It was late in the afternoon the next day, almost 24 hrs. since Kaoru
last talked to Kenshin.
"I love her", the words echoed through her head. She heard right. He loved
someone else? Had he also had another lover that he failed to tell her about?
She was surprised enough when she found out about Tomoe. She found it hard that
a Hitokiri could actually find a love life.
She had been delving into her thoughts at the shore of the lake. 7 years
earlier, Kenshin had told her, in this same spot, the one thing she thought
could have caused her so much grief. It was almost the same.... the fireflies
casting their tiny green glows on her navy blue kimono.
"Where's the Jo-chan I missed so much?" A comforting hand rested on her
shoulder.
She hadn't heard those words in a while, especially being called "Jo-chan".
"Sanosuke..." a small smile appeared on her face, but she refused to turn
around. She didn't like others to see her cry, especially those close to her.
She felt weak, helpless. She could never find anyone that could really comfort
her the same way her father did.
"Sshh. The brat told me the whole story."
"Yahiko..." she groaned.
"Don't worry. He's the one who sent for me. He knew that you would want someone
to confide in."
Even though she still hasn't turned to face him, she knew he was scratching the
back of his head, the usual sign of being embarrassed and feeling out of place.
"Sanosuke? Wanting to comfort me?" She wiped her cheek with the heel of her
hand, smiling sadly.
"Give me a break will ya?" He placed his arms over her shoulders, pulling her to
his chest. "Just hush." She felt his chin rest on top of her head. Maybe she
couldn't confide in anyone as she could with her father, but here were people
that cared for her, who wanted her to be all right.
Like brothers.
But what was Kenshin to her now? She didn't want to think about it...not for
now.
"You know...sometimes you do assume a bit too much." Sanosuke smirked, knowing
that maybe he should be ready for a pummeling.
But she wasn't in the mood today. "Assuming?" she said, pulling away a bit so
that she could get a look at his face, a face that she hadn't seen in a while.
"Yeah. What about the time he came back with chain marks around his neck? Or
when he got that letter to lure him away from the dojo?" He knew she had no
answer, as she had assumed the unlikely at those moments in time.
She playfully hit him in the arm. "Alright! You've made your point!" She
chuckled; glad to get rid of this depression, even if it was for only a while.
After confessing her own feelings to Sanosuke about the incident, she was
surprised by the expression on his face.
"What's wrong? You look like you hadn't heard this before...." Kaoru asked with
a raised eyebrow.
"Well" he swallowed hard. "I didn't...not exactly. Yahiko didn't go into all the
details. But the fact that he said, "I love her", Kaoru?" He shook his head in
disbelief. "There's no way Kenshin would two-time you like that. Besides..." he
chuckled. "He's not that stupid to go and do that, with the probability of you
finding out." He coughed muffling the rest of his words, "Not with the kind of
pummeling you dish out."
Kaoru decided to hold back her temper for that comment...that would just lead to
unnecessary subjects and they would stray off-hand. "So what do you think I
should do?"
"Talk to him, stupid! Have you even asked him what relation she is to him?"
Sanosuke crossed his arms, his tone becoming serious.
"No... but wasn't Tomoe his own relation.....? She...was...? Right?!?" Her eyes
flashed towards Sanosuke, hoping that somehow he could give her the answer she
wanted and needed.
"Well, you didn't even know he had a relationship before he told you, no?"
"And he told me eventually!" Her eyes were full of hate. Kenshin had betrayed
her again. "Again?" she thought. "No... he didn't betray me...he did what he
thought was best so as to keep me away from anymore pain that came with being in
company with the famous Hitokiri."
Even Sanosuke was surprised at the hate that he saw in her eyes at that moment.
Hate? For the Rurouni?! From Jo-chan?! He quickly dismissed the thought from his
mind. "So you're going to talk to him?" ".... yes." Kaoru lowered her head,
fearing what words would have to come from Kenshin's mouth to explain this
recent visitor, and his connection to her.
