Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki Nobuhiro, Shuiesha, Shounen Jump, and Sony do.

Mail Order Bride

Chapter Two: A New Beginning

By: omni82

Kaoru didn't want to wake up. And she wouldn't if the sun hadn't nudged its way past the arm draped across her eyes and into the dream pervaded with laughter, smiles, and a mysterious man with sad eyes and a cross-shaped scar.

But the sunlight did intrude and, disoriented and dismayed, Kaoru came fully into consciousness not in her home in Boston but in a quiet room on the prairie. She should have been alarmed at the unfamiliar scene. She should have been momentarily afraid of being alone but she wasn't. In fact, she felt safer than she had in months. Past uncertainties melted away with the remnants of her dream, leaving the Boston miss ready for her first day of married life.

Leaping out of bed was the first mistake of the day that would turn out more than its share of disasters. Her brain immediately registered the shock as her naked feet hit the icy floor. It was cold in here! The first order of business would be to get a throw rug to place on her side of the bed. She didn't understand how her husband could stand getting out of bed in the morning, especially since he slept in the nude…

Kaoru wanted to clap her hands over her red cheeks. She had to stop blushing! Maybe if she conditioned her mind to accept the new facts of her life, she would stop turning red at every thought that crossed her mind. All she had to do was figure out what embarrassed her and quit thinking about it.

To start with, she had a husband. No blush. He was very handsome. A small blush. He liked to sleep without a stitch of clothing on and had hands that tended to wander when he slept. Hands that did naughty, delicious things to her… Blush.

Sighing, Kaoru pulled on her plainest dress and warmest stockings. The man to whom she was wed was nothing but a mystery. They barely spoke at all yesterday. What she knew of Kenshin Himura could fill a thimble. He said he wanted children yet he had made no claims to her body last night. Was his gentlemanly nature true or did he also feel uncomfortable knowing so little about her? Kaoru had given little away in her letters, besides her basic situation. Kenshin had asked for no further explanation and she had offered none. If only her very proper acquaintances had the same courtesy.

The excuse she used for moving out west to marry a stranger was that he offered Yahiko and her security. But that wasn't what drove her at all. Initially, it was the desire to get out of Boston, to escape the knowing smirks and pitying glances of her friends and enemies alike. Kaoru may have ended up destitute after her parents' unfortunate death, but she still had her pride. Better to start anew than to live on the charity of the gawking onlookers in her life.

Yes, Kenshin Himura's letter had been like divine intervention at a time when she most needed it. He had not cared that she came with a younger brother. He loved children and that was why he was looking for a bride. Women were scarce in this part of the west, he wrote, and ones of child-bearing years even scarcer. He wanted a sons to inherit his ranch. A man can only live so long without a woman's touch and, by the sound of her letters, Kaoru was the perfect woman to step in and fill the role. She could give him strong sons and he could give her the desired security and the adventure of her life.

But being safe from poverty and drudgery wasn't her sole motivator. Kenshin had struck a chord deep inside of her with his description of prairie life. She wanted adventure, a life fraught with excitement and challenge. That, Kaoru knew, could not be found in the staid drawing rooms of Boston's high society. What she wanted was the freedom of the open plains where hard work and self-determination went hand in hand.

Kenshin's reasons for marrying her were as sensible as hers yet Kaoru somehow suspected he had a stronger motivation. Those sad, amber eyes were just a glimpse of the untested depths of the man she had married. Somehow, she couldn't quite believe him when he said that children were his only motivation for marriage. A marriage, it would seem, based on practical needs and desires. Too bad Kaoru wasn't a practical woman, but a passionate one. The key to her happiness would be whether or not she could unlock Kenshin's hidden, fiery nature.

And given the state he had left her in last night with just a few smoldering glances, Kaoru was optimistic about her happily ever after.

She floated into the kitchen, her mind once again drifting to kisses and a pair of deceptively sleepy amber eyes. Not even the accumulated grime of God knows how many years put her entirely out of the romantic mood. As she mused before, she was a passionate woman. But luckily she was a passionate woman who could focus that energy into the task at hand. This house needed a few feminine touches. But before that could happen, she would need the strong back of her young slave -- er, brother. Yes, her brother would definitely be needed to do some of the heavy work around here.

