Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin and its characters for they all rightfully belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sensei so don't sue me. I write this kind of stuff for entertainment purposes only.

Author's greetings: I read the reviews… and I saw you guys didn't like Chapter II that much. Did you guys feel that WAFF deprived? Fine, you all win. I once again changed the summary (hope no one gets annoyed with the sudden changes; blame my crazy side) cuz I decided that I really do want Kaoru to be a prostitute… BWAHAHAHA!! No, I mean, I'd like her to be a prostitute in a good way. So now just read on and enjoy! Review after you do!

Rating: PG (though ratings might fluctuate as story progresses)

WARNING: This is AU and may contain OOCness. Somebody asked that I try not to make the characters that OOC. I'm so sorry, but I can't continue the story if I do that… but I'll try my best to remove their OOCness in some chapters, okay? But in my other fic: Second Chance, lotsa people said it was kinda good cuz it ain't that OOC. Please check it out. ^-^

Love Me As Who I Really Am

Chapter IV: A Promise To Keep

"It had been a rough afternoon…" Soujiro sighed as he sat down on his desk. He had just escorted Misao to her house after he brought Yahiko and Kaoru to their flat, and basically, he was really tired. He began opening folders one after the other, not even bothering to read the contents of each. *Ryu Ban… you pervert. *

His fists clenched with anger as he gritted his teeth in rage. What happened that afternoon was way out of plan. *I was so stupid for not even asking Kaoru what was really going on… *

He unclenched his fists as he began closing the folders he had just opened unknowingly. *What am I gonna do now? *

"SIR!" Somebody called.

Soujiro looked up and smiled at the guy falsely. "What is it?"

"Somebody's lookin' for ya, sir." The guy informed him, and then he lowered his voice. "Some redhead with an x-scar on his cheek."

Soujiro raised an eyebrow in confusion, smile not fading. "Red hair… x-scar?" He stood up due to curiosity and motioned the guy to lead the way.

The guy began walking out of the building and into the parking lot. Soujiro's really confused.

"Wait…" He said.

The guy leading him turned around. "Yes, sir?"

"Where is he, anyway?" Soujiro asked with a trace of impatience on his voice.

"Well, sir… he went inside," The guy jerked his thumb in the glass doors' direction, "and asked for Soujiro Seta, without even saying the Major, sir. When we said you're in your desk, he asked us to just lead ya out here in the parking lot. He said he's gonna be waitin' inside a black car." The man said, looking around the parking lot. "I think the only black sedan in this lot is that one." He pointed to a black car two cars away from them.

Soujiro patted the man on the shoulder. "Go on inside and finish your job. I've got something to attend to." He said as he began walking towards the black sedan while the man turned around and entered the building.

Soujiro stood outside the door of the passenger's seat. He heard a click from inside; therefore he opened the car's door and got in, closing the door as he sat. "What do you want?"

"You've seen Ryu Ban, haven't you?" The mysterious man asked straightforwardly.

Soujiro then saw a glint of red from the corner of his left eye. He turned his head to the left and stared at the face that greeted him. "YOU!"

Kenshin grinned approvingly at him. "You've got swift eyes for quickly recognizing me after only seeing me once."

"You're the guy who was talking to Kaoru when we went out of…" Soujiro's voice trailed as he remembered Kaoru's expression as she talked to this guy this afternoon, after they went up from THAT club. She had been so… happy.

"When you went out of the Seduction Hall. Yeah, that was me." Kenshin nodded at him. He reached down to his pants' right pocket and got a business card and handed it to Soujiro. Soujiro's eyes widened at what he read.

"Kenshin Himura, FBI." Kenshin said coolly, extending his hand out to Soujiro. Soujiro took his hand and shook it tentatively. "Major Soujiro Seta, L.A.P.D." He looked at the older man curiously. "Are you interested in the Ryu Ban issue?" He asked.

"Been looking into it for years." Kenshin nodded, smiling slightly. "I don't believe the guy's story that those women just went there on their own free will. Some of his dancers underwent rehabilitation because of drugs… but Ryu Ban says he had nothing to do with it, and the women agreed. Some people said they had women relatives working in that club, but then after a few months, they found out they were nowhere to be found. And Ryu Ban claims they just left without letting him know." Kenshin took the business card from Soujiro and tore it into pieces.

Soujiro wasn't aware of what the other man was doing. "So… what's the problem now?"

