* Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies.

In Search of the Lost Sapphire
Chapter 1: The Sapphire that Captured My Heart

Washington D.C., January 2005

"Kenshin, it's over…"

"What the… you can't be serious.."

The black haired woman shook her head slowly and looked straight at the eyes of the man
before her. "Kenshin, it's over. It's… it's useless. You and me… we… there's no point anymore
in continuing our relationship…"

Himura Kenshin bowed his head down. There was pain in his eyes. "But why? Why, Tomoe?
You know I love you and…"

Yukishiro Tomoe put a finger on his lips, silencing him. "I know it, Kenshin. But…." She turned
around, her back facing the red-haired man. "You live in your own world, Kenshin. You've never
really made time for me." Tomoe paused for a while before turning to face Kenshin again, tears
in her eyes. "Where were you when I was fired? You were busy with your exhibition in the
Netherlands. Where were you when Enishi got involved in a car accident? You were in Africa
photographing who-knows-what. Where were you when I needed you the most?!!" She was
practically screaming at him.

Kenshin was silent. Deep down in his heart he loved Tomoe sincerely. But he knew she was
right: he had neglected her too frequently, and he was never there when she needed him.
It's not that Kenshin didn't care. But he was so absorbed with his career as professional
photographer, that he had forgotten other things.

He didn't really know what to say. But he finally resolved to put his hand on her shoulder.
"Tomoe, I'm sorry…. No, sorry wouldn't be enough. I guess I took you for granted…" Both
fell silent for a while. Then Kenshin continued, "It's him, isn't it?"

Tomoe nodded her head, smiling faintly. "He was there when you were supposed to be
there, Kenshin. He stood by my side through all things I've gone through. And he has
loved me for such a long time. I was a blind not to see it…"

"He makes you happy, doesn't he?"

"Yes, but more importantly, he makes time for me…"

Silence filled the air once again. Suddenly Kenshin pulled Tomoe into his embrace. "Tomoe,
for all things I've done to you, and all things I haven't done for you, I apologize. And may
you find happiness with Akira. The happiness you deserve…" He let go off his embrace and
said, "But we can still be friends, can't we?"

Tomoe smiled sweetly. "Of course… Kenshin, remember this, everybody makes a mistake. But
please, learn from your mistakes. Career is not the most important thing in this world. There
are a lot more important things than that…" She kissed him slightly in his cheek and turned
away from him. "I hope you'll find your happiness too…. Goodbye, Kenshin."

"Goodbye, Tomoe…." With that the red head turned away as well, heading to the opposite
direction. That day was the day when once again promises were broken and dreams had been
shattered to pieces…

***

August 2005

The telephone at Kenshin's room rang. Once. Twice. Three times. Growled, Kenshin, still in
his bed, opened his eyes reluctantly. "That person should better have something important
to say for waking me up on Saturday morning…" He sat on his bed and picked up the phone.
"Good morning, this is Himura speaking…"

"Himura, wake up!!!!" A cheerful voice of a woman was heard. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

Yeah, right…. Kenshin grumbled inwardly. "Oh, of course not, Misao. You have just succeeded
in forcing me to leave my beloved pillows on Saturday morning. No, you haven't disturbed me
at all…," replied the redhead sarcastically.

Makimachi Misao, one of Kenshin's best friends on the other side of the phone laughed.
"All right, all right! I'm sorry!!"

"Now quick, what is it? I want to go back to my sleep."

"Okay, I'll be quick. See, Aoshi will take me out tonight. I was wondering if you are interested
in joining us. We will…"

Kenshin groaned desperately. "You woke me up only to ask me that?!! Misao, please! Not
another blind date!! I'm getting tired of all this, you know…"

"Hey, who said I was going to set you up in a blind date? I'm just asking you to come with us."