Finding Yahiko proved to be a problem. Last night, he had been whisked away by that tall foreman, Sanosuke. Kaoru searched every room of the house but the closest she came to locating her brother was turning up his coat from under a bed. They had been here less than a day and already his belongings were everywhere. Thank goodness that the sudden change of scene hadn't affected him detrimentally.

When male voices and laughter floated in through an open window in the kitchen, Kaoru went to it and peered out. To her left, she saw a corral with several men surrounding it, one of which was her husband. These must be the hired men who worked here. Yahiko was probably with them; she had heard him asking about horses yesterday. Now seemed like the perfect time to introduce herself to the people who worked for her husband.

Kenshin tried not to stare as Kaoru trotted outside. God, she was pretty. Her bright smile invoked answering ones in all of his men who gravitated toward the new Mrs. Himura like moths to a lantern. Kenshin tried to suppress his jealousy as Kaoru greeted each man and shook their hands – sometimes twice as they kept offering them.

But when offers of marriage started coming, Kenshin decided his men had had enough.

"She's taken," he growled, hitching a possessive arm around her thin shoulders. The men laughed but Kaoru just stared at him. Where had that come from?

"Have you seen Yahiko?" She queried, slipping from Kenshin's grip.

If Kenshin was disappointed, he didn't show it. "I saw him around here this morning. Sanosuke, where's the boy?"

"I dunno," Sanosuke shrugged. He was the foreman, not a damned babysitter.

"He could be lost or hurt! We have to find him." Kaoru pleaded with her husband, her doe eyes filled with concern.

"We will. Look around; he probably isn't far." Kenshin ordered.

And Yahiko wasn't far. He was, in fact, just yards from the group. The muddy ground of the corral squished unpleasantly under his boots but the boy ignored it. Yesterday, Sanosuke had showed him a horse, a half-wild stallion, that the men intended to break in the next day. Yahiko had begged to help but his new friend had laughed. The foreman insisted that Yahiko was both too small and too green to help. Hell, Sanosuke drawled, he'd never even get close enough to touch the beast. He'd wet himself in fear first.

"Yahiko Kamiya is afraid of nothing," the boy whispered intensely as he neared the skittish animal. The stallion's nostrils flared and he began prancing away. Persistently, Yahiko followed the horse, wanting not only to touch it but to ride it. Sanosuke would eat his words!

"Come here, you dumb horse." Yahiko commanded as he walked the stallion into the far corner of the corral. If he could just climb up on the horse's back, he'd prove to everyone that he wasn't some kid.

But when the horse reared, sharp hooves flashing, Yahiko began to get a sinking feeling that maybe he was in over his head.

Everyone's attention turned to the corral as they heard his shout. Yahiko managed to dodge the stallion's first strike but the horse was quick. As the young boy rolled out to his knees, the fierce beast rose again and this time there was no way Yahiko could escape certain death on his own.

Kaoru screamed when she saw her brother's narrow miss. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as the horse descended a second time. The men were running for the pen but none of them would be able to make it in time. Falling to her knees, she watched with undisguised horror as the animal struck.

"No!" Sanosuke cried.

"Kenshin," Kaoru breathed.

Kenshin had seen the boy dodge the stallion and had started running. He was fast; everyone in three counties knew that but he wasn't sure he would be fast enough to save the boy. It never occurred to him not to shield Yahiko with his own body as the hooves lashed out. Kaoru and her brother were family now and Kenshin always took care of family, even if it meant he would get hurt.

And it hurt.

"Kenshin," Sanosuke cried again. With a strength Hercules would have admired, the tall foreman grabbed the stallion's halter and pulled the half-crazed animal from his best friend. Two other men ran over and took the horse from him so Sanosuke could help their boss.

"Sano…" Kenshin coughed. His friend winced as blood marred the dark earth wear the rancher lay. Yahiko's eyes were wide with horror and he tentatively shook Kenshin.

"Don't die. Don't die!" He screamed, visions of his parents overlapping the fallen Kenshin.