"All we need are evidences … and witnesses." He watched the reaction that began building up in Soujiro's face.

Soujiro began opening his mouth to say something but Kenshin cut him off. "Is Ms. Kamiya working for Ryu Ban?"

Soujiro stared at the auburn-haired man. *What made Kaoru say this supposed-to-be secret to a man she had just met? * He asked himself.

"Yeah…" Soujiro answered slowly, at the same time warily.

"Why?" Kenshin pressed on.

Soujiro folded his arms across his chest and looked straight ahead. "Ask her." He suggested abruptly.

Kenshin sat up straighter in the driver's seat as he rested his arms on the wheel. "What does she do?" He asked, determined. "Is she working as one of his dancers?"

"Worst than that." Soujiro replied. He turned his head and faced the auburn-haired man. "Prostitute." He mouthed.

Soujiro saw Kenshin's shoulders drop. He hid his smile from the older man. "I care for Kaoru a lot, Mr. Himura." He told him. "I don't want anything to happen to her. Assure me you can do something for her."

"I cannot promise you that. I have to gather enough evidence before finally finding Ryu Ban guilty of the accusations charged against him. Ms. Kamiya has to help too. She's the only one who can talk with the other females working in that club. But I can promise you one thing…" Kenshin exhaled deeply as Soujiro listened to him eagerly.

@@@

"I don't like the idea, Kaoru." Misao told Kaoru as the older girl closed the zipper of her black leather boots up to her knees.

"I told you. I'm not going with dirty-looking guys." Kaoru explained. "Besides, I'll just sweet talk the guys I'll go with to give me the money in advance and when they fall asleep, I'll just run back here and sleep so that I can get to school early tomorrow morning."

Kaoru and Misao were in Kaoru's flat. It was actually six thirty in the evening and Kaoru still had one and a half hours to just linger around and get ready for 'work'. Two hours after Soujiro escorted her to her home, Misao had run back to Kaoru's small apartment to help the older girl get ready. They were able to ask – correction – command Yahiko to go out and get some Chinese food for the three of them.

"Sou-chan must be really disappointed. He was not able to help you." Misao stated softly, handing Kaoru her glossy red lipstick.

"Yeah… I'm really sorry I didn't tell you before about Ryu, Misao. I just don't want you to… well… get worried." Kaoru looked at the younger girl from the mirror that hung on the wall. She spread the lipstick on her lower lip evenly, puckering her lips to complete the look. Kaoru turned around to show the younger girl what she had done to herself. "Well… how do I look?" She asked apprehensively, tugging on the blue backless top she had on.

Misao grinned in approval. "Perfect." And she wasn't lying.

True, her best friend looked like a goddess that just flew down from the heavens and disguised herself as one of the little people on earth. Kaoru had on a navy-blue backless top with sleeves. Strings attached at the top and lower portions of the shirt, which were tied around her neck and waist, kept the shirt from falling down and revealing soft alabaster skin. A black leather mini-skirt accented her hips and boots that zipped up to her knees with three inches high heels completed the look.

Misao's grin widened. "Though it would be better if the redhead could have seen you now."

Kaoru grabbed a pillow from her bed and threw it at Misao. "Don't talk about Kenshin that way!" She said defensively, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to form on her red lips.

Misao teased her even more. "Kenshin? Where did the usual honorific go? Are you two, like, that close, Kaoru?" Misao laughed really hard that she clutched her stomach.

Kaoru sat on her bed and watched the younger girl laugh. She had a vision of Misao rolling on the floor… and seconds later she saw herself rolling beside Misao too.

The vision made Kaoru giggle… but then seeing Misao laugh looked like so much fun that she could not hold back the laughter anymore so she began laughing herself.

Seconds later, Misao stopped laughing but the smile was still on her lips. She began taking deep breaths. "That's enough, Kaoru. You'll ruin your look if you continue laughing." She said to the older girl.

Kaoru tittered uncontrollably as she sat straightly on her bed, taking deep breaths. She reached into her handbag and brought out a brush and began brushing hair.

"That was some laugh!" Misao commented smilingly.

"Yeah…" Kaoru replied, chuckling in amusement. She placed the brush back inside her bag as she stood up. "Look, I have to go now."

Misao glanced at the wall clock. "But you're one hour and ten minutes early."

