Summery: Kaoru is house sitting for Megumi while she and Sano are in or Rio on their honeymoon. The next door neighbor is not at all what Kaoru was expecting.

Disclaimer: I own two Kenshin figurines that I love very much. Everything else belongs to the creative genius of Nobuhiro Watsuki.

"Silence is so freaking loud"
— Sarah Dessen (Just Listen)

THIS TIME

"Okay, so the wet cat food is in the cabinet over the sink." Megumi flung the wooden doors open and passed Kaoru one of the pop-top cans. "They get one can a day, usually at night because it helps them sleep, accept on the weekends when I feed them four ounces of yogurt."

"Megumi."

" I usually put it out in a bowl on the tiled area in front of the fire place." She pulled a little glass bowl from another cabinet and placed it on the counter.

"Megumi?"

"Hikari is really shy so she'll probably hide from you most of the time." Megumi flung the curtains open and gestured to the backyard. "There's a catnip bush in the garden opposite the tomato plants – you can use that to make friends."

Kaoru glanced at the clock over the mantle and winced. "Megumi, I-"

"Sora is really curious and will probably take to staring at you from a distance until she decides you're safe." Megumi flitted across the living room, her bright red heals clicking on the wooden floor. She open a small chest next to the couch. "She's more toy oriented than Hikari and will probably play with you. She likes the blue and green jingle balls the best." She pressed the two tinkling cat toys into Kaoru's hand.

Kaoru tucked them back into the box when Megumi turned her back. "I got it. Don't you think-"

"And make sure to check their water and dry food levels in the morning and evening.
They should be at least half full. Do you remember where the dry cat food is?"

Kaoru nodded. "In the Tupperware bin right next to their dishes. But Megumi, the time-"

"Right! And the water dish is to be washed and refilled in the laundry room scrub sink. Not any of the others because the bacteria can create odors." Megumi ran manicured fingers through her glistening dark hair.

"Megumi?"

"The litter gets changed on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Make sure to double bag the plastic to avoid leaks and toss them straight into the bin outside when you're through so it doesn't stink up the house."

"Megumi!" Kaoru shouted.

"What?"

Kaoru spoke slowly. "Everything is going to be fine. You shouldn't worry. Besides you wrote all of this down for me in that five page narrative on the counter. I've got it covered." She took a deep breath. "But Megumi, you and Sano are going to miss your plane!"

Megumi gasped and spun toward the hall clock. "Oh, God!" She scrambled for her last bag as Sano strode in through the front door.

"The Taxi's loaded, Fox. Any last minute packing requests?" He noticed Megumi struggling with the straps on her travel bag and plucked it from her worrying hands. "I'll take that." He grasped he elbow and began gently guiding her toward the mid-day sunlight flooding in from the open door. "Everything's going to be fine, babe. Kaoru's got it covered." He said, repeating Karou's sentiment."

Megumi gripped his hand and nodded and looked at Kaoru. "I just feel like I'm leaving my children with you." She chuckled and then furrowed her eyebrows."And we won't have cell coverage all the time in Rio."

Sano rolled his eyes dramatically. "Not all the time, no. But we will most of the time. And if she has any urgent question she can just ask Kenshin."

Kaoru blinked, confused. "Who?"

"The next door neighbor." Megumi explained.

"Oh, you mean the one who's a widower?"

Sano grinned. "Yeah, he's an old buddy of mine. We go way back. He works from his home so he'll be around. Kenshin'll take care of you if you need anything. And I mean that. The dude's a saint." He made another attempt to pull Megumi outside. "Common, Fox. We're tight on time. Wouldn't want you to have to run through the airport in those pretty shoes of yours."

Megumi followed but was hurriedly spouting last minute instructions the whole way to the taxi - trash day is Friday, the back porch light stays on at night, the curtains get pulled during the heat of the day, ect., ect.

Kaoru nodded and smiled repeatedly in an attempt to reassure her friend. She walked out onto the front porch as Sano helped Megumi into the vehicle, placing his hand gently on the top of her head to keep her from hitting the doorframe.

