Where the Broken Heart Still Beats
Part 8
Jean Lyons
Note: This chapter is rated PG-13... I can't say why without spoiling it... You'll see. ************************************************************************
"Katai!" yelled Kenshin, running to catch up with the girl ahead of him.
"Yes?"
"Now that we have been courting, I was wondering if maybe... Well, I'd like to... Can I take you to dinner tomorrow evening?"
"Oh..." Katai said, looking down.
"You don't want to? I am too forward?"
"Oh, no, it's not that. You can be as forward as you like, as long as it doesn't involve touching me. I don't like people touching me unless for some reason I have initiated said touching. It scares me. And he knows it. It's why he did it. He's sick. I just don't know about it though. I just don't have anything to wear."
Kenshin laughed and handed Katai a wrapped package. "Now you do. I know how you hate not having nice things, so I bought this yesterday."
Katai threw her arms around Kenshin's neck. "Thank you, Kenshin. I have to go now, though. I have to take the kids home."
"I'll see you tomorrow?"
"I'll take them home early so I'll have time to get ready. Thanks again. For this."
"You are very welcome, that you are."
"Bye, Kenshin."
"Goodnight."
And Katai went home.
Her routine continued through the next day. She got up early, went to Kenshin's for her lesson, went to get the children, and played games and told stories. The time to take them home came too early for the children. "It's too early," whined Aya, as she dragged Rakei along behind her.
"I have something to do."
"Can't we come?"
"No."
"Why? Do you got a boyfriend?"
"It's 'do you have'"
"Do you?"
"Go home, Aya."
Finally, Rumi was the only one left. The two went home where Manatsu would look after Rumi. After a few hours of Manatsu fussing endlessly with Katai's hair, Katai looked lovely in a green and white Kimono and a porcelain hair clip with green flowers intricately carved into its surface. 'How much did this cost?' Katai wondered.
Kenshin finally arrived and when he saw her, his heart nearly stopped. He knew she'd look lovely in this, but he'd never expected just how much she looked like Kaoru when she turned just that way. He had known all along that there were a few similarities between the two, but he'd never noticed how alike they looked. His thoughts were interrupted by Rumi asking Katai if she could come.
"No, Rumi. I'll only be gone a few hours. Stay here with Manatsu."
"But I'll be sad."
"Rumi, why will you be sad?"
"If Miss Katai is far away, I will be all alone when the mean man comes back."
"Oh, Rumi, that mean man won't ever come back. Please, just calm down and be good for Manatsu. If anyone tries to hurt you, just tell Ryo and he'll get him, ok?"
Rumi sniffled and said, "Okay."
"Hello, Katai."
"Oh, Kenshin, I didn't know you were here yet."
"It doesn't look like Rumi wants you to leave."
"No, she doesn't, and I hate leaving her, but I can't just bring her, now can I?"
"If you had to..."
"She'll be fine. After a few minutes, Manatsu will have her calmed down. As long as he really doesn't come, she'll be fine. So Kenji is with the Shinomoris again?"
"Yes."
"How is Misao?"
"She's doing wonderfully, that she is. It'll only be a few more months now."
Just then, Tetsuya and Co. (Katai's siblings and Sayoko) appeared behind Kenshin. "If you make my baby sister cry, I'll kill you. She and Manatsu are the only girls, and we protect the girls."
"Tetsuya, Kenshin and I need to go."
As they walked away, whispers of "the baby is finally growing up" reached their ears.
Katai glanced nervously at Kenshin, who was staring at the ground. Katai took his hand and he smiled. Katai noticed vaguely that Kenshin was not carrying his sword and that he wasn't wearing the same pink shirt as always. It was black. Since when did Kenshin wear black? He'd always said he didn't like dark colors. She wondered if it had something to do with his past as Battousai, but it wasn't really important. She had to admit, though. He did look good.
They finally reached their destination: a nice restaurant with a very good reputation. Katai could understand why. The food was REALLY good! There wasn't much conversation. Neither knew what to say. Every now and then, one might ask how the other's day was or what they had planned for the next day. On one occasion, Katai asked Kenshin how much money he was spending and when she heard the number, she nearly gagged.
