A/N: Whatever.

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They walked in relative silence, Kenshin munching quietly on a blueberry muffin, but Kaoru was too nervous to eat anything. So she kept her head down, and her hands swung softly by her sides. He looked at her, almost not daring to take his eyes off of her. Presently, he finished his muffin and felt almost like he couldn't keep it down. It was so scary for Kaoru, so it was scary for him.

He slipped his hand around hers so gently that she didn't feel it at first. When she did finally begin to feel it, her eyes welled up with tears and she spoke quietly.

"I wish you didn't have to. . ."

"But I do have to. And I'll be fine," he squeezed her hand a little to let her know that he was being honest. They'd slept in so long that they would get out of town just barely on time. She didn't know how she had ever felt so gorgeous the night before, when she felt so lost now. Under the warm sun and shade of rows of trees hidden behind fences, she felt it was a hideous day. Even though it looked so beautiful.

"But, he got us here, what else could he do?" she sighed and gritted her teeth in frustration. He didn't see it like she did. He didn't worry like she did. She squeezed his hand a little to let him know how worried she was.

"I can take care of myself. It's you that you should be worried about. This is the place, all we can do is wait." They arrived in a very small park that looked more like a dark backyard with a few benches. It didn't seem a very popular place. Kaoru decided to sit down, but Kenshin followed, not letting go of her hand, setting his bag down.

Shy tears fell down her face as she sat, and Kenshin took her face in his hands, wiping them away. He turned her face upward toward him and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He then left her quickly, without warning, and drew his sword our of his book bag sitting on the ground, standing protectively in front of her.

"Touch me," he said quietly to her, and she knew why. She stood up and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, close to his neck. Her hand felt so girly and weak there on his shoulder, but he glanced at it once with some unreadable emotion on his face that she knew had to be love.

Weak and tired-looking, Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi walked forward out of the shadows. Behind them was a tall, powerful-looking man with black hair and glowing eyes. His posture was calm, relaxed even, and the sword in his hand was long, dull, and beginning to chip from overuse.

"Just as I thought. . . you're here," his voice was low and somewhat frightening. Kenshin wasn't afraid, but his eyes looked as though they were glinting with specks of amber. He was ready to fight.

Megumi, Sano, and Yahiko walked quietly to the fence at the edge of the park, and Kenshin motioned for Kaoru to do the same. She had barely taken three steps away from him when the two leapt at each other with crazy speed. Kaoru heard the clash of swords and the battle cries, but didn't look behind her.

They ran and hit, ran again, hit again. It was a crazy dance of passion, anger, strength, brutality. . . Kenshin caught the unknown villain at a weak spot, hitting him in the back.

"What's your name?" Kenshin demanded, the anger inside getting the better of his voice.

"My name is Tenma," he said darkly, and the dance began again. Kaoru bent her head low trying not to listen to the sounds enveloping her.

It seemed unlikely that Kenshin could hold on much longer, for all that he was panting. He had tiny cuts all over his body, and his Sakaba wasn't doing that much against Tenma. He looked so worn.

Then it happened, one miss of Kenshin's blade and Tenma's own sword was pointed, almost touching is throat.

"You have one wish, then we'll start again," Tenma wanted to take his time and energy on Kenshin. He was beginning to feel tired as well, but he wanted to lengthen it for as long as possible.

"Let them go home. I will fight you better when they aren't here."

Kaoru's heart stopped beating for a moment, then tears came fresh. Without her, what if no one could stop him from turning Hitokiri? She didn't know how to cope.

With one hand, Tenma threw some kind of powder into the air, chanting in an undertone. Presently there opened a portal, a tear in the sky, in space, like the one that had brought them there. Sano, Yahiko, and Megumi said their good lucks and walked reluctantly, but Kaoru stood there, not wanting to move.

"Kenshin, I can't leave you! What if. . .?" her voice went quiet, and tears fell harder down her face.

Kenshin felt his heart tearing into tiny pieces, he was once again the cause for her tears. "You have to go, Kaoru. And I'll never leave you. My feet know the way home."

She picked up his book bag and left without another word, and he was left there to start the madness again. He just hoped he'd have enough control to keep his promise to Kaoru.

* * * * * *

In their own time, their own Tokyo, it was raining. No one seemed to be out, and they made a mad run to the dojo, hoping no one would see them in their crazy clothes. Sano stayed close to Kaoru, he could tell it was deeper than they thought.

Later that night as Kaoru went off to bed, Megumi and Sano stayed up. "What do you think happened?" Sano asked.

"Kenshin's not like you. Nothing bad. I just think she's worried is all."

"That's not what I meant. She just seems so terrible. Don't tell her I said that."

"Maybe it is deeper."