Kaoru sighed. She was on her way out of the dojo, to go to town… what she was going to do there, who knows. Actually, it was Kenshin's idea for her to go out. Under any normal circumstance she would have questioned it, but frankly, she was relieved that she wouldn't be caught alone with Kenshin. Yahiko was off helping Tsubame at the restaurant.

Tae had come up this morning with the request. Kaoru hadn't realized the dangers of volunteering him for the job. She'd forgotten that Sanosuke and Aneka weren't around for some strange reason, and Aoshi and Misao had to take off earlier that week. Granted they'd be back soon they said, but soon wasn't today. Today she would have been left alone with Kenshin, were it not for some divine intervention that prompted him to suggest she get out for some air or something, go to town.

She blinked and paused in the well-trodden road. Where was Enishi then. She turned red as soon as the thought occurred to her, an event that had happened the same day as…. The other one. She'd forgotten about it in all the fuss.

Enishi had kissed her. And… and.. she had pushed him away. Kaoru started walking again. She knew where her feet were taking her now, a slight sort of purpose had been added to her shuffled stride. The only thing about kimonos was that you couldn't run very well in them. Kaoru had a strange urge to run. She wanted to see him, but at the same time, her heart was filled with a choked up nervous fear. Her feet would take her there, if she wouldn't. Sometimes it's easier to keep walking than it is to stop

**the night before**

Sanosuke watched her through a half closed eye as she snuck out quietly that night. Where was she going? He frowned, and waited a few minutes before following after the small slip of a girl.

Aneka herself, was rather apprehensive. She closed her eyes and counted to three before she walked out the door, determined to take that first step. She felt herself move, and almost sighed in relief, before she remembered she was trying to be quiet. She caught herself and looked behind her real quick only to find that Sano was still sleeping. She smiled in temporary relief as she made her way down the dark alleyways. Why did Sano have to live in such a scary neighborhood?

In the beginning, she hadn't told Sano anything about her past… well then it was her present, but she'd like to think of ir as her past now… because she was afraid if he tried to help her, it would just make things worse for her. But now… now she didn't want him to know because she didn't want anything to happen to him.

That's why she had to confront Jin on her own, and convince him… convince him that… She trailed off in her mind, raising a hand tentatively to her temple. Her head hurt. She wasn't sure of what she could say to Jin to convince him, but she had to try. She didn't want to loose the newfound freedom she'd gained.

Her heart jumped as she heard a slight brushing sound, and maybe a footstep, behind her. She spun around, only to find silence and shadows. Her heart still in her throat, she scanned the shadows for darker spots, or anything that might suggest someone was there. She found nothing. Shaking just a little bit more, she continued on.

If only she was as strong as Kamiya Kaoru, or had been raised to defend herself at least. She was taking a huge risk, traveling alone at a time like this… in a place like this. Especially since she could easily been overtaken, and there would be nothing she could do about it.

Just think, she smiled to herself faintly, a short time ago you were even to afraid to go up to a blacksmith to ask him to fix something. And now look what you're doing. She shuddered. She was trying to keep her mind off what she was doing, not draw it back to her attention.

Aneka tried to zone out, maybe into one of those long exaggerated imaginings she used to have. The last one… she tried to remember the last one. A sexy picture of Enishi rose to her mind faintly, a little dimly. She tried to hold onto it, but the more she tried, the more different he looked.

His hair kept turning black, and she kept seeing a lithe body, posed casually, bandages around his stomach.

"Sanosuke" she whispered lightly to herself "When did I start liking you so much." She continued on, content with watching the slight wave to Sanoske's hair in the wind in her minds eye. If he had really been there, she would have been tempted to run her hands through it.

She frowned to herself. If she hadn't been so afraid and desperate for some other thought to cling to, she probably would have denied her attraction. Sanosuke was so unlike anything she imagined herself liking. For one…. He was rather skinny, and although there was nothing wrong with it, she was used to liking proportions a little more filled out, yet definitely far from really muscular. Overbuilt bodies were not her thing. She grimaced at the thought.