"Cheer up, Jo-chan." Sanosuke gave her a comforting pat on the back. "Even
though he might tell you something you don't want to hear, he's with you now.
I'm sure it's a connection from his past...Kenshin wouldn't dare love 2 women at
one time."
Kenshin pressed a cold damp cloth to the young stranger's head. Many thoughts
passed through his head.
"Where've you been these many years?"
"You've grown so strong."
He managed to get a glance at the scar over her left eye. "And it looks like
you've managed to..."
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door behind him sliding open.
He knew who it was...and he was ready for answers. He cursed himself as he
turned to face the one person...the LAST person...he wanted to hurt. He didn't
want to hurt another person that he felt so deeply for.
"Kaoru, I..." But he was cut off.
"Kenshin..." Kaoru sat quietly and easily beside him. She glared down at the
young girl, seeing the uncanny resemblance between the 2. She took his hand
between hers, placing them on her lap. She smiled to herself, thinking back on
all those times they held hands...how wonderful it was to feel the strength in
his nimble fingers...to feel like the strength was flowing into her whenever he
held her close...
She bit her lip, forcing her mind back to the predicament at hand. "Who is she,
Kenshin? Why did you say you love her? Was there someone...during your ten years
of traveling alone...?" He stared back at her, surprised at her question...even
more surprised that she even got herself to even ask that question. And yet, it
almost felt like deja vu...that moment when he finally told her his past
relationship with Yukishiro Tomoe...
He took one quick look back at the girl, and then placed all of his attention on
his wife. "Kaoru...you need to forgive me first for not telling you the full
story. I'm sorry." He turned his body so that he was now facing her full in the
face. He rested his other hand on hers, knowing that once again, he would have
to tell her something that he shouldn't have hid in the first place. Feeling
almost sick with grief, he rested his forehead down on her hands.
"Of course I can, Kenshin." Kaoru managed to maneuver her hands from under his
head without disturbing him too much, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to
comfort him. "You're my husband." Little did they know that their little visitor
had woken up.
"Father?"
last talked to Kenshin.
"I love her", the words echoed through her head. She heard right. He loved
someone else? Had he also had another lover that he failed to tell her about?
She was surprised enough when she found out about Tomoe. She found it hard that
a Hitokiri could actually find a love life.
She had been delving into her thoughts at the shore of the lake. 7 years
earlier, Kenshin had told her, in this same spot, the one thing she thought
could have caused her so much grief. It was almost the same.... the fireflies
casting their tiny green glows on her navy blue kimono.
"Where's the Jo-chan I missed so much?" A comforting hand rested on her
shoulder.
She hadn't heard those words in a while, especially being called "Jo-chan".
"Sanosuke..." a small smile appeared on her face, but she refused to turn
around. She didn't like others to see her cry, especially those close to her.
She felt weak, helpless. She could never find anyone that could really comfort
her the same way her father did.
"Sshh. The brat told me the whole story."
"Yahiko..." she groaned.
"Don't worry. He's the one who sent for me. He knew that you would want someone
to confide in."
Even though she still hasn't turned to face him, she knew he was scratching the
back of his head, the usual sign of being embarrassed and feeling out of place.
"Sanosuke? Wanting to comfort me?" She wiped her cheek with the heel of her
hand, smiling sadly.
"Give me a break will ya?" He placed his arms over her shoulders, pulling her to
his chest. "Just hush." She felt his chin rest on top of her head. Maybe she
couldn't confide in anyone as she could with her father, but here were people
that cared for her, who wanted her to be all right.
Like brothers.
But what was Kenshin to her now? She didn't want to think about it...not for
now.
"You know...sometimes you do assume a bit too much." Sanosuke smirked, knowing
that maybe he should be ready for a pummeling.
But she wasn't in the mood today. "Assuming?" she said, pulling away a bit so
that she could get a look at his face, a face that she hadn't seen in a while.