"I wanna get to know some girls in the club. You know, befriend them." Kaoru explained, taking one last look in the mirror. "Tell Yahiko he can have my share of the food."

"Didn't you hear what Ryu said?" Misao asked Kaoru, eyes narrowing. "Those girls are just nasty."

"Does that mean I'm nasty?" Kaoru watched the younger girl lower her eyes to the floor. "Remember what Sou-chan said. Remember who Ryu really is."

"Fine. Be careful though. Bye." Misao said, smiling at Kaoru.

"Yeah… bye!" Kaoru went out of her door and began running down the stairs.

@@@

"Have you seen my perfume?" A scantily clad young woman stood in front of Kaoru. She looked like an Asian girl but her hair was dyed chocolate brown. "It was made in France; you must have seen it somewhere." The young woman continued asking her, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Kaoru looked up to her and smiled. "Sorry, I just came forty-five minutes ago and had been sitting here since then."

"Oh." The woman walked towards the dressing table and pulled the drawer open. "Here it is!" She said triumphantly, eyes twinkling. She walked back to Kaoru and handed the bottle of perfume to Kaoru. "May I ask you a favor?"

Kaoru stared at the bottle uncertainly, smelling the sweet scent that came from it. "Yeah? Sure."

The woman turned her back on Kaoru, bent down slightly, and lifted her long russet-colored hair. "Can you spray the perfume on the back of my neck?"

"Sure." Kaoru did you so, then handed the bottle back to the woman.

"Thanks." She said gratefully. She extended her right hand out to Kaoru. "By the way, my name's Angela."

Kaoru took her hand and shook it smilingly. "I'm Kaoru. Nice meeting you."

Angela smiled at her. "What do you do? Do you dance or do you go out?" She asked Kaoru simply.

"I go out." Kaoru replied, the sadness very visible in her eyes. "You?"

Angela grinned and shrugged. "I dance the night away." She waved her hand dismissively. "Are you really from around here?"

"Yeah." Kaoru responded guardedly.

"Odd." Angela said softly, sitting beside Kaoru. "Some girls here came from other states or countries and the likes. I came from the Philippines myself."

Kaoru looked at her curiously. "Why would you look for a job so far away from home?"

"It's not that." Angela answered hesitantly, wondering whether she should go on or not. She decided to explain everything. "You see, my mom died because of tuberculosis and Dad got drunk almost every night. Then Mr. Ryu, who was probably taking a vacation, met and lent Dad some money because Dad lost everything we had because of his stupid gambling. Maybe because he missed mom so much; I remembered they loved each other very much…"

Kaoru nodded. "Please continue…"

"And so Dad had to pay. Mr. Ryu said he does not necessarily need money. So Dad sent me to him as a form of payment. He brought me here to the States and it was a dream come true, I tell you. I'm a pretty good dancer, but I don't honestly like the way those dirty men are touching me when I dance." She paused for a while. "Mr. Ryu's weird, isn't he?" Angela asked Kaoru, chuckling nervously.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "Yeah… weird."

"By the way, we have to hurry up. I have to get on stage by eight o'clock sharp. And I think you should be doing you're work now, right?" The chocolate-haired girl questioned her, hoping to change the subject.

"Yeah, I think. Let's go." Kaoru and Angela stood up from their seats and began walking out of the dressing room.

@@@

Kenshin took another look around the club, trying to find the woman he was in search of. *Where is she? * Kenshin asked himself.

Kenshin had been sitting there at a table all by himself for half an hour already. He had persuaded Sano and Aoshi to let him go alone at the club and convinced them to finish their work so that tomorrow night, they'll be free. Aoshi had eyed at him suspiciously, but he trusted Kenshin so he agreed with the man. Sano wasn't that easy to deal with; there was a lot of arguing but at the end, Kenshin won and left Sano muttering that Kenshin wanted all the chicks to himself.

Just then, a door with a sign that says 'DRESSING ROOM' opened. A scantily clad young woman with long brown hair stepped out. She motioned whoever was inside the room to come out too. A lady with long raven hair and deep blue eyes came out behind her hesitantly.

Kenshin's purple eyes widened at what he saw. *She looks like a goddess. * He thought as he took another sip of his beer. The chocolate-haired woman walked towards an empty mini-stage, ignoring the dirty men trying to get a hold of her.

Kaoru was just standing there at a corner, trying to act normal. But she was biting her lower lip, which showed how nervous she was. She began walking towards an unoccupied table three tables away. But an intoxicated guy in a stained white shirt grabbed her arm forcefully.