The boy was shaking violently by the time Kaoru vaulted over the fence. She wrapped her arms around her brother and kissed the top of his head before handing him off to an elderly cowboy behind her. Her first duty was to her husband.

Running her hands delicately over bruising flesh, Kaoru didn't shy away from the injuries she found.

"Sanosuke, carry him gently into the house. Put him on the bed," she called as she hurried to keep up with his long strides.

Kenshin groaned but didn't open his eyes as Sanosuke tenderly laid him out as directed.

"Go get me warm water and bandages," Kaoru directed another cowhand, this one a slight young man whose innocent face was better suited for a smile than the frown he now wore.

"What do you want me to do, missy?" Sanosuke asked, turning his wide-brimmed hat over and over in his calloused hands. Kaoru spared him an encouraging smile when she saw how worried he was for his friend and boss.

"We have to take his clothes off." She told him with just the barest hint of a blush. Sanosuke immediately complied, happy to have something to occupy his hands.

The young man returned with the bandages and water. Dampening one of the cloths, Kaoru dabbed at a particularly nasty cut on Kenshin's forehead. "It's going to need stitches," she said. "I'll need a needle and thread."

"Do you want me to stitch it up for you, missy?" Sanosuke inquired. "I do most of that kind of doctoring around here."

One of the men snorted. "Yeah but Sano's got the hands of a cowboy and I got the marks to prove it." The brawny fellow rolled up his shirt sleeve to present a nasty scar that ran from wrist to elbow. From ten feet away, Kaoru could seem the uneven marks that the needle left. The idea of leaving such an ugly track of scars on her husband's remarkably handsome face left her shuddering.

"No thanks. I've had plenty of experience with stitches. I want to help Kenshin, not disfigure him."

The men laughed and the tension in the room eased considerably. Sanosuke smiled good-naturedly. He was used to being the butt of jokes.

Kaoru talked as she worked. "I did a lot of volunteer work at the hospitals in Boston," she told her captive audience. "It behooved me to learn the practical skills of nursing so I could help and not hinder." So she was babbling, so what? It kept her hands steady and the men were attentive.

It took only four stitches to close the wound but each time she had to pierce her husband's flesh was one time too many. Two broken ribs and some nasty bruises on his back accompanied the four stitches. In took Kaoru three tries to properly bind Kenshin's chest. Sanosuke propped him up as she worked.

"He's going to be in a lot of pain when he wakes up." She said, wiping the sweat off her brow.

"But he will wake, right?" One of the cowhands asked. Kaoru smiled at him.

"Yes, he will wake." She assured him.

Yahiko listened outside the door as the men cheered. Kenshin would live and he was glad but the only reason his new brother-in-law got hurt was because of him. If he hadn't been so stupid and irresponsible, none of this would have happened. Maybe it would be best if he left. Dispiritedly, the boy went to his room to pack.

Inside the bedroom, the men were jubilant that their boss was going to live. Kaoru lost count how many times she was kissed. Sanosuke had taken to swatting the men away as they thanked their new mistress.

"Go, get out!" The foreman eventually bellowed. "Do you think the boss will like it if he wakes up to see you fools kissing his wife?! Get your asses back to work!" The men filed out, their glee unfettered by Sanosuke's affected wrath.

"Pardon my French, missy." Sanosuke apologized as he backed out of the room. "I'll take care of the place; you take care of Kenshin."

Kaoru nodded.

Sano paused in the doorway, hesitant to leave without putting her mind at ease. "Kenshin -- he's a tough guy. A little thing like this won't kill him after surviving all that he did in the war." Gently, he shut the door behind him.

Kaoru returned her attention to her husband. He was resting now but it was uneasy. Injuries like this were painful. Placing a cool compress to his head, she tried to provide whatever comfort she could.

In his sleep, Kenshin was less forbidding but just as fascinating. Kaoru couldn't believe her luck. She had married a kind, brave man who was chivalrous and dashing. He saved her brother. He gave her his word that he would leave her be for a month. But as he lay sleeping before her, Kaoru found she couldn't leave him be.

Kenshin awoke at the first touch of shy fingers against his chest. His head was throbbing and it hurt to breathe but if his bride decided that now she was ready to be bold, he could oblige. He bit back a groan as her fingers traced circles around his nipple.