"Yeah. What about the time he came back with chain marks around his neck? Or
when he got that letter to lure him away from the dojo?" He knew she had no
answer, as she had assumed the unlikely at those moments in time.
She playfully hit him in the arm. "Alright! You've made your point!" She
chuckled; glad to get rid of this depression, even if it was for only a while.
After confessing her own feelings to Sanosuke about the incident, she was
surprised by the expression on his face.
"What's wrong? You look like you hadn't heard this before...." Kaoru asked with
a raised eyebrow.
"Well" he swallowed hard. "I didn't...not exactly. Yahiko didn't go into all the
details. But the fact that he said, "I love her", Kaoru?" He shook his head in
disbelief. "There's no way Kenshin would two-time you like that. Besides..." he
chuckled. "He's not that stupid to go and do that, with the probability of you
finding out." He coughed muffling the rest of his words, "Not with the kind of
pummeling you dish out."
Kaoru decided to hold back her temper for that comment...that would just lead to
unnecessary subjects and they would stray off-hand. "So what do you think I
should do?"
"Talk to him, stupid! Have you even asked him what relation she is to him?"
Sanosuke crossed his arms, his tone becoming serious.
"No... but wasn't Tomoe his own relation.....? She...was...? Right?!?" Her eyes
flashed towards Sanosuke, hoping that somehow he could give her the answer she
wanted and needed.
"Well, you didn't even know he had a relationship before he told you, no?"
"And he told me eventually!" Her eyes were full of hate. Kenshin had betrayed
her again. "Again?" she thought. "No... he didn't betray me...he did what he
thought was best so as to keep me away from anymore pain that came with being in
company with the famous Hitokiri."
Even Sanosuke was surprised at the hate that he saw in her eyes at that moment.
Hate? For the Rurouni?! From Jo-chan?! He quickly dismissed the thought from his
mind. "So you're going to talk to him?" ".... yes." Kaoru lowered her head,
fearing what words would have to come from Kenshin's mouth to explain this
recent visitor, and his connection to her.
"Cheer up, Jo-chan." Sanosuke gave her a comforting pat on the back. "Even
though he might tell you something you don't want to hear, he's with you now.
I'm sure it's a connection from his past...Kenshin wouldn't dare love 2 women at
one time."
Kenshin pressed a cold damp cloth to the young stranger's head. Many thoughts
passed through his head.
"Where've you been these many years?"
"You've grown so strong."
He managed to get a glance at the scar over her left eye. "And it looks like
you've managed to..."
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door behind him sliding open.
He knew who it was...and he was ready for answers. He cursed himself as he
turned to face the one person...the LAST person...he wanted to hurt. He didn't
want to hurt another person that he felt so deeply for.
"Kaoru, I..." But he was cut off.
"Kenshin..." Kaoru sat quietly and easily beside him. She glared down at the
young girl, seeing the uncanny resemblance between the 2. She took his hand
between hers, placing them on her lap. She smiled to herself, thinking back on
all those times they held hands...how wonderful it was to feel the strength in
his nimble fingers...to feel like the strength was flowing into her whenever he
held her close...
She bit her lip, forcing her mind back to the predicament at hand. "Who is she,
Kenshin? Why did you say you love her? Was there someone...during your ten years
of traveling alone...?" He stared back at her, surprised at her question...even
more surprised that she even got herself to even ask that question. And yet, it
almost felt like deja vu...that moment when he finally told her his past
relationship with Yukishiro Tomoe...
He took one quick look back at the girl, and then placed all of his attention on
his wife. "Kaoru...you need to forgive me first for not telling you the full
story. I'm sorry." He turned his body so that he was now facing her full in the
face. He rested his other hand on hers, knowing that once again, he would have
to tell her something that he shouldn't have hid in the first place. Feeling
almost sick with grief, he rested his forehead down on her hands.
"Of course I can, Kenshin." Kaoru managed to maneuver her hands from under his
head without disturbing him too much, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to
comfort him. "You're my husband." Little did they know that their little visitor
had woken up.
"Father?"