenshin brought his lips to mine and he kissed me. It was the sweetest thing I'd ever know. I ran my fingers through his uniquely red hair, urging him on in his passion, in his love. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, his fingers caressing me. It may have happened in the wrong order, but this was right. The demons lurking in my heart were finally put to rest, the painful memories finally just that. And as I felt butterfly kisses on my collarbone, my heart soared. I had Kenshin. I loved Kenshin.

I won.

The End

::ll::ll::

I want to thank each and every one of my fans for putting up with me all these years. From the bad grammar, to the sporadic updating, to the occasional filler chapters…this is been a wonderful eight years and I am so glad I was able to bring this story to a conclusion. I hope you enjoyed the twists and turns and much as I did. I will miss this version of Kaoru very much. She is near and dear to my heart. I assure you, she did learn her lesson, despite getting her way in the end.

I love you all.

~Sosoru