"Oh yeah? I suppose it's just another dirty trick of yours to play matchmaker. We would come
across another friend of yours and you would ask her to join us as well and so on…. I know
you well enough, Misao. Don't forget that…"

"Okay, okay, caught in the act…." Misao laughed sheepishly. "I have indeed found another
candidate for you. But I promise, this time it won't be a disaster like the last time with
Kamatari. You see, she's a Japanese too. Not too mention smart, pretty and sexy as well….
She's really something for you!"

"And how am I suppose to believe that?" Kenshin raised his eyebrows. "Who knows if you'd
introduce me to another gay?!"

"No, she's definitely not a gay!!" Misao chuckled slightly. I see he's still trauma because
I introduced him to Kamatari. But man, how am I supposed to know that Kamatari was actually
a guy…? Then she continued, "She always wears off shoulder shirts. You can easily notice her…
er…ehm… well, you know what I mean, don't you? Believe me, I've known Komagata Yumi since
elementary school. She's a real woman. I can guarantee you that, Himura."

"Misao, I appreciate your concern. But no, thanks. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to…"

"How long are you gonna go on like this, Himura?" Misao's tone suddenly turned serious.

Kenshin was about to put down the telephone when he noticed the change in her tone. He
cancelled his intention. "I don't know…" Then he leaned his back on the wall and closed his
eyes. "I don't know, Misao…."

"For goodness's sake, she's already married! You can't keep hoping that she would return
to you, can you? Besides, it's like she's the only woman in this world!"

"No, you get me wrong! I'm not hoping that Tomoe would return to me. It's just that…"

Silence for a while. "What?" Misao inquired.

"I'm tired of this, Misao. You know how many times I've gone through this. With you, Tae and
then Tomoe… how many times I have failed, and hurt somebody's feelings…? And all with the
same reason, that I didn't make enough time for them…"

Misao was silent for a while. "Himura, don't tell me you're planning on to die as an old,
unmarried man, aren't you?"

Finally Kenshin smiled. "I hope not…. It's just that, if someday and somehow I would find
another woman to love, I want her to be my last…. I don't wanna cause unnecessary
pain anymore…"

"Well, if you say so… I've got to respect your wish too…."

"Thanks. By the way, when are you two going to get married? I was happy for you too when
you are finally engaged. It took Aoshi long enough to admit his feelings, ne? You surely are a
persistent woman to have finally melted his heart…"

Misao was blushing furiously. "Weellll, we haven't picked a date, but I think it will be somewhere
in the winter. I'll tell you if we've chosen an exact date. I want you to be the photographer at
my wedding!"

"Well, I would be honored, Misao…."

"Thanks, you're the best, man! And it's me who would be honored… Photographed by the best
photographer in the world!"

"You're making me ashamed…"

"But it's true! Okay, I won't bother you further. Bye!"

"Wait, Misao…"

"What?"

"Thanks for caring about me. I really appreciate it…"

Misao's soft reply came. "Don't mention it. I've always cared about you. You know that….
Well, see ya!"

She finally hung the telephone up. Kenshin sighed and turned off the telephone. He was just
about to drift to the land of dreams when this time the doorbell rang. "Great! Why do people
love to disturb me on such morning like Saturday morning?!" He yanked off his blanket and
lazily got dressed.

By the time he reached the door, the bell had rung for the third time. Still grumbling, he
opened the door. He was surprised to find Tomoe standing behind the door. "Hi, good morning.
What's up?"

"Oh, hi Kenshin! I just wanted to leave. I thought you were still sleeping." She eyed Kenshin's
messy clothes. She giggled softly. "Apparently you were…"

The redhead waved his hand in front of his ex girlfriend. "Don't worry, you weren't the one
who woke me up. Misao has just called me.… By the way, what is it that you came so early
in the morning?"

"Oh yeah, I just wanted to return this box." Tomoe handed a box to Kenshin. "You know Akira
and I are moving to our new house. I found it somewhere in the warehouse of my old apartment.
I think it belongs to you."

Kenshin scratched his head after putting the box on the ground. He could read his name
written in the surface of the box. "Huh? I don't remember having such box."