"Where are you getting enough money to pay for that?"
"Well, for one thing, Seijurou gave me the money Ryo had paid him so that I could continue teaching you. Also, Kaoru was paid a lot by her students before she died and left us more than we could use on just ourselves."
"So did you get her nice things like this?" Katai asked referring to the kimono she was wearing.
"Yes, actually. She had some very nice ones. I still have them. You can have them if you want. I don't have a use for them."
"I couldn't. It's all you've got of her."
"I've got the house, I've got all of her books, I've got so many letters I've lost count, and I've got Kenji. Really, I'd miss them a lot more than I'd miss her clothes."
Katai reluctantly agreed and they went on with dinner.
"Kenshin, I'll be right back. I need some fresh air."
"I'll still be here."
Katai stood outside wondering why Kenshin cared so much about her. For him, it wasn't enough to be her teacher, but he also felt the need to bestow wonderful gifts upon her. It was too much for Katai, who had never had such nice things or even someone who loved her enough to want to give her nice things. She had been the little girl whose parents had more children than they knew what to do with and after that, the little orphan girl. She was poor. Then she had gotten pregnant and lost the baby. People had every reason to look down on her. Why didn't Kenshin?
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a soft whisper of "Here, Kitty, Kitty." Only "He" had ever said that to her. She cursed herself for not bringing her sword. Even id he had, though, she wouldn't have known what to do. As the hand on her shoulder crept down her chest, all knowledge of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu left her mind. She was frozen solid with fear. She barely had time to process what was going on before she was on the ground with this man on top of her. He wasn't wearing anything, and obviously wanted to say the same for her. He worked quickly and the next thing she knew, her kimono was lying badly torn to her left. She felt a sharp pain as her head hit the ground again. The clip had broken and was now digging into her head. She felt him plunge his hard manhood into her. She wanted to scream for help and she tried, but her voice was muffled by this man's mouth. She could tell he'd been drinking. There was no telling what he would do this time, or how far he would get.
************************************************************************
~*TBC*~
I'm so cruel aren't I?
You'll just have to wait and see... Will Kenshin come save her?
Much love,
Jean ^_^
Note: This chapter is rated PG-13... I can't say why without spoiling it... You'll see. ************************************************************************
"Katai!" yelled Kenshin, running to catch up with the girl ahead of him.
"Yes?"
"Now that we have been courting, I was wondering if maybe... Well, I'd like to... Can I take you to dinner tomorrow evening?"
"Oh..." Katai said, looking down.
"You don't want to? I am too forward?"
"Oh, no, it's not that. You can be as forward as you like, as long as it doesn't involve touching me. I don't like people touching me unless for some reason I have initiated said touching. It scares me. And he knows it. It's why he did it. He's sick. I just don't know about it though. I just don't have anything to wear."
Kenshin laughed and handed Katai a wrapped package. "Now you do. I know how you hate not having nice things, so I bought this yesterday."
Katai threw her arms around Kenshin's neck. "Thank you, Kenshin. I have to go now, though. I have to take the kids home."
"I'll see you tomorrow?"
"I'll take them home early so I'll have time to get ready. Thanks again. For this."
"You are very welcome, that you are."
"Bye, Kenshin."
"Goodnight."
And Katai went home.
Her routine continued through the next day. She got up early, went to Kenshin's for her lesson, went to get the children, and played games and told stories. The time to take them home came too early for the children. "It's too early," whined Aya, as she dragged Rakei along behind her.
"I have something to do."
"Can't we come?"
"No."
"Why? Do you got a boyfriend?"
"It's 'do you have'"
"Do you?"
"Go home, Aya."
Finally, Rumi was the only one left. The two went home where Manatsu would look after Rumi. After a few hours of Manatsu fussing endlessly with Katai's hair, Katai looked lovely in a green and white Kimono and a porcelain hair clip with green flowers intricately carved into its surface. 'How much did this cost?' Katai wondered.
Kenshin finally arrived and when he saw her, his heart nearly stopped. He knew she'd look lovely in this, but he'd never expected just how much she looked like Kaoru when she turned just that way. He had known all along that there were a few similarities between the two, but he'd never noticed how alike they looked. His thoughts were interrupted by Rumi asking Katai if she could come.
