Author's Notes: Here's Chapter 3, it's a little short, but that's the most I can do. Exams are approaching and I can't seem to find enough time to sit down and type out chapters. Anyway, it's Kaoru's turn to be OOC in this chapter. Just tell me if something doesn't fit, alrite guys?
Text in here are thoughts of the characters
Stuff in (brackets)is the author's opinion.
words in *here* are meant to be italicized(is that what you call changing to italics?)
and *~*~* denotes a change of scene.
+ stuff between ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ is flashback.
The Glossary of Japanese Terms is at the end of the chapter(although I'm not sure about some of the terms myself ^_^;;)

Chapter 3

"Oi, busu!" shouted Yahiko right into Kaoru's ear.
"What? Ouch!" Kaoru scrambled awake, only to get tangled in the sheets, fall back down and hit her head. She grimaced in pain and stared at Yahiko threateningly.

"How are you, busu?" grinned Yahiko.

Kaoru squinted at him,"Do I know you, baka-chan?"

"Huh?" Then it dawned on him that she had called him an idiot *and* a kid.

"How many times do I have to tell you, DON'T CALL ME CHAN!" Yahiko screamed in fury. He started pommelling her, but she caught and twisted his arm until he yelped in pain.

"Tell me who you are." she said in a low and dangerous voice,"before I break your arm."

"What the-- oww! Stop! I'm Myoujin Yahiko, now leggo of my arm!"

"Oh... so you are the one everybody calls 'Yahiko-chan'? Yahiko glowered at her but nodded, as she had his arm firmly in his grip and she sounded like she *would* break it at a moment's notice and without any mercy.

She scrutinized him for a moment longer, then let go of his arm. Yahiko cradled his arm next to his heart.owwww Kaoru silently and grimly got up and started rolling up the futon.

"Think of that as a lesson never to enter someone's room without their permission."

"Hai!"

Now go out please and stop standing there like an idiot."

"H-hai!" Yahiko scampered out.

"What the hell is wrong with Bu--, Kaoru today?" Can't even call her busu now, she's too scary....

"What happened Yahiko?" Kenshin was raising an eyebrow at hearing Yahiko's remark.

"Kaoru isn't herself today. Do you know she actually threatened me?"

" Oh that." Kenshin smiled at Yahiko. "She's bound to act different now."

"What?" Yahiko screamed. Then a thought entered his mind." Hey, have you two been thinking of plans to make me 'good'? I'm telling you, it won't work!"

Kenshin smiled at Yahiko's naivity. "Yahiko that's not what I meant. You remember Kaoru hit her head, don't you?" Yahiko nodded. "Well, she's lost a little of her memory. She doesn't remember anything that happened for the recent two years. She doesn't remember you. And that headache she has probably made her irritable too."

Yahiko stared with his mouth open. What's Kenshin saying? How can it be? "Masaka..." he murmered. "Masaka...." He didn't like this new Kaoru, this new Kaoru that brought fear to him. He loved the old Kaoru, even though he called her names. He loved her as an older sister, as a mother, even. What if she kicks me out? He was terribly insecure about this. He didn't want to go back to a life on the streets like before. Yahiko hastily rubbed his eye to disguise a tear that was forming.

"Yahiko...?" Kenshin looked down on Yahiko with big, purple concerned eyes. He must be thinking about Kaoru. Poor thing, he must be confused. "Why don't you go and think about it, Yahiko-chan?"

"Th-thanks." Yahiko ran away. Kenshin looked at him. He must be really upset, didn't even notice that I called him -chan.

When Yahiko was gone, Kenshin headed towards the riverside.

*~*~*
At the riverside....

Kenshin was sitting in his favourite place for concentrating. Seated comfortably on a log on the riverbank, he thought back once again to what happened last night.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

"I'm sorry Kenshin, I didn't want you to feel like that. Gomen ne, I wasn't thinking about how you might respond." Kaoru had then taken his hand in her own slim hand.

"Ie, Kaoru-dono, daijobou." Kenshin had forced out an answer from his dry throat. He knew it wasn't alright, but he was used to disguising his real feelings. Kaoru had given him another one of her brilliant smiles in return.

"Let's talk about some more cheerful things shall we now? How about you tell me about Sano and the others? I have a feeling that he hasn't been telling me the whole truth...."

~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Kenshin smiled. He had enjoyed telling Kaoru all about the new people in her life. He had enjoyed hearing her soft 'goodnight' when he had made her go back to bed after seeing her stifling yawns. Life was just the same, Kaoru was still the girl he loved. He was still unworthy of her, no, even more so. He would not ruin her life by making her love him, and he would tell her that they weren't getting married. We aren't in love. But why did his heart jump to his throat whenever he thought that?

He smiled sadly and got up. It's time for breakfast.

*~*~*
the dojo again...

"Oro?!?" Kenshin's eyes bulged out. He had just rounded the curve leading to the dojo. Thick white smoke was billowing out of the kitchen. Guess Kaoru-dono's making breakfast he thought with a big sweatdrop.

"Kenshin, come quick! Kaoru's planning to murder us all!!" Yahiko shrieked at him. His terrified expression told it all. Mass genocide was coming their way.

"Looks like Tanuki-chan has been concocting another one of her poisonous brews." Megumi's familiar voice said over Kenshin's shoulder. She smiled at him."Just passing by to make sure everything's fine." She looked towards the smoke swirling towards the sky like white dragons. "Correction: she's concocting the *vilest* of her brews."

"You *have* to save us." Yahiko pleaded. "I'd rather *die* than eat her food."