Kaoru waved and call out, "Safe travels, you two! Don't let Megumi worry too much, Sano. You're supposed to have fun on a honeymoon!"

Sano chuckled and waggled his eyebrows. "Don't worry, little Missy. I have lost of ideas for keeping her occupied." He bent and kissed his new wife briefly.

Megumi spluttered and smacked him on the arm. "Just get in the car, you idiot rooster. We're going to be late." But Kaoru caught a small smile on her face as Sano pulled back and swung around to the other side of the taxi.

Kaoru couldn't help but smile herself as her heart melted at the little display. It was so good to see Megumi so happy. She waved once more as the doors of the taxi started shutting. "Bye. Love you both! Have Fun!" The yellow car rumbled down the street and disappeared around the corner. Kaoru glanced at her watch. That driver was going to have to book it.

She walked back into the foyer and shut the door on the hot summer afternoon.

The house was quiet.

So quiet.

Kaoru rung her fingers for a moment. And breathed in time to the ticking clock in the dining room: In, two three four – out, two three four – in, two, three, four – out, two, three, four. She jumped when in chimed on the hour, her heart leaping into her throat.

Right, then. That clock was getting turned off.

Kaoru lifted it off the wall and found a switch on the back to mute the sounds.

Oh, God. Now she could hear the house creaking.

It was just too quiet.

Kaoru strode over to the television and grabbed Megumi's house sitting instructions on her way through the kitchen.

"The remote in the living room is the only one you need for the satellite and TV downstairs. The two red buttons at the top center turn on the receiver and TV. Hit the "DVR" to see recorded stuff. Hit "guide" to see what's on TV."

Kaoru grabbed the remote on the coffee table and pressed the buttons as instructed. And stared, transfixed at the silent blue screen. The words "No Signal" marched mockingly across the top in canary yellow block text. Kaoru sighed, double checked the instructions and tried again. Same result. She powered off the system, dropped the remote onto the couch and scowled.

She was not calling them for this. And she definitely wasn't going to ask that widower neighbor.

What was his name? Kenji?

He was probably old and wouldn't even know what to do with all the buttons. Who in their right mind still watched TV anyway?

The house was still too quiet.

Kaoru huffed and marched out the back door where her car was parked to unload her things which would, hopefully contain a distraction. Kaoru liked noise. Her house was always noisy. Her father taught kendo in their family dojo and usually held two or three classes a day. Yahiko, her little brother, hadn't stopped making a ruckus since the day he was born. And the thin walls of their Japanese house had never offered much in the way of a noise reduction coefficient.

Megumi's western style house felt like a tomb by comparison. Everything was heavy, thick, and did I mention quiet. Kaoru couldn't even hear the birds chirping on the other side of the windows.

How in the world was she going to make it the full week without going bonkers?

Kaoru popped the trunk on her little blue four-door car and wrestled her suitcase out and onto the paved driveway. It was a monster piece of luggage. Kaoru herself could probably fit in the thing if she pulled her knees to her chest. And there would probably still be room for her computer and shoulder bag. Karou grunted and strained under its weight.

Now, understand, Kaoru was no weak little girl. Remember her father's kendo lessons? Yes? Well Kaoru was the assistant master to their family sword style. And assistant masters don't get to be assistant masters by sitting on their butts and painting their nails all day. She had worked hard, and had the sword swing to prove it.

Not that the monster suitcase cared. It pulled Kaoru sideways as she picked it up and wobbled toward the back porch, her opposite arm swinging in an effort to maintain her balance.

"Ever thought of investing in a rolling suitcase?"

Kaoru dropped the case. She gasped as it just barely missed her left toes.

The Interrupting voice continued. "Ah, I'm sorry, Ms. Kaoru. Are you alright?"

Kaoru spun around to confront the voice. It was probably a good thing she had already dropped her case, because she would have dropped it again if she could.

CHAPTER END

Mwahaha! And here, I leave you for now.

Reviews are love! ;)