DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin and Rurouni Kenshin characters are exclusively owned by Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shueisha, Sony Entertainment, Jump Comics and associated parties. Please note, this is purely fiction and for entertainment purposes only. This story is not meant for sale or profit.


Author's Notes: This is my first Alternate Universe Fanfic about Kenshin and Kaoru falling in love during modern times. It's not your typical love story and it is OOC. (Drama/Angst/Romance) Fatal Love Fanfiction by Gypsy-chan Enjoy!

Please Note: This story was not written to offend those in the medical profession or in the law enforcement field. It was written from my over-active imagination. The characters, the characters in various professional capacities and the events in this story should not be taken literal in anyway. OOCness and unethical practices will prevail throughout this story. Thank you and Enjoy! ^_^



FATAL LOVE
Part Eighteen



Kenshin eyes were fixed upon the floor. Kaoru looked at him and whispered, "What's the matter?"

"I just found the missing drugs," he replied in an undertone. "Someone has hidden them in the detergent boxes."

Suddenly Kenshin and Kaoru heard a loud noise. BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! Kaoru became nervous upon hearing sounds of prisoners shouting and seeing guards running through the area with their guns out. One guard shouted, "LOCK DOWN! LOCK DOWN!!"

"Oh my god," gasped Kaoru as she held on to Kenshin tighter. "Don't worry Kaoru, I promise to protect you," said Kenshin. "No matter what happens, I will never allow anyone to hurt her."

********************************

As the chaos continued to spread throughout the section, Kenshin and Kaoru were crouched down in a dark corner of the laundry room.

"I want you to stay hidden here while I search for a way to get you to safety," said Kenshin as he continued looked around them.

"No, I'm coming with you Kenshin," stated Kaoru.

"It's too dangerous for you to be seen with me. Many prisoners use riots as an opportunity to get even with the guards and other prisoners. I can't protect you if you are with me."

"I can take care of myself," she replied firmly.

Kenshin sighed as he looked into her determined face and said, "I'm worried for you Kaoru. If anything should happen..." before saying anything further, Kaoru put her fingers over his lips while saying,

"Trust me Kenshin, I'm not some helpless female. I really do know how to fight and protect myself. My father was the master of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and I am the assistant master of Kamiya Kasshin. I would have become master in my family's techinque had it not been for my father insisting that I go to college.

Before my mother died, she made my father promise to send me to college. They both wanted me to be successful in life. After my father died, I lost interest in becoming master of Kamiya Kasshin. So I sold our family's dojo to a good friend of my father's and moved into the city. Even though I don't practice as much as I use to, I still know how to defend myself. That's why I'm coming with you Kenshin."

"Alright," he replied noting her determination. "But you must promise to stay close to me."

Kaoru nodded. Kenshin peeked around the storage cabinet and whispered, "I think we can make our move soon. Be ready to move on my mark."

"Right," she answered in a hush tone. As Kenshin continued looking around, Kaoru quickly scanned the corner before finding a long slender wooden object sticking out of the bottom of the cabinet. She looked down and notice that it was the handle of a mop. She quickly unscrewed the mop head while thinking, "This can serve the purpose of a bokken. Now I'm ready for action."

As Kenshin stood, he motioned for Kaoru to follow him. Before leaving the room, Kenshin saw someone approaching them. He turned to Kaoru and whispered, "wait for me here, it looks like the person coming has a gun in his hand."

Kaoru nodded and waited in the room. While peering cautiously through the crack in the door, Kaoru quietly watched as the man coming up the hallway confronted Kenshin.

"Well if it isn't Kenshin Himura," smirked Chou Katanagari as he neared Kenshin. "From the look on your face, I guess you never expected to see me again."

"I thought that you were in the witness protection program after having cut a deal with the SEC," replied an astonished Kenshin. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking care of business. You see, after the government finished using me, they dumped me in here like a hot potato. But that was all part of Shishio Makoto's plan."

"What are you talking about? Shishio Makoto is dead," replied Kenshin as he eyed him suspiciously.

"That's what I wanted everyone to believe," said a voice coming from behind Chou.

Kenshin's eyes widened as he saw Shishio Makoto and wife Yumi coming from out of the darkness of the corridor.

