A/N I have to say that I have never gotten so many reviews in such a short notice! THANK YOU!

**::special thanks to a certain unnamed reader and marstanuki::**

Please check the first chapter to see what italics, bold, and underlines mean ;)

Truly, Madly, Deeply

Sano and Yahiko wandered into the Akabeko, Tae came up to serve them.

"Where's Kaoru-chan?" Tae asked realizing that without Kaoru, she would not be paid for the food OR her services.

"She's being held under house-arrest." Sano mumbled while poking at the table with the preset chopsticks.

"Her ex-fiancé came and kicked us all out, I'm living with this jerk now." Yahiko added while trying to blink back tears, "Why didn't you just beat the guy to a pulp?!" He glared daggers at Sano.

"Look, I told you kid, it's not my battle to fight. You can fight him, Kaoru is basically your big sister after all, and Kenshin can fight for her, she's his crush and fiancé-to-be. But it just isn't Megumi's battle to fight, or mine in that case. If anything, Kaoru needs to beat him off herself, if only Kenshin was still here."

Tae looked on with watering eyes, she dropped the pot she was holding in her hands and ran off into the kitchen to find Tsubame. And then after informing Tsubame not to charge Sano for the food, ran off for the dojo.

"What's up with her?" Tsubame came up to Yahiko. And received a similar story, "Kaoru's ex-fiancé came home and waited till Kenshin left for Kyoto, and then he hit her on the head and knocked her out, and then he told Megumi and Sano to leave and never come back. And then he kicked me out too. Lucky Sano was waiting for me." Yahiko slammed his fist down on the table. "IT'S NOT FIAR!! Why did he have to kick ME out?"

"Shhh…. Yahiko, please don't attract to much attention." Tsubame looked around and smiled at the other visitors of the restaurant that had turned to see what all the yelling was about.

"Yahiko, did you get a look at how strong he himself was when he first found you in the house?"

"No, he just told his henchmen to start beating me up." Yahiko looked spiteful. "Probably too weak to actually do something to me himself."

"No." Sano looked grim, "I saw what his muscles look like, he's strong, stronger then me. You saw how long it took Kenshin to take me out. This fight will be a difficult one."

"Maybe we should go get Aoish and Misao? And get Kenshin on the way, he'll be certain to stop by and see them if he's in Kyoto. I just don't think that Kaoru will be able to stand his treatment."

Sano nodded his head, and got up. "Tsubame, thanks for putting up with us, but don't bother with the food, we need to go see Megumi, and all three of us will come back later." With that Sano strolled out the door.

Tsubame looked at Yahiko and winked, "Don't worry Yahiko-chan, you'll save Kaoru-san, I just know you will." Tsubame turned on her heal and walked back into the Akabeko without another word.

~~~

I hope everyone is ok, I feel terrible about lying to them about where I'm going, but if I told Kaoru that I was going to say my farewell's to Tomoe, she'd get upset, and she'd also get ideas about why I'm going…Kenshin kept thinking thoughts upon thoughts. He had a nagging to go back, I don't like that Yukio, he seems somewhat ruthless, and perhaps it was a bad idea to leave them all. But Kenshin brushed off his thoughts and continued to walk towards the direction of Kyoto, meaning to take a detour to Tomoe's grave.

~~~

"Kaoru-san! Kaoru-san!" Tae was knocking on the front door of the dojo, no answer. Finally she heard some movement from inside. The door opened and Kaoru came out onto the porch. She looked awful, she had bruises all over he body, and Tae could make out some dry blood on the side of he head. But despite the painful look, Kaoru smiled and looked so happy to see Tae.

"Tae-san, what are you doing here?" Kaoru's voice was a hoarse whisper.

"I heard what happened to you," Tae whispered in return. "How are you holding up?"

"I'll survive, I just wish Kenshin was here, Yukio is sleeping his hang-over off right now…" Kaoru trailed off sadly looking behind her as she thought she heard some movement in the house.

"Oh Kaoru-san!" Tae whispered even more quietly, "Sano and Yahiko feel so helpless, they are talking about going off to find Kenshin, Aoish, Misao-chan to bring back enough strong people to save you from this monster."

"Tae-san, please, go. I don't want him to find you here, he's a very strong man, he's gotten even stronger since the war, I don't want anything horrible to happen to you."

"Kaoru-san, maybe you should run, now, while he's sleeping! Hide in the forest somewhere, we'll take care of you. Please, I can not bear to see you like this." Kaoru just shook her head,

"Running will only piss him off, he'll find me, a-and…" Kaoru couldn't hold back tears anymore. She started sobbing, "Please just get Megumi to go to the police, and get a warrant for his arrest or something…" Kaoru looked pleadingly at Tea, just then the heard moaning coming from the house, and with a final farewell, Kaoru ran inside to find out what was wrong.

~~~

"Megumi, we've gotta do SOMETHING!" Yahiko was loosing patience, Kaoru was in there being beaten to a pulp by some guy, and all they were doing about it was talking calmly as if they were choosing a kimono dress for Kaoru's birthday. At least they were finally sitting at the Akabeko and eating for the first time since Kenshin's breakfast. 

Just then Tae ran into the Akabeko looking ill and disgruntled. "You have to hurry and save her! He's beating her! And she was bleeding! She needs medical assistance! And he needs to be arrested!" Tae broke down into tears and summed up what Kaoru had told her.

TBC…..the next chapter will be pretty long;) I hope everyone liked….