Kaoru thought he might have a fever. Kenshin was just so hot. His skin was warm to the touch and his face looked flushed. His breathing had quickened, making her wonder if perhaps he was dreaming.

When she stopped her idle playfulness, Kenshin's eyes snapped open. He didn't want her to stop.

"Kenshin, how do you feel?" Kaoru asked anxiously. The way he was staring at her wasn't…proper. She had to clear her throat a few times as her breath caught. Really, she was no swooning schoolgirl but instinct told her that if she let Kenshin act on that look, that would be exactly what she would become.

Oh, but to see the thought running through her head now, Kenshin mused. Kaoru looked both aroused and indignant and he hadn't done anything to her. When the month was over, Kenshin decided that his first move would to be to see how far down she blushed. But for now, he would just have to be content to admire it.

She wanted to ask him again if he was in any pain but when he clutched her hand and pulled her firmly to him, Kaoru's mind shut down.

Cupped her face in his hands, Kenshin pressed his lips to hers. Kaoru didn't pull away but melted into his embrace. A firestorm of desire raced through his body as she became pliant to his touch.

Leaning over him was becoming more and more difficult as Kenshin's tongue danced wicked circles around hers. Sensing her need, Kenshin smoothly pulled Kaoru onto the bed and on to him.

It was shocking how she straddled him, one thigh on either side of his body. But what astounded her even more was how right it felt to be so close to his body. Even through all his clothes, she could feel that marvelous heat.

With little coaxing, Kenshin persuaded Kaoru to place her hands along either side of his head. With her draped over him, he could easily reach all the places he wanted.

Kaoru gasped as his lips fastened to the side of her neck. It was wrong…she should tell him to stop…in a minute. It couldn't hurt to let him kiss her for just another minute could it?

Kenshin smirked as his innocent wife tilted her head to allow him better access to her throat. She was telling him without words what she wanted.

She gasped as he unbuttoned the top buttons of her dress. Surely it was too wanton of her to expose so much flesh and yet…

She was hesitating so Kenshin pulled her closer for another drugging kiss. If she wanted to stop, he'd have to know it now.

"Kaoru," he said unsteadily as his fingers found purchase in her silken hair, "do you want me to stop?" Broken rib or no, he was more than willing to go on.

"I-"

"Boss!" Sanosuke burst into the room so abruptly that the door rebounded and hit the tall cowhand. He didn't flinch as the doorknob dug into his hip but he did immediately clap a broad hand over his eyes. Turning beet red, he continued to stammer his news.

"The boy is missing! He's plumb vanished!"

Kaoru gasped loudly and rolled off her husband. Here she had been, acting like a loose woman when her brother was lost and possibly hurt! Shame scalded her, heightening the flush on her face.

Kenshin sighed as Kaoru dismounted and fixed her clothing. He had been so close. But duty called and he sat up. Pain shot through his body and for a moment the world darkened. As his vision cleared, Kenshin felt two pairs of hands on him. Kaoru's delicate touch was like a healing balm as she helped him to his feet. Sanosuke was slightly less useful as he hauled his boss to his feet and offered him a shirt.

"I got men out looking for the kid but this looks more like a job for the best tracker this side of the Mississippi." Sheepishly, he scratched the back of his shaggy head. "And that ain't me."

Kenshin gave his friend an amused smile as he awkwardly shrugged into his shirt. Kaoru flitted by his side as he slowly did the buttons.

"But you're hurt," she protested. "Are you sure you can ride?" She was torn between concern for her brother and concern for her husband.

"I've ridden with worse injuries," he told her solemnly, reaching for his hat. "We have to find your brother before night falls. Nocturnal animals aren't as forgiving as the ones in the day."

"Be careful," she murmured as he mounted his horse.

"I'll find your brother." Kenshin promised as he set his horse to a quick canter. Sanosuke grinned at her reassuringly.

"Have dinner waiting for us missy. We'll be back in no time."

Have dinner ready for them? Kaoru didn't think so! It was her fault that Yahiko ran away in the first place and she was going to find him. Hitching up her skirts, she headed for the stables.

TBC…