He was irresponsible, maybe a little conceited, he was way to nosey… and got away with every obnoxious thing he did. But then again he was also kind, funny, and being around him, she felt comfortable. She kind of liked his overprotective tendencies. No one had ever really tried to take care of her like he did.

She sighed, and stopped, finding herself at the place she was told to meet Jin.

* * *

Sanosuke blinked as Aneka stopped in front of the river. Across it there was a small shrine… to who knows what. But this place… this place.. He had the hugest Déjà vu. And as the moon shone down on the river, the ripples distorting the round surface, he remembered.

This was the place where Kenshin fought Jineh. He'd been too late to help that time. This time, he was glad he would be there for whatever might happen.

As he expected, Jin stepped out from the shadows, the grass came up to the boys knees, and Aneka was taller than him, but his presence seemed to dwarf her, and he noticed her shudder as a cool wind cut through the night. He strained to hear what they were saying.

"So you came" Jin said quietly, smugly. His voice was foreign in the silence, but it didn't break through it as much as Aneka's reply.

"Yes" she said sharply, but it was dampened by the nervousness you could hear behind her voice.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring Sanosuke with you." Jin said. Aneka was silent. "That was a smart thing to do, but it might have been smarter to bring him." Jin stepped forward. Aneka faltered, but caught herself. Why the hell was she afraid of someone that was four years younger than her? She frowned at him, and he paused. His eyebrow raised.

"Now see here" she said stubbornly, not quite knowing where her sudden courage came from, but not quite caring either "I can't have you ruining everything for me." She stepped forward. Jin seemed to falter a second, like Aneka had before, but a lot less obviously. He seemed to glance away from her… something he saw giving him confidence and it made him that much more intimidating, despite his small body.

"Oh?" he said. He raised a hand as if to strike her, Sano rushed forward to stop it.

* * *

From behind, Aneka heard a rustling, and then as sickening cracking sound. A loud trail of swearing followed shortly after.

"Sano!" she said suddenly, turning around. Something had pulled him to the ground, and his leg was quickly becoming covered in blood. Aneka rushed over to him and kneeled down by him, Gasping as she saw part of his bone sticking out of his leg at an odd angle. She looked up at his face, only to see him glaring intensely at Jin.

"Oops, you should watch your step there," he said mockingly "But seriously, I didn't expect it to do quite so much damage. It really makes things a lot easier for me." Jin walked over and, avoiding a swing from Sano, grabbed a hold of him, dragging starting to drag him out of the area. Jin looked at Aneka.

"You going to help or what. Sitting around here won't do any good" Jin said. Aneka nodded, only wanting to get somewhere so she could help Sano. Whatever Jin had planned didn't matter much anymore.

Between the two of them, they dragged Sanosuke up the hill, and to a wagon that Jin had obviously had waiting. With the help of the cloaked driver, they got Sanosuke tossed in the back. Aneka jumped in after him, and Jin jumped up front.

The driver got the wagon moving, and Sanosuke groaned as the movement jostled his broken leg. Aneka gripped his hand tightly, and Sanosuke looked at their joined hands, only to find both of them covered in his blood.

Jin turned around and smiled happily, resting his chin on his crossed arms. Sanosuke thought to himself, that the kid might have been cute, if he weren't such a fucking brat. Saitoh suddenly seemed rather likeable all the sudden. The damn cop would likely "Aku Soku Zan" the brat's ass.

"It's your fault though, you know" Jin said suddenly, breaking into the rhythmic turning of the wagon wheels over the worn path. Sanosuke glared.

"If you hadn't have rushed in so fast, you might've only fallen, instead of busting yourself up so much." He continued. Sanosuke glared.

"Oh well, this way I don't have to worry so much about you guys escaping before Enishi finishes whatever he wants too do." Sanosuke's eyes widened at that, and he tried to get up, but without the strength of his leg, and with all his blood loss, Aneka easily pushed him back down with little resistance.

"Ah don't worry too much Sano-chaan, things won't change… too much." Jin laughed loudly, as he turned around. The sound carried off through the night.

Aneka tore of a piece of her skirt, and started to adjust Sano's leg. She was afraid she might not do it well enough, but she was more worried he'd bleed to death before they got to a doctor who could.