"Why don't you sit with us, babe?" The inebriated man said to Kaoru, forcing her to sit down on his lap.

Kenshin stood up and walked towards them. His head was burning at the moment, and he was ready to kick some ass.

Kaoru looked up and saw him. "Mr. Himura…" she said with a hopeful glint in her eyes.

Kenshin smiled at her. "I think the lady would want to come with me." He told the drunken man.

The man released Kaoru's arm, stood up and faced Kenshin squarely. "What if – hiccup!- she would want to sit –hiccup!- with me?"

"She's coming with me." Kenshin responded bluntly.

"I think not!" The man said angrily, clenching his right fist and hurling it at Kenshin's direction.

The drunken man suddenly fell to the floor, right hand supporting himself on the table and the other hand, clutching his stomach in pain. Kenshin had punched him there and it left the man no time to counter attack.

"Like I said, the lady comes with me." Kenshin said coolly, wrapping his left arm around Kaoru's waist and leading her towards the elevator that was just behind the dressing room.

Kenshin stepped inside the elevator and so did Kaoru. The elevator door closed automatically and Kenshin pressed the button to the basement parking lot.

He turned around and faced Kaoru. Kaoru backed away to the cold metal wall. Kenshin approached her with a serious look on his face. He supported half of his weight by placing his right hand on the metal wall just beside Kaoru's head. Kaoru inhaled nervously, bringing her right hand up to her chest in noticeable trepidation.

*What does he want? Did he… is he intending to buy my body? * Kaoru thought.

Kenshin removed his hand from the metal wall beside her head and placed both hands inside his pockets. He smiled at her adorably, closing his eyes at the same time. "Do you… are you wearing contact lenses, Ms. Kamiya?

Kaoru looked up at him in surprise. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"I was wondering whether the original color of your eyes was really blue." He asked innocently.

Kaoru was taken aback. When she recovered, she slapped his arm gently. "Of course they're blue!" She said smilingly.

"Okay… I get it… " He said, chuckling. "Well, I guess you're coming with me…"

"I suppose so…" Kaoru replied, looking down.

"Don't worry. I won't touch you. I'll explain when we get to my apartment." He replied inadvertently.

"But…" Kaoru protested, eyes widening.

Kenshin chuckled. "I keep promises."

The elevator door opened automatically. Kenshin walked out and Kaoru followed right behind him. They began walking towards a black sedan. Kenshin removed a hand from his pocket and took out his keys.

He opened the passenger's door and motioned Kaoru to get in the car. Kaoru exhaled a shaky breath and got inside the car timidly.

Once both of them had got in the car, Kenshin started the engine. "Are you comfortable, Ms. Kamiya?" He asked her, hoping to start a conversation.

Kaoru just nodded.

Kenshin sighed. *It's going to be a long evening… *

TBC

Author's notes: Okay, since a server of fanfiction.net malfunctioned, I was really depressed. I actually would like to edit all of my fanfictions (I've got three) but I wasn't able log in. Now I've updated and I hope you liked this chapter, though there's no WAFF or anything here. I reserved it all for the next chapter. Yeah… I mean the chapter following this one.

And to my friend and classmate, Angela, thanks for letting me use your name. I'm gonna abuse it!!! BWAHAHAHA!!

I'm grateful to all those guys who reviewed. I'm hoping to get lots of reviews soon… tons of 'em. Anyway, I'm trying my best to entertain you all. That's all. Aishiteru. Please review, you guys. I had also updated my other fics: "SECOND CHANCE" and "TADAIMA".

Hotaru Yukishiro Tomoe: *blush* not really… thank you for the compliment. ^-^

Gypsy-chan: I e-mailed you… wonder if you got it… (?).

Tsuki-sama: You're never gonna catch me! *runs away with lightning speed*

To animegirl, spellhollow, someone, omochi, Glass Rose, nemo, Kamimura Kaoru, marstanuki, and all the others, thanks for reviewing!

I watched Tsuiko Hen (did I spell that right?) and I find it great! I mean… the killings made me scream my lungs out to the max! I like Battousai… and Tomoe and Kaoru. BWAHAHAHA!

REMINDER: PLEASE REVIEW, I'D BE LOOKIN' FORWARD TO IT.

lieveit1 '^-^'