"My, my, you're such a forgetful young man." Tomoe teased him. "Remember that time when
you were moving?" At Kenshin's nod she proceeded, "I think that was when you put it in
my warehouse and forgot to take it back."

"What does it contain?"

Tomoe only shrugged in response. "I didn't open it. It belongs to you, so I don't feel right
to open it…"

"… Anyway, thanks. How's the move going?"

"It's going great! We've just gotta move and organize our things. That's all…. Hey, would
you do me a favor?"

"Just say it…"

"I'd love you to take a few shots of our house when we're ready. Would you do it?"

Kenshin nodded. "No problem at all, Mrs. Kiyosato! Just give me a call, okay?"

"Okay. By the way, you made beautiful photos at our wedding. Akira and I love it very much!
We even got one hanging in our bedroom."

"Oh yeah? Glad you love it. I was afraid that it would look terrible…"

"Nonsense! You are a very talented photographer, keep that in mind! Now if you would excuse
me, I've gotta go. Bye and see ya!"

"Bye!"

***

At the age of 28, Himura Kenshin had already earned his reputation as a top photographer.
His photos had appeared numerous times in best magazines like Time, National Geographic
and others. He had participated in international photography exhibition all around the world
He was a prodigy in the world of photography.

Unfortunately he wasn't that lucky in his love life. He had had three girlfriends; each one
of them left him because he didn't give them enough time. Kenshin was always busy pursuing
his career as a photographer that he often forgot another things. He had everything but
someone to love and to be loved in return.

Little did this famed photographer know that his life was about to change when he received
that box from Tomoe…

***

Kenshin dug through the content of the box. Most of them were just old photos. There was a
picture of Misao when she celebrated her 20th birthday. Another was the picture of Sekihara
Tae at the restaurant of her family, the Akabeko. He searched the box further, and finally
found a roll of unprinted photos.

"Huh?" He looked at the date. "10 years ago?!! And it hasn't been printed all this time?!"
Hm.. it's been 10 years. What could I possibly have photographed 10 years ago? I was just
a beginner back then…

His curiosity won over everything. He left the box unattended in his living room and headed
directly to his dark room.

***

A few hours later…

Kenshin had already held the photos in his hands, browsing through it. I remember now… it's
in Japan! I was with Shishou. We were on vacation in Kobe when that Kobe disaster happened.
We were extremely lucky that we weren't there when our hotel collapsed. I think Shishou and I
had left the hotel for a walk when the earthquake occurred. It was terrible. These pictures are
the witnesses… He kept browsing the photos one by one. His heart had been wrenched to see
the suffering of the Japanese. Even now, he was still sad as he remembered that day.

There was a photo of a child crying over the corpse of his mother. Another was the photo of
a doctor helping the victims of the earthquake. He sighed and then put that photo aside.

The redhead gasped slightly when he looked at the next photo. He found himself gazing at
the most beautiful blue-sapphire eyes he had ever seen.

- End of Chapter 1: The Sapphire that Captured My Heart -

Author's Note:

* Another new story, while I haven't finished the other… I must be crazy. Anyway, you may
find it similar to Gypsy-chan's 'the Portrait', but actually I was inspired by a true story behind
a photo taken by Steve McCurry that has been selected as the cover of National Geographic
100 Best Pictures. It was the portrait of an Afghan girl. Her direct gaze has intrigued the West
for so long that National Geographic had sent a team to search for her. She has come to
symbolize the suffering of an entire generation of Afghan women and their children.
They finally found her, already married and have three children. More coverage can be found at:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/03/0311_020312_sharbat.html

* More information about World Press Award can be found at: http://www.worldpressphoto.com/index.jsp,
and to know more about National Geographic you can go to: http://www.nationalgeographic.com

* Though the Kobe disaster I was talking about was real, this story is completely fictional.
Any similarities are only coincidences.

* Because this is an a/u, there might be some ooc-ness. And I mess up with their ages,
as you will see in the next chapters.

* Last but not least, please tell me what you think about it. Thanks for reading!