"Aoshi-sama!" He had come for her! He did love her! Jishin was distracted by the former Oniwabanshu leader's presence so she pushed him away and struggled to sit up. She wanted to run to him, shower him with kisses, but was still too drained for that much movement.

The ninja's eyes narrowed. Something was wrong with Misao. She wasn't just terrified; he had done something to her. Aoshi had watched as she pushed him off her and forced herself to sit up. She was trembling and Misao was not one to tremble in fear. "What did you do to her?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The rich man smirked, "We were alone together for quite some time. Things tend to happen when a man and a woman are alone in each other's presence."

"What are you gettin' at?!" Misao exclaimed fiercely, "Don't listen to him, Aoshi-sama! Nothing happened! I swear!"

For the briefest of moments, a relieved smile flickered across the iceman's face. If Misao had the strength to get so worked up, she would be fine. Then his frown deepened. Whether she was okay or not was not the present issue. The fact that he even had to worry about her well-being caused him to burn with hatred towards Jishin. "What did you do to her?" He took a step forward, repeating the question.

Jishin looked like a wild animal. He knew he was trapped and there was no way out. Even without his kodachi, Aoshi was more than he could handle. The man with the ice blue eyes was a skilled fighter, while Jishin was no more than a spoiled brat. He backed away, edging towards another door on the other side of the room.

Aoshi was across the room in a few quick strides. Before he knew what had happened, Jishin found himself face to face with the man. His heart was racing and his pupils constricted. Bullets of sweat ran down his face. What do I do? How do I get out of this? Think, Jishin, think!

"I'll ask you one last time," Aoshi's voice was low with anger, "What did you do to her?" He could see himself reflected in the heir's eyes and Jishin's face showed nothing but pure terror. There was a certain adrenaline rush that came from witnessing fear and Aoshi was experiencing it then.

"She's paralyzed." Jishin finally managed to choke out, "She'll be fine in about an hour. It's already begun to wear off."

"You poisoned her?" The accusation was made along with a certain amount of malice, "You took my itachi and poisoned her because you saw no other way to pay off your unscrupulous debt?"

My itachi…Aoshi's words filtered through Misao's brain. He had called her "itachi" before, having picked up the endearment from Saito, but never before had he referred to her as "his." Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. By saying she was his, did he mean…? Were the situation not so serious, she would have shrieked with joy.

"Are you afraid, Jishin?" Aoshi's voice was a deadly whisper, "Are you afraid of what I'll do to you? Is that why you're shaking?" He leaned in, closing the space between them, "You know now why it was wrong to mess with me. I don't take things lightly, especially when they involve the people I care most about."

The people I care most about…This was too much. Misao's mind was reeling. Did he mean this? Or was it because she was in trouble? Her heart pounded within her chest. She moved towards the edge of the bed, slowly, stiffly. He came all this way for me…I'm not just going to sit here, the damsel in distress. She had noticed her clothes in a neat pile on a chair. I'm not about to be rescued wearing this.

The sound of Misao's bare feet hitting the floor caught the attention of both men. Simultaneously, they turned to look at her. What is she doing? Aoshi's eyebrows knit together, If she's paralyzed, she can't…Then his gaze followed hers to where her clothes sat. Ahhh…

Jishin used the ninja's split second of distraction to his advantage. He darted forward, grabbing the girl and pulling her close to him. He held the candelabra in one hand and clutched her to his bare chest with the other. "How would you like her covered in burns, Shinomori? Hm? How would you like her then?"

"Let me go, you rat!" Misao struggled to escape his grasp. She was afraid he really would hurt her.

"Hold still!" He snarled, thrusting the hot flames closer to her face.

Aoshi's mind was racing. Misao couldn't move very quickly. Or very much at all, for that matter. If he charged the deranged man, there was a chance she would get hurt too. Nevertheless, he had to do something…

The girl looked at him, a pleading look on her face. Help me…Her voice, though she said not a word, hung on the air. Her eyes were telling him everything, how sorry she was, how much she loved him. He wished to the gods he hadn't put his kodachis back on the wall in his study. He took a step towards the two and Jishin backed up.