"No, Rumi. I'll only be gone a few hours. Stay here with Manatsu."
"But I'll be sad."
"Rumi, why will you be sad?"
"If Miss Katai is far away, I will be all alone when the mean man comes back."
"Oh, Rumi, that mean man won't ever come back. Please, just calm down and be good for Manatsu. If anyone tries to hurt you, just tell Ryo and he'll get him, ok?"
Rumi sniffled and said, "Okay."
"Hello, Katai."
"Oh, Kenshin, I didn't know you were here yet."
"It doesn't look like Rumi wants you to leave."
"No, she doesn't, and I hate leaving her, but I can't just bring her, now can I?"
"If you had to..."
"She'll be fine. After a few minutes, Manatsu will have her calmed down. As long as he really doesn't come, she'll be fine. So Kenji is with the Shinomoris again?"
"Yes."
"How is Misao?"
"She's doing wonderfully, that she is. It'll only be a few more months now."
Just then, Tetsuya and Co. (Katai's siblings and Sayoko) appeared behind Kenshin. "If you make my baby sister cry, I'll kill you. She and Manatsu are the only girls, and we protect the girls."
"Tetsuya, Kenshin and I need to go."
As they walked away, whispers of "the baby is finally growing up" reached their ears.
Katai glanced nervously at Kenshin, who was staring at the ground. Katai took his hand and he smiled. Katai noticed vaguely that Kenshin was not carrying his sword and that he wasn't wearing the same pink shirt as always. It was black. Since when did Kenshin wear black? He'd always said he didn't like dark colors. She wondered if it had something to do with his past as Battousai, but it wasn't really important. She had to admit, though. He did look good.
They finally reached their destination: a nice restaurant with a very good reputation. Katai could understand why. The food was REALLY good! There wasn't much conversation. Neither knew what to say. Every now and then, one might ask how the other's day was or what they had planned for the next day. On one occasion, Katai asked Kenshin how much money he was spending and when she heard the number, she nearly gagged.
"Where are you getting enough money to pay for that?"
"Well, for one thing, Seijurou gave me the money Ryo had paid him so that I could continue teaching you. Also, Kaoru was paid a lot by her students before she died and left us more than we could use on just ourselves."
"So did you get her nice things like this?" Katai asked referring to the kimono she was wearing.
"Yes, actually. She had some very nice ones. I still have them. You can have them if you want. I don't have a use for them."
"I couldn't. It's all you've got of her."
"I've got the house, I've got all of her books, I've got so many letters I've lost count, and I've got Kenji. Really, I'd miss them a lot more than I'd miss her clothes."
Katai reluctantly agreed and they went on with dinner.
"Kenshin, I'll be right back. I need some fresh air."
"I'll still be here."
Katai stood outside wondering why Kenshin cared so much about her. For him, it wasn't enough to be her teacher, but he also felt the need to bestow wonderful gifts upon her. It was too much for Katai, who had never had such nice things or even someone who loved her enough to want to give her nice things. She had been the little girl whose parents had more children than they knew what to do with and after that, the little orphan girl. She was poor. Then she had gotten pregnant and lost the baby. People had every reason to look down on her. Why didn't Kenshin?
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a soft whisper of "Here, Kitty, Kitty." Only "He" had ever said that to her. She cursed herself for not bringing her sword. Even id he had, though, she wouldn't have known what to do. As the hand on her shoulder crept down her chest, all knowledge of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu left her mind. She was frozen solid with fear. She barely had time to process what was going on before she was on the ground with this man on top of her. He wasn't wearing anything, and obviously wanted to say the same for her. He worked quickly and the next thing she knew, her kimono was lying badly torn to her left. She felt a sharp pain as her head hit the ground again. The clip had broken and was now digging into her head. She felt him plunge his hard manhood into her. She wanted to scream for help and she tried, but her voice was muffled by this man's mouth. She could tell he'd been drinking. There was no telling what he would do this time, or how far he would get.
************************************************************************
~*TBC*~
I'm so cruel aren't I?
You'll just have to wait and see... Will Kenshin come save her?
Much love,
Jean ^_^