It's getting dark. I will soon have to go to the dojo. It hurts to see Miss Kaoru so weak, unable to much except trust, talk and wait. I do not deserve her trust. I had not ment to be kissed by Miss Megumi, but I ache for having fallen for it at all. So I sit in deep thought, glancing at the tree I had been against the day of my death, and day I had been saved.

Sano I can hear calling my name, but since I know he can see me, I make no attempt to respond. He comes up behind me, and touches my shoulder, and so I look at him. "Kenshin..What are you doing?"

"I am thinking, that I am.."

"About what? Megumi? What she did?"

I nod. "I don't want to hurt Miss Kaoru, that I don't..."

"If you're out here any longer, you won't be the one hurting anyone...She'll be killing you!" I nod, pulling from the tree the first arrow that had been shot at me, then follow Sano back to the dojo.

-----------

"Is she asleep, Sano?" I can hear an edge to my voice, a quiver of fear. I cannot see her...But I cannot avoid her forever....I feel like crying again, but hold it in.

"Yeah, I guess...She was pretty worried about you earlier.." Sano looks at me as if I'm nuts.

"Oro?" I feel so lost now..She worried? But..After Miss Megumi had done what she had, I thought she would hate me...Maybe she still doesn't know.

"Yeah...She really cares..Go say Hi!" Sano seizes me in a headlock, and gives me a noogie.

"No! Stop! Please Sano! Now I have to tie my hair again!" He realeses me, shoving me toward Miss Kaoru.

"Hey, if you had been here for Jo-chan every hour like you said, I wouldn't have messed up your hair..." I realise I had been cruel not to come, but nw she makes me neverous.

"Sano..." My voice is labored, and at that very moment, Miss Kaoru yawns, and looks at us.

"Kenshin! I'm going to kill you! WHY DIDN'T YOU COME BACK?! You had me worried sick! Come here!"

In feel horrible, but my worry for her is stronger, and so I walk to her side. "I am sorry, Miss Kaoru, that I am. I lost track of time..." Rubbing the back of my neck, I glance at the door. I had left this morning. Nw it was dark. "I need you to get rest, Miss Kaoru, that I do.."

I sit beside her, touchin her arm gentally as she falls asleep yet again, pain tugging at my heart as I look at Miss Kaoru.. When I know she has fallen asleep, I kiss her forehead, and stand, looking toward Sano, who looks angery, and motions for me to fallow him outside. When we have gotten out of range of her hearing, he glares at me, and punches me in the arm. "Why'd you lie!"

I look at the ground. "She scares me, that she does.."

"Tell her what happened! God, Kenshin! Sometimes you're so stupid!"

"I can't tell her, Sano.." He makes an angery noise.

"I'll tell her, then! Tomorrow..." His voice softens dramtically as I gaze at him, tears in my eyes again.

-------------It's getting dark. I will soon have to go to the dojo. It hurts to see Miss Kaoru so weak, unable to much except trust, talk and wait. I do not deserve her trust. I had not ment to be kissed by Miss Megumi, but I ache for having fallen for it at all. So I sit in deep thought, glancing at the tree I had been against the day of my death, and day I had been saved.

Sano I can hear calling my name, but since I know he can see me, I make no attempt to respond. He comes up behind me, and touches my shoulder, and so I look at him. "Kenshin..What are you doing?"

"I am thinking, that I am.."

"About what? Megumi? What she did?"

I nod. "I don't want to hurt Miss Kaoru, that I don't..."

"If you're out here any longer, you won't be the one hurting anyone...She'll be killing you!" I nod, pulling from the tree the first arrow that had been shot at me, then follow Sano back to the dojo.

-----------

"Is she asleep, Sano?" I can hear an edge to my voice, a quiver of fear. I cannot see her...But I cannot avoid her forever....I feel like crying again, but hold it in.

"Yeah, I guess...She was pretty worried about you earlier.." Sano looks at me as if I'm nuts.

"Oro?" I feel so lost now..She worried? But..After Miss Megumi had done what she had, I thought she would hate me...Maybe she still doesn't know.

"Yeah...She really cares..Go say Hi!" Sano seizes me in a headlock, and gives me a noogie.

"No! Stop! Please Sano! Now I have to tie my hair again!" He realeses me, shoving me toward Miss Kaoru.

"Hey, if you had been here for Jo-chan every hour like you said, I wouldn't have messed up your hair..." I realise I had been cruel not to come, but nw she makes me neverous.

"Sano..." My voice is labored, and at that very moment, Miss Kaoru yawns, and looks at us.

"Kenshin! I'm going to kill you! WHY DIDN'T YOU COME BACK?! You had me worried sick! Come here!"

In feel horrible, but my worry for her is stronger, and so I walk to her side. "I am sorry, Miss Kaoru, that I am. I lost track of time..." Rubbing the back of my neck, I glance at the door. I had left this morning. Nw it was dark. "I need you to get rest, Miss Kaoru, that I do.."

I sit beside her, touchin her arm gentally as she falls asleep yet again, pain tugging at my heart as I look at Miss Kaoru.. When I know she has fallen asleep, I kiss her forehead, and stand, looking toward Sano, who looks angery, and motions for me to fallow him outside. When we have gotten out of range of her hearing, he glares at me, and punches me in the arm. "Why'd you lie!"

I look at the ground. "She scares me, that she does.."

"Tell her what happened! God, Kenshin! Sometimes you're so stupid!"

"I can't tell her, Sano.." He makes an angery noise.

"I'll tell her, then! Tomorrow..." His voice softens dramtically as I gaze at him, tears in my eyes again.

-------------