"Im... pos.... sible!" stuttered Kenshin. "How can you be alive? The police found your body..."

"Correction... the police found a body. Not mine," grinned Shishio. "My trusted assistant, Soujiro Seta arranged everything for me. After I hired you, it freed Soujiro to take care of my "personal" business. He collected voluntary donations from some of my "clients." Many cooperated. The ones who refused, contributed in a different way. Their bodies were placed in my home and set on fire. By the time the police and fire department arrived, they found the remains of two men and a woman there. Naturally, they assumed that the bodies in the ashes belonged to my wife, Hoji and myself."

"I see," replied Kenshin as he held his head down. "So, I was your "fall guy" in this whole little scheme of yours."

"Yes, and you played your part very well," smirked Shishio. "Join me Himura. I intend on bringing a new order to the corruption found in this government."

"And how do you propose to do that," asked Kenshin.

Shishio grinned wickedly before answering, "Chaos. That's right. Chaos is a means to bringing order. By paying off some governmental flunkies, I've been "allowed" to distribute counterfeit money and tainted drugs on the streets. Very soon, the people will lose faith in our government. They will be in an uproar when their children die from the tainted drugs. And the stock market will plummet with all the counterfeit money floating around. People will panic, causing total chaos. Then I will take my rightful place in government, disposing of the flunkies. Chaos. Is always the means to the end."

As Shishio laughs manically Kenshin angrily replied, "You're a madman Shishio Makoto."

"Madman? My husband is not a madman," responded Yumi. "He just wants to bring order to this chaotic society we live in. Isn't that right darling," she asked while planting a kiss upon his lips.

"To sacrifice the lives of young children by giving them tainted drugs is sickening. It's true that our government may have its flaws, but that is no reason to plunge the society into violence to achieve your selfish goals."

"I see you have forgotten all that I have taught you," remarked Shishio. "Haven't you learned by now that only the strongest survive? I would have assumed you learned that in all your years of prison. I heard about how you made a name for yourself when you first entered prison. I guess you've become soft after all those visits to the prison's shrinks."

"Shishio, let's leave this dreadful place," said Yumi as she took her hand and began fanning it in front of her nose. "I hate this foul odor."

"You should get use to that smell my dear," grinned Shishio. "The stench you smell is actually the smell of sweet success."

"You're right my love," smiled Yumi as she rested her head upon Shishio's shoulder. "How could I be so foolish not to recognize the sweet smell of your future victory."

"So have you decided to join us Himura?"

"No!" stated Kenshin. "I will have no part of your wicked deeds Shishio Makoto!"

"I see. So, if you are not with us, then you're against us. Take care of him Chou," said Shishio while looking over his shoulder to Chou. "Prove you are worth having on the payroll. As for me, I have a ship to catch. Hoji should be bringing our vessel to port by now. Don't keep me waiting Chou."

"Won't take me but a minute to finish him off," smirked Chou as he watched Shishio and Yumi walk down the corridor from the corner of his eye. He then turned his full attention to Kenshin and said, "So, I get to eliminate the great Kenshin Himura of the Kyoto prison. It's too bad I won't get to fight you. The boss is in a hurry, so I got to do this quick."

Kaoru watched in horror as Chou pulled out a gun aiming it directly at Kenshin.

"Say goodbye Himura," smirked Chou. Before he could pull the trigger, several men spilled out into the corridor fighting with one another. They bumped into Chou knocking him to the floor, causing his gun to fall out of his hand. Kenshin seized the opportunity by jumping on top of Chou and began wrestling with him.

Kaoru gripped her make-shift bokken into her hands. As she went out to assist Kenshin, she was pulled back by a forceful hand. She swung her make-shift bokken at the person, but the person easily evaded her attack.

"And just where do you think you're going.... Dr. Kamiya?" asked Kamatari Honzo.

Kaoru's eyes widened at Kamatari as she stuttered, "How.... how do you know who I am?"

"I recognized the faintness of your perfume," smiled Kamatari. "I rememebered smelling it during a brief session we had over a year ago."

"Kamatari, you don't have to get involved in all of this," suggested Karou. "You should go back to the women's prison."

"There's nothing back there for me," replied Kamatari as he positioned himself in front of Kaoru. "The time has finally come where I can join Shishio again."