Then an idea crossed his mind. Misao's kunai…A few more steps and he'd be able to get at her obi and grab one. So long as Misao realized what he wanted to do and stayed perfectly still, he'd be able to hit his mark

He continued advancing towards them until Jishin bumped into the bed and couldn't go any farther without having to climb over it. There was still a good distance between them and Misao was still struggling to get free. "Misao…"

She looked up, "Aoshi-sama?"

"Don't move." He ordered her. Then, in one swift movement, he bent, grabbing one of the sharp little daggers from within her discarded clothes, and charged at them full speed.

Jishin looked surprised by this sudden movement, but Misao remained calm. If I do as he says…If I obey him…Aoshi-sama will not hurt me. She had such faith in him.

The small knife tore through Jishin's flesh right bellow the rib cage, causing a rush of blood. The man staggered under the blow, releasing both the candelabra and the girl. Misao fell into Aoshi's waiting arms, while the flaming candles landed on the bed, instantly igniting the feather comforter.

"Aoshi-sama…" Misao was in tears again, her face buried in his chest, "I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to-"

"That doesn't matter right now." He swung her up into his arms, "We've got to get out of here before this whole place goes up in flames."

"W-what about Jishin…? And my clothes?" She looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears. He was holding her tightly in his strong arms, cradling her as if she were a child.

His face turned a light shade of pink. It was only then that he realized that the only thing separating them was his shirt and a thin piece of gray silk. Under that, she's totally… Pushing that thought from his mind, he looked down at her, his icy eyes meeting hers. "I didn't harm him enough that he cannot get out of here on his own. It was better to not kill him, for now he will have to explain to his father why the house caught fire. As for your clothes, they aren't important. I'll buy you new things, if you wish." As he said this, he was already making his way out the door with her.

She rested her head against his shoulder. "I was afraid…" She said softly.

"Why were you afraid, Misao?" He was going down the stairs, taking care not to jostle her on their descent, "I would never let anything happen to you."

"I was afraid you would think I loved him." She sighed, "That I left you for him. I was so angry at you and I hurt you so much, I didn't know what you would be thinking. I was afraid you wouldn't come."

"I would never think that." He looked around to make sure no one was there, then merely sauntered down the hall towards the door. It appeared that there was no one else present in the house. "I wish it hadn't taken so long to find you, but this place is like a labyrinth."

She smiled faintly, her eyes closing. "I'm glad you came. I thought I was going to die and I had so many things to tell you before I did. I was going to come home and apologize…"

"I also have many things to tell you, Itachi." He held her closer to him as they stepped outside. It had begun to rain while he was rescuing her and was now quite chilly. She must be cold…He wrapped his trench coat around her, using both his own body heat and the thick fabric to keep her warm. "Things between you and me are going to be changing."

This statement got no response. Looking down, he found her asleep in his arms. Poor girl…she must be worn out. This whole day has been an ordeal for her and she's still so young. A slight smile crossed his face. She's so pretty with her hair down long. I'll have to tell her to leave it that way more often…

Aoshi took Misao up to her bedroom upon their return to the Aoiya. He settled her carefully on the bed, covering her with a few blankets, then sat sown beside her to watch over her as she slept.

I was afraid for you, Itachi. He smoothed back a lock of her hair. I was afraid he would harm you. I was afraid he would kill you. And I don't know what I would have done if he had. How could I live without you? You've always been there for me, even when I told you I never wanted to see you again. And now, I want to be there for you always, because I love you…

***

Is this better? It's not another cliffhanger, nor is it the end. And I did have a few guesses, one of which was dead accurate. Becca, I need to figure out what your prize is. The others were close, by the way. Next chapter, all will be revealed, including what became of Jishin the skunk.

Sorry my fight scene really sucked. I'm so bad at writing stuff like that. I'm a lot better at the mush and angst. But hey, there was some bloodshed and stuff involved, right?

Anywho, thanks for all the reviews. This is a personal record for me!! ^_^v