Warning: mature subject matter ahead.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Various other people do. For a full list, check some other fanfic here.


Kaoru had been in this... hell for three full days now.

She had been captured three days ago, and her captors had not given her a moment's peace: the continual beatings and rapes had already driven her mind into imaginings of what Kenshin would do to them when he found her.

"Battousai's woman," breathed the man atop her, using his vile tongue to trace a cross on her cheek. Thank god he wasn't trying to kiss her, because she didn't want to have to taste his putrid breath. They'd stopped using kisses to control her long ago when she'd finally managed to bite hard enough to sever the tip of one of their tongues. The blood had tasted so much better than the man's venomous self that she'd enjoyed herself for at least an hour. She understood now what Kenshin had meant about enjoying the smell of it.

Now they just licked her, bit at her. Called her Kenshin's woman and shoved themselves in harder and faster. And she had begun to smile, after all the tears she had managed to shed. No more of those drops. Kamiya Kaoru was going to laugh and taste their drops of blood after Kenshin had killed them all.

Kaoru hoped that she'd be able to watch him sever the slimy, despicable heads from their bodies. She hoped that the Battousai would turn his sword and destroy them all for daring to even think about touching his woman. She hoped that he would run his sakabatou straight through the man on top of her, letting his blood fall freely over her and washing the stench off, leaving her pristine and untouched by any living man.

These fucking men would see the error of their ways too late. And Kamiya Kaoru would make sure to laugh at them.

snap

The door opened and the room became deathly silent except for the panting of the man who wasn't clever enough to get off of her. Her smiled broadened and she spit in his face.

Kenshin was here.

And now that he was here, not even one of these fucking bastards had a chance in hell of living. So Kaoru began to laugh as Kenshin started giving one of his speeches. He was going on and on about honor and decency and hostages. Kaoru was starting to get tired of waiting.

Just before she decided to interrupt his flowery speech, he suddenly yelled out, a frightening, intense kiai. The man above her went limp, and she pushed him away so that she could watch. All the others were on the ground already though.

Kenshin was panting, and put his sword away before turning and lifting Kaoru to her feet. His arms went around her, the fabric of both his gi and hakama floating around her as if trying to protect her from the very air. Kaoru looked up into his deep amethyst eyes and frowned in confusion.

Where is Battousai? her mind questioned anxiously. Where is the blood? When did he flick it off of his sword? She turned her face from his and looked around. These men are not dead. There is no blood here. But perhaps Kenshin had not killed them because she had been against killing and death in kenjutsu.

Things change. She was allowed to want their deaths. So was he.

"Kenshin, these men should be dead." Her voice was a whisper, worn hoarse from screaming. He shook his head. "I want them to be dead, Kenshin." He simply shook his head again, his arms tightening around her.

He won't kill them. He won't kill them? Isn't he angry at them for what they did to me? Doesn't he care at all?

Kaoru's hands balled into fists. How dare he? Battousai didn't come for me! He didn't come, and now these men will be alive! Instead of Battousai, I get this man who won't kill them for me, who didn't make them fear him, who stands here holding me as if he has the right to even touch me...! She felt liquid fall onto her shoulder. And now he has the gall to cry for me?

Kaoru clenched her teeth. Her broken arm was going to make this hard, but he wouldn't keep her from her vengeance. It was her right. It was her fucking right to see these men dead! How dare he stand there and cry?

She pushed herself free of him, and he looked down. "This lowly man... is so sorry, Kaoru-dono..." He pulled his gi off and held it out towards her. She took it, draping it on herself. He was still looking at the floor.

He doesn't fucking care what I went through, Kaoru realized suddenly. All he cares for is the fact that he's got one more thing he has to be sorry about. She let out a breath and stared at him. That's why the killer didn't want to come for me: he knows we're over anyways, thanks to what these fucking bastards did to me, so he doesn't even care enough to give me what I need from him.

She looked at the man who used to love her. "I need a few minutes alone, Kenshin." Even whispered, her tone was acidic.

"Ouside then, please, Kaoru-dono."

She shook her head. "I have to see if my kimono is here, and if it's still wearable."

"No."

She looked at Kenshin. Keeping me from what is rightfully mine? I will not allow it. What will Kenshin do, attack me? Even if he doesn't love me anymore, he won't attack me.

Kaoru turned away from him. "Then you find it."

There was a long pause, but then she heard him start moving, and she crouched down beside one of the men. They'd all worn little daggers tied to their wrists. They'd made a big show of taking them off before they touched her, proving to her that she wouldn't be able to fight back effectively by taking one. She took one of them now, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Kenshin was not looking.

He wasn't.

It is my right. She held the dagger, annoyed that she could not exact her revenge with her dominant hand, and moved to the neck of the man who'd most recently touched her. She looked again to see if Kenshin had noticed what she was doing, but then she felt his warm hand cover her own.

"No," he said again, using his superior strength to pull the dagger away.

"It's my right, Kenshin." He shook his head and pulled her into his arms, tossing the weapon into the far corner of the room. "It's my right."

He stood, keeping his arms gently but firmly around her body.

"Why couldn't he have come instead?" Kaoru asked quietly as Kenshin began to guide her backwards out of the room. "Don't you love me?"

"This lowly one's love for you... 'tis greater than you could believe in right now, I think."

"Why couldn't it have been him?"

She could hear the door being opened, and she was guided out into the sunlight. "Hey, Kenshin. Is missy okay?"




So should I continue this? I never really know until I get some feedback... I have some ideas, but... it's so hard for me to come up with plot, especially if I've decided on the critical moment... well, get back to me, FB type people...