Darkness in the Night

RK doesn't belong to me.

AN: Well…this is it I guess.

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"Scared?" Kenshin repeated, looking down at his lovely wife with full amber eyes.

"You are saying that I am scared?"

"Yes, of losing me and Kenji," she replied, glaring at him softly. She had tried going up against him long ago, and this time she would succeed in doing so. So many tears had been shed back then, and there was no way she would let Kenshin—or Kenji—see them. Kaoru decided she would be strong, if not just for herself but for her family as well.

"Of loosing my family? I've lost them already for the same reason."

"But you don't have to this time!"

"What would you know?" He slapped her hard, sitting up and pulling on his discarded clothes.

"You don't have to admit it—your actions speak it. This is just like back then."

Kenshin froze, she was right, but could he really admit that to himself? It wouldn't be easy, already he was used once more to the images that flashed through his mind at the thought of possessing her the way he did long ago.

"Kenshin, please…"

"I'll think about it."

"Kenji!"

"Mommy!" cried out the small boy happy as his mother wrapped her son into a warm embrace. Time had flown by, and Kenshin had kept her distance from both her and the servants of the house. And, Kaoru was worrying about him. She loved him despite the past—and she wasn't about to go and let all that love go because he wouldn't get over his fears.

"Did you have fun at your Auntie Misao's?" She asked, walking the house with him in her arms.

"Yep! We went to this amusement park and ate lots of candy and went on tons of rides!" The boy happily giggled as he talked about his time away. "Where's Papa?"

"He's…" Kaoru didn't know how to reply; Kenshin wasn't here to see him—she didn't know where he was spending his time these past few days.

"That's okay! I'll go find him!" Kenji wiggled out of her arms and went off running into the house.

"Kenji! I don't think—" The front door stood half opened as the child scurried on inside and not waiting even for his coat to be taken off, or shoes removed from his feet.

His mother sighed and followed; picking up the child's dropped backpack, and the only thing he took off.

"Papa! Where are you papa?"

Kenji looked around the house, into ever room he knew off and more, until he found the man he was looking for, sitting on the cold floor of the ball room, doing nothing but sitting up against the wall. From afar he looked like he was sleeping, but Kenji knew better—this guy wasn't his dad for nothing!

"Papa!" The little red head ran over to his father, stopping in front of him and looking up into a pair of amber eyes.

They were interesting, haunting and scary, but something attracted the child to them—the innocence he found underneath the hardness. No one else ever found that look, the feeling that was hidden deep inside, but the soft hearts of the child he himself could never be.

"Papa…are you feeling well? Mommy seemed worried about you, and no one knew where you were! And old crow face told me not to go on and mess with you!" Kenji laughed and sat down in his dad's waiting lap, looking at his father with smiling eyes. "I wanted to tell you how my time was at the amusement park! I had so much fun! There was this cool ride that went around in a u-shape and then this sudden drop! I was in the back and it felt like I was lifted right off the seat into the air! It was SO cool!"

"I'm sure you had fun," Kenshin said, giving a small grin.

"Yep! But, my favorite part was the prices thing were we got to choose something!"

"And what did you choose?"

"Wait, its in my pack back…" Only then did Kenji realize that his back pack wasn't there, never noticing that he had taken it off. "Wait right here I'll get it!"

"I've got it right here," said Kaoru, showing up at the large entrance doors from the house. In her arms was their son's misplaced bag.

"Thank you mommy!"

She gave him the bag—the small characters on it resembling that of learning cartoons from the television. She and Kenshin used to watch things like that as children them selves—but at this age, they find them selves trying to beat each other in leaving the room first so they didn't have to.

Kaoru sat her self down next to Kenshin, who sneaked a slow arm around her shoulder, holding her closer.

"This is what I got!" Kenji help in his hands a picture frame, square with leaves and ivy, and the word family written on the sides. But the picture inside was a shocker. They were at a park, with their friends for Kenji's fourth birthday, and Misao had taken a picture of the three together—all smiling and having fun.

"Why did you get something like this?" Kaoru found her self-stuttering, her throat going dry.

"'Cause all our other family pictures are all boring!"

"I agree, they were all boring," said Kenshin, giving his son a hug, taking his wife and including her into it as well.

The warmth and smell of her husband invaded her senses, and she felt like everything was alright, that nothing bad had happened or would; that everything was just fine.

"I'm glad you had fun Kenji, but now I think it is time for lunch."

"What's it going to be?"

"Oh, I'm sure Nana-cook has made you favorite."

"Then I'll go see her right now!"

Kenji jumped off his father, setting the frame onto the floor along with his backpack and ran off to the kitchen where the oldest servant in the house was cooking their meal. The old woman was always a grand mother to the child, so ha had given her the nickname Nana-cook, as she was both his nanny and the cook. Kenshin thought it was quite good.

"I though about what you said," said Kenshin, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

"Huh?" Kaoru looked at him,

"About being scared."

"Oh."

"I think…that maybe…I am…I had already lost my family because of this, and then just one woman who I only used when I was away…but…I still got to me because they might be after you and Kenji next."

"If they can find us."

"What do you mean?"

"Hiding isn't very fun, but if it will make you feel better—"

"I don't think anything will make me feel better at the time." He looked away from her, his stormy eyes gazing at the picture sitting some ways in front of him, the soft light gleaming off the glass.

"Alright," Kaoru said with a sigh. She stood up, straightening her shirt and skirt. "But I will always be here with you; so you have no reason to fear."

Smiling at him and blowing him a kiss, she left the room.

"No reason to fear she says…" He picked up the picture, tracing it with his fingertips.

"I think she is right—no wait, she is."

THE END

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AN: It ended—my writer's block—and then it came up again near the end of this chapter…oh well, I got it done, and I think I ended it very well. I hope you all liked it, and maybe I can re-think up that idea I had for the next 'Rain' chapter…before I go mad with lack of time or worrying about my health—but sugar is to good to let go! -.- I know weak…anyway, enough of my ranting, I'm getting a little annoyed at it.

Thank you for the reviews—I like them, though…I wish they would start coming again, as my e-mail box is getting empty…oh well…remember to review please? I like hearing from you all—even though I don't usually respond quickly…so please review or send an e-mail or both?

Thank you once more with putting up with me…sometimes I can't even do that! (Why do you think my brain is always on vacation?) I have got to stop writing…I can write this but I can't write a fic chapter? AGH!!!!!! What is my mind doing to me? *runs off*