Theme: Honor

Theme: Honor

Setting: Reverse Arc

Pairing: KK

Warnings: None

Notes: Dedicated to kokoronagomu.

Words: 1,747

26. Honor

What followed was akin to cool water on a hand that has skimmed a raging fire. Raw wounds were being closed instead of covered, and for the first time, Kaoru began to really relax. It was frighteningly easy to pretend that they were married, so much that a part of Kenshin wanted it to be real. It was a simple relationship, where she would hold his hand as they shopped in the markets and he would help her climb the steeper paths to their cabin.

They had braved the desert, and here was the oasis.

"Kaoru?" A hoarse voice rang through the room. Kaoru jerked from her dreaming, and saw that Kenshin was out. That's right, he'd told her he was leaving and she'd complained of not feeling well...

"Uncle?" Her vision sharpened and she recognized the hunched man before her. "I thought you were dead!"

"No, child." He laughed, resigned and tired. "I am still alive. I'm working for the Shogunate now. For your father..."

"For Father? He was killed quite a while ago, Uncle."

"Not as long as you think. He was killed two months after you took p working in the inn."

She didn't think to question how he knew anything. She just accepted it. "Killed/ By whom?"

"Battousai. Don't be afraid, Kaoru, I made sure he was gone before I came to see you. I watched it happen. He begged that hitokiri not to kill him, pleaded on your behalf...and was slain in cold blood." He paused, letting that sink in. "He must not realize you are his daughter, otherwise...who knows what he would have done to you by now."

"But...but...why didn't he...if he was alive...?" Kaoru couldn't understand i.t Her beloved father, her idol, pretending to be dead while his daughter fled the city? It made no sense.

"He was captured and taken to Kyoto. Then he escaped. Kaoru, I cannot stay too long. I only came to inform of his death, and to ask you...the way to kill Battousai."

"The way...to kill...him? How would I know such a thing? You know that my father disliked murder above all, Uncle."

"All men have weaknesses, child. You might have discovered his. Until he is dead, I will never have peace...not after watching the monster drive his blade through my brother's heart!"

"If I find a weakness...what should I do?" She said the words slowly, trying them out. Something in her chest rebelled against the idea of hurting Kenshin, but another screamed for revenge.

"Send me word. Address your letter to me. We have agents who will insure I receive it. Goodbye, my niece."

"Goodbye...Uncle...oh, Father..."

--

"Is something bothering you, Kaoru?" Kenshin asked at dinner. She picked listlessly at her fish, the image of Kenshin killing her father flitting through her mind. Was it possible? Ridiculous as it sounded, she trusted him. Assassin or not, he made her feel safe, and alleviated her loneliness. Every part of her rejected the idea of him harming her father, or herself...

"I was just thinking...about my father." She said suddenly. There was only one way to know. "Did you kill him?"

Kenshin froze He had thought her parents had died in Tokyo, not here...had he ever killed anyone who might be related to Kaoru. Her racked his too-clear memory, but could find nothing. "I don't know. I don't even know your surname."

"It's Kamiya." She said, reaching out to touch his hand. She wanted him to say no so badly.

"I've never had him as an assignment, then." He answered shakily. "Was he a good swordsman?"

"He abhorred war. He was much better with a wooden sword than a steel one."

"I've never had to fight someone with a wooden sword."

"Have you ever killed someone who begged you to spare him because he had a daughter?"

"No."

"Never?"

"No." She started to cry wit relief, or maybe uncertainty.

"I thought- I really thought..." She flung herself at him, and he was holding her before he could even blink. "My uncle, he was here, and he said that you'd killed..." She was crying in earnest now, tears leaving wet spots on his clothing. He held on tighter, as if he could squeeze the sadness out of her.

"Your uncle? How did he find us?" Something she had said stuck out at him. "No one knows we're here but Katsura and Iizuka..."

"I don't know...I didn't think to ask. He said he's working for the Shogunate now."

"The Shogunate...dammit. This could have been a ploy...did he say anything else?"

"He...he asked me how to kill you."

It was as he had first suspected when she'd mentioned this uncle. There was only one reason to tell Kaoru he'd killed her father if he hadn't actually done it. To get her to hate him. "And?"

"And what?"

"How do you kill me?"

"I don't know...he said if I discovered your weakness I should send him a letter..."

