Kaoru slowed to a walk as she reached the dojo. As she walked up to
it she saw Sanosuke sitting on the porch, as usual. His face was covered in
his hands and he was very silent and still. Kaoru walked slowly up to him.
"Sanosuke?" she whispered.
She couldn't quite speak any louder. Sanosuke lifted his head and looked at Kaoru. She saw some sadness in his eyes and that tears were beginning to form. He didn't change his expression so Kaoru knew that she wasn't bleeding through the robe and word hadn't reached his ears yet of what Kenshin had done to her.
"Sanosuke," Kaoru said, walking up to him, "what's wrong? Where's Kenshin?"
Sanosuke clenched one of his fists in anger.
"He's inside the dojo, getting his stuff to leave. And I say good riddens to him!"
Kaoru saw that Sanosuke was just trying to hide his true feelings behind anger. She sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Sanosuke's fist loosened.
"We all would miss Kenshin if he left. But I am going to try to stop him."
Sanosuke bowed his head and looked at the ground.
"Then I guess I'm going to have to help you out."
Kaoru smiled weakly.
"He was acting a little strange, like he didn't care about life anymore. Do you have any idea what that is about?"
Kaoru shook her head slightly, slowly. But she did, she really did. It was because he stabbed her, because he had inflicted physical pain and injury on her, because he had broken everyone's trust. Kaoru got to her feet.
"I have to go talk with Kenshin."
She walked slowly into the dojo, not knowing whether Sanosuke was going to follow her or not. She found Kenshin kneeling down by a wall, obviously trying to soak in the last bit of the dojo before he headed off. Kaoru stood a ways away from him, looking at his back.
"You know you don't have to leave, right?" Kaoru whispered.
Kenshin bowed his head and got to his feet, his back still turned to her.
"Yes I do."
"Why?"
"I hurt you Miss Kaoru. I hurt you. I am ecstatic to see you walking about even though you probably shouldn't, but I can't stay here, that I can't. I've lost everyone's trust. I almost lost you."
Kaoru took a step forward, her foot sliding against the wooden floor of the dojo.
"Please don't come any closer, Miss Kaoru. I can barely stand hearing your voice let alone seeing your face. I am ashamed at what I did, that I am. Please, let me leave now, without another word."
Kaoru stood silent, her hand up at her mouth. Kenshin turned slowly around and walked slowly past Kaoru towards the door, his eyes shut the whole time.
"Kenshin," Kaoru whispered, her back to Kenshin.
Kenshin stopped at the door when she spoke but didn't turn around. He proceeded outside. Kaoru stood still, tears streaming down her cheeks and over her hand. She breathed heavily, whether from how distraught she was or loosing more blood, she didn't know.
"Kenshin!" she cried out.
Kaoru fell to her hands and knees, sobbing. Sanosuke burst in.
"I saw Kenshin walking towards the forest and heard you call out."
He stopped when he saw Kaoru on the ground. He walked over to her and knelt down beside her.
"Missy, are you ok?"
Kaoru didn't answer. Sanosuke saw the bloodstained bandages under the open robe.
"Did, did Kenshin do that?"
Kaoru still didn't answer. Sanosuke clenched a fist at his side.
"Kenshin. I'm going to kill him."
Sanosuke stood up and turned towards the door. He was about to go find Kenshin but Kaoru placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Please," she said. She had stopped sobbing. "Please, don't. I'm not mad at Kenshin. I know it wasn't his fault."
"But he stabbed you!"
"Sanosuke."
"I can't just sit back and let him get away with something like that!"
"Sanosuke."
"I have to go get him!"
Sanosuke started to the door and slid it open.
"I love him!"
Sanosuke stopped. He looked over at Kaoru, her head bowed.
"I don't care what he did. I don't care that he murdered thousands of people. I don't care about any of that. I just want him back, the old Kenshin. I need him, Sanosuke. I need him."
Kaoru took a step towards the door.
"Now, I'm going to go find the man I love and bring him back."
"Sanosuke?" she whispered.
She couldn't quite speak any louder. Sanosuke lifted his head and looked at Kaoru. She saw some sadness in his eyes and that tears were beginning to form. He didn't change his expression so Kaoru knew that she wasn't bleeding through the robe and word hadn't reached his ears yet of what Kenshin had done to her.
"Sanosuke," Kaoru said, walking up to him, "what's wrong? Where's Kenshin?"
Sanosuke clenched one of his fists in anger.
"He's inside the dojo, getting his stuff to leave. And I say good riddens to him!"
Kaoru saw that Sanosuke was just trying to hide his true feelings behind anger. She sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Sanosuke's fist loosened.
"We all would miss Kenshin if he left. But I am going to try to stop him."
Sanosuke bowed his head and looked at the ground.
"Then I guess I'm going to have to help you out."
Kaoru smiled weakly.
"He was acting a little strange, like he didn't care about life anymore. Do you have any idea what that is about?"
Kaoru shook her head slightly, slowly. But she did, she really did. It was because he stabbed her, because he had inflicted physical pain and injury on her, because he had broken everyone's trust. Kaoru got to her feet.
"I have to go talk with Kenshin."
She walked slowly into the dojo, not knowing whether Sanosuke was going to follow her or not. She found Kenshin kneeling down by a wall, obviously trying to soak in the last bit of the dojo before he headed off. Kaoru stood a ways away from him, looking at his back.
"You know you don't have to leave, right?" Kaoru whispered.
Kenshin bowed his head and got to his feet, his back still turned to her.
"Yes I do."
"Why?"
"I hurt you Miss Kaoru. I hurt you. I am ecstatic to see you walking about even though you probably shouldn't, but I can't stay here, that I can't. I've lost everyone's trust. I almost lost you."
Kaoru took a step forward, her foot sliding against the wooden floor of the dojo.
"Please don't come any closer, Miss Kaoru. I can barely stand hearing your voice let alone seeing your face. I am ashamed at what I did, that I am. Please, let me leave now, without another word."
Kaoru stood silent, her hand up at her mouth. Kenshin turned slowly around and walked slowly past Kaoru towards the door, his eyes shut the whole time.
"Kenshin," Kaoru whispered, her back to Kenshin.
Kenshin stopped at the door when she spoke but didn't turn around. He proceeded outside. Kaoru stood still, tears streaming down her cheeks and over her hand. She breathed heavily, whether from how distraught she was or loosing more blood, she didn't know.
"Kenshin!" she cried out.
Kaoru fell to her hands and knees, sobbing. Sanosuke burst in.
"I saw Kenshin walking towards the forest and heard you call out."
He stopped when he saw Kaoru on the ground. He walked over to her and knelt down beside her.
"Missy, are you ok?"
Kaoru didn't answer. Sanosuke saw the bloodstained bandages under the open robe.
"Did, did Kenshin do that?"
Kaoru still didn't answer. Sanosuke clenched a fist at his side.
"Kenshin. I'm going to kill him."
Sanosuke stood up and turned towards the door. He was about to go find Kenshin but Kaoru placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Please," she said. She had stopped sobbing. "Please, don't. I'm not mad at Kenshin. I know it wasn't his fault."
"But he stabbed you!"
"Sanosuke."
"I can't just sit back and let him get away with something like that!"
"Sanosuke."
"I have to go get him!"
Sanosuke started to the door and slid it open.
"I love him!"
Sanosuke stopped. He looked over at Kaoru, her head bowed.
"I don't care what he did. I don't care that he murdered thousands of people. I don't care about any of that. I just want him back, the old Kenshin. I need him, Sanosuke. I need him."
Kaoru took a step towards the door.
"Now, I'm going to go find the man I love and bring him back."