"Either way, Yahiko, you'll die." She then headed towards the kitchen, with Kenshin close behind.

Kenshin gasped at the sight that was in front of him. Is this a kitchen or a warzone? Kaoru was ina raging temper, and dumping everything she could into a big pot. The said pot was bubbling over with some thick brown liquid that had a very strong smell and made Kenshin's eyes tear. Curiously, Kaoru was not being affected and was now stirring the contents violently.

"You ****ing lettuce! Won't agree to be chopped up, will you? Well, how about a hot oil bath?" Kaoru savagely hurled a lettuce head into the frothing mixture in the pot. Kenshin winced. He almost felt sorry for the lettuce. He glanced at Megumi. She also had a sorry expression.

They watched in stunned silence as Kaoru maliciously mutilated a tomato, and then showered it with pepper, and finally subjected it to torture in the pot. Grinning evilly she sharpened a butcher's knife, and prepared to chop a radish. Is it me or is that radish trembling de gozaru?

Oh my god, this cruelty *has* to be stopped immediately! "I can't bear this, even vegetables are living things too!" burst out Megumi.

"Huh?" Kaoru glanced at the two people standing at the kitchen doorway. "What did you say?" she inquired.

"Uh, Kaoru-dono, this is Megumi-dono, the doctor who treated your head." Kenshin said to Kaoru, trying to change the subject, while grabbing away the half-cooked fish she was going to add in the pot.

"Oh, so you're Megumi-san." Kaoru wiped her hands on her apron and and smiled pleasantly. "Won't you join us for breakfast? I've cooked --"

"Megumi-dono had given strict orders that you were *not* to enter the kitchen, Kaoru-dono." fibbed Kenshin. That poor, poor food!

"Why?"

"Umm, it's not good for your health." Kenshin nodded vigorously. "It may give you a head-ache, you know."

Kaoru looked at Megumi quizzically for a moment. Kenshin spoke before she could,"Let me cook the rest of the breakfast Kaoru-dono. Why don't you go with Megumi-dono?" Before this kitchen is branded as a execution room

Kaoru sighed."I *was* getting a head-ache actually. Maybe I should keep out of the kitchen until I get better."

"Do just that and *everything* will be fine." Kaoru nodded in assent. Leaving the kitchen to Kenshin, she followed Megumi out.

Kenshin gave a sigh of relief. With a big grin on his face, he went and dumped all the contents of the pot Kaoru was cooking in, and watched merrily as the liquid vanish down the drain, bubbling and frothing madly. Three lives saved today.

*~*~*

"I can't believe we actually have a woman doctor here, Megumi-san." Kaoru said, as Megumi gave her a check-up.

"Japan is finally becoming more modern, isn't it?" Megumi agreed with Kaoru. I can't believe we are having a nice, quiet conversation. We havn't fought over Kenshin even once these last fifteen minutes.

"So, Megumi-san, tell me what kind of person my fiance really is."

"Hmm?" OH yeah, Sano had told her what he had done She put away her instruments. "What do you mean, Kaoru?"

"He's told me all about the others, but he never really says anything about himself." She paused. " He is hiding *something. Something he won't tell me, because he's afraid to."

Megumi sweatdropped. This girl has incredible intuitive power "Maybe you should ask him. Draw it out slowly from him."

"You are *so* right, Megumi-san."

It was getting *very* uncomfortable for Megumi. Is this how she would treat me like if I didn't hang all over Kenshin? Like a respected big sister? She gave a thin smile. I'm going to puke if she compliments me once more.

"You know, Megumi-san, you are really beautiful."

"Uh, let's finish with the compliments ok?"Megumi tried to dissaude Kaoru from saying anything more.

"But Megumi-san--"

"Breakfast's ready!" Rang out Kenshin's cheerful voice.

"Oh dear, I forgot, umm, I have to go! I, umm, I have... an appointment! Yeah, musn't keep patients waiting right? Sayonara!" Megumi scrambled to her feet, and grabbed her instruments.

"I'm sorry, I really have to go," she said breathlessly. She then walked off rapidly.Hah, didn't let her get a chance to ask me to stay! Megumi, darling, you really think fast!

Kaoru gazed at Megumi running off,"I wasn't actually going to *force* her to stay...."

*~*~*end of chapter*~*~*

Glossary of Japanese Terms
...de gozaru: Kenshin's style pf speaking, it's kinda like a spoken full stop.
Nani: What
Busu: ugly, Kaoru's alternate nickname
-dono: Kenshin's old-fashioned honorific, kinda like a Mr./Mrs./Ms.(i.e. Kaoru-dono translates to Miss Kaoru)
Hai: Yes
Ano: Umm
baka:idiot (i.e Kenshin no baka is Stupid Kenshin)
dojo: place for learning kendo/japanese swordfighting
oro: Kenshin's style of saying ara, kinda like huh?
kimono: Japanese outfit
hakama: loose flowing pants that are worn with a short jacket on top called gi.
Kami-sama: god
Kitsune: fox, Megumi's nickname
Jo-chan: Little Missy, Kaoru's nickname courtesy Sanosuke
sayonara: goodbye (duh)
Konnichiwa: hello, said after ten until before evening sets in
ie: no
Daijobou de gozaru ka: are you alright? Kenshin style
Tanuki: Raccoon, yet another one of Kaoru's nicknames
I-te: Ouch! a variation of ita-i/pain
Masaka: It can't be! (I think...)

Yeah, I know the part about the 'massacred vegetables' was silly. But this is supposed to be a funny fic after all….
Umm, next chapter in a few weeks. I know you guys are patient (rite?)