"Why? Why would you want to jeopardize your whole life for someone like that," asked Kaoru.

Kamatari smiled and replied, "I should be asking you the same question. Why are you jeopardizing your career by coming into the worst, all male section of the prison, dressed as a man?"

"That's none of your business," fumed Kaoru. "I'm the one asking the questions around here, not you!"

"Are you too ashamed to admit that you have a lover in here?"

Kaoru glared at Kamatari without responding.

"Well if you won't tell me about your lover, I'll gladly tell you about mine. You see, I'm in love with Shishio Makoto. Everyone knows that. My love for him surpasses that of his wife Yumi. He has given me a job and I intend on carrying it out. I'll do anything for Shishio, even kill you if I have too," said Kamatari as he slammed his long metal pipe into the bottom part of Kaoru's make-shift bokken. As her weapon breaks, Kamatari laughed while watching her regain her position.

"Your efforts are futile!" he mocked. "You'll never beat me with a broken mop handle."

"That's where you're wrong," stated a determined Kaoru. "You under estimate my abilities. You only know me as a psychiatrist. I am also the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. I've been trained in the art of Kenjutsu and Jujitsu."

Kamatari smiled and motioned toward Karou saying, "Then come closer and show me what you got."

As she neared him, Kamatari swung his metal pipe high. Kaoru dives under his attack while striking him in his kneecaps. Kamatari buckles over from Kaoru's attack falling to the floor. As he tried to sit up, Kaoru balled both fists and delivered a blow to his head, knocking him unconscious. After making sure that he was unconscious, she rushed toward the corridor to find Kenshin still wrestling with Chou.

Chou had gotten Kenshin in a choke hold. Kenshin used his elbow to jab Chou in the ribs. As Chou grimaced in pain, Kenshin took the side knife-edge of his hand to strike his neck knocking Chou out.

Kaoru smiled as she approached Kenshin and said, "I see you know some Jujitsu too. That looked like the Shuto."

"Yes it was Shuto. I learned a little Jujitsu during my first years in prison," he replied. "You have to learn how to fight without weapons in here."

Kaoru nodded and then said, "Which way should we go now?"

Kenshin stood and looked around before saying, "Let's try going to the left. It doesn't seem like too much is going on in that direction."

As Kaoru and Kenshin proceeded down the corridor, Kenshin bumped into a tall man. The man punched Kenshin in the face yelling, "Watch it buddy! Or I'll.... Hey.... wait a minute.... is that you Kenshin?"

"Good to see you Sano," replied Kenshin as he rubbed his reddened cheek.

While helping Kenshin up, she glared at Sano and yelled, "Why don't you watch where you're going you idiot!!"

"How was I suppose to know where you guys were. I've been looking all over for you two. You okay Kenshin?"

"I'm fine," smiled Kenshin. "We must hurry and get Dr. Kamiya out of here."

"Right. I know a short cut. You guys follow me," said Sano as he lead the way down the corridor. As they rounded the corner, there stood a tall muscular man with tattoos of skulls on his arms, a shaven head and dark painting around his eyes blocking their way.

Kaoru gasped upon seeing the tall grimmacing looking man and asked, "Who is he?"

"His name is Anji Yuukyuzan," Sano bluntly replied. "He's my good-for-nothing half-brother. You two get out of here. I'll deal with him," said Sano as he glared at Anji. Kenshin grabbed Kaoru by the hand and took her down the dark hallway.

Anji shook his head at Sano and said, "I'm really disappointed in your choice of jobs... little brother. You know how much I hate all forms of authority and yet you get a job working with the enemy."

"Well excuse me for trying to make an honest living," retorted Sano. "I've heard about all your dirty works in the underground. You turned out pretty rotten yourself for a former monk.... big brother."

"Those days are over," stated Anji. "I've finally found a way to get my revenge against the government. If it weren't for their stupid laws, mother and our younger siblings would be alive today. I will never forget what happened to them, but I see you have."

"How dare you say that Anji! I haven't forgotten my past," yelled Sano. "I hate the government as much as you do, but there's other ways to deal with the government. What you're doing is wrong!"

"It may be, but that doesn't matter now. I have a job to do," replied Anji as he raised his fist toward Sano.

"So do I," replied Sano as he clenches his fists together preparing to fight Anji.