"I see." Kenshin said evenly. Someone was plotting his death, with the help of an inside agent. He didn't know who, but the odds pointed to either Iizuka or Kaoru. He couldn't count her out, because she was in the best position to kill him. He trusted Kaoru, after all; and he couldn't stand Iizuka. "For now, forget about it. And avoid Iizuka in case he's a spy."

"A spy. You think he's...no, you think I'm..."

"If you were plotting my death, I would already be dead. You've had plenty of opportunities..."

"Liar." Kaoru whispered, hands, fisting in the fabric over his shoulders. "Are you going to kill me now?"

"As if I could." Kenshin replied, pressing his nose into her hair. "As if I could."

It was too late now; he was in too deep to even think of being away from her.

--

"Did you deliver the message?"

"Yes. She believed me, alright. Her father was her idol."

"And did she tell you the weakness?"

"She says she doesn't know, but I think once it hits her she'll respond well enough. I expect a message in the next week or so."

"And if there isn't one? Himura has a way with that girl. She could confide in him, try to trick him, to confirm your story."

"She thinks he murdered her father in cold blood while he begged for his life! I doubt she'll say anything. Her manner will be odd. Then she'll start trying to weasel his weakness out of him. He'll see this as typical womanly behavior, or affection towards him."

"And if she does confide in him? Or if she sees through your sad story? You won't be paid if she decides to stick it out with the hitokiri."

"Kaoru is strong-willed, but is ruled by her heart, not her head. You know everything- naturally you think logically. She'll see nothing but her dead father overtime Battousai blinks."

"I hope you're right; without his weakness killing him will be impossible."

--

"Kenshin..." She shifted on the futon, looking at the sleeping figure beside her. Was he actually asleep? She was shocked; she had assumed he would revert to sleeping against the wall as soon as she fell asleep. Maybe he was as tired as she. Flushing, she shook her head and leaned over him. "If only you could look this relaxed when you were awake."

"How can I when every five minutes you start crying?" He replied. She jumped back, unbalanced, and toppled onto her back. He got to his feet, in one fluid movement, and turned to look down at her. His smile wasn't quite free of some dark element, but it was a thousand times lighter than before. "The garden needs work today. Can you stand?"

"Why wouldn't I be able to?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow, and she shook her had again to hide her reddened face before hurrying to dress. "I'll hit you!"

But he was already out the door, tending to the vegetables. They grew quickly, and she hoped they could harvest them soon. They would need a lot of food to survive the winter.

Struggling briefly, she changed and hurried outside. "Are they ready to harvest? The woman in town mentioned snow soon..."

"They're ready. There's enough for the winter, but we should go into town today anyways, if there's really snow coming."

"Do you think it will last?" When he turned to face her, radish in hand, she continued. "This...us...together...do you really think it will last? Or are you going to kill until you..."

"You won't accompany me back to Kyoto?"

"Of course I will, but..."

"I don't know what I'm going to do when we return, Kaoru. All we can do now is try and survive until they send for me."

--

"I thought you said she would send in a week's time."

"She has to find his supposed weakness first, and that means she has to get close to him. It's difficult."

"They've been involved for almost a year now. How long does it take to seduce one assassin?"

"The first snow is falling. I can visit again and ascertain they're all happy and cozy."

"Hurry. We need to attack before someone discovers our plans."

"Is there a traitor within?"

"A traitor within traitors- how poetic. It's him- the one I mentioned earlier. There's no time. Lure her away n the early morning. I'll tell Himura his sweetheart betrayed us all, and see how he reacts. If he's heartbroken, I'll tell him to go after her and bring her back. If not, I'll offer him the chance to kill her himself. He'll take it. He worships Katsura."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

--

"Kaoru? Kaoru, my child. How are you doing?"

"Well enough." She bit her lip shyly, hoping he wouldn't notice her pained expression and praying Kenshin was nearby. "Uncle..."

"The Shogunate has ordered Battousai killed tomorrow morning." He said abruptly. His demeanor was suddenly colder. "Contrive some way to meet me in the morning."

"But-but-" Kaoru stumbled over the words. She couldn't just stand by, sneak off, and let Kenshin get killed!

"Have you discovered his weakness yet?"

"I-I don't know- Father..." When in doubt, pretend to grieved, right? At least, she hoped. If he thought she was distraught, he might let alone or give her an extension. Long enough for her to get away or at least for Kenshin to escape...

"Tell me tomorrow, then. If you do not come, you will be killed as well."

--

Cliffhanger! Review, or else...I'll update anyways?

Review! ...from the procrastinating chickentyrant5.