I'll post one more chapter after this today! Listening to Ask DNA from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack (well, it came off the sound track but I've got it downloaded *whistles innocently*)

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Chapter 33

The Battousai sat on the porch trying to sort his thoughts.

The girl in his arms began to make soft sounds and her breathing began to even out proving that she had fallen asleep.

His mind kept replaying their last conversation.

The words echoed in his head.

^_^

~flashback~

"Could have?" he asked.

"Yes, could have. You have proven to me that you still care for Tomoe. Your frozen heart is thawed but I'm not enough to keep it from freezing again. In fact, I might just be helping it freeze!" she spat.

"What?"

"You are so dense! You carry the weight of the world on your shoulders and won't let anyone else help you with it! Maybe that's what got Tomoe killed!" she spat at him.

His amber eyes flared with anger and it was all he could do from killing her.

His fists balled at his sides and his nails dug into his palms drawing blood, "How dare you say that! Tomoe was so much better than you! She was perfect and she loved me!"

Kat stood on legs that shook with anger, "If she was so perfect, then why did she betray you?!"

Her voice dropped to a whisper, "If she really loved you, she wouldn't have betrayed you. If I were in her situation, I wouldn't have left or betrayed you."

With that she turned on her heals and started to walk away.

His hand shot out and grabbed her hers, "Wait."

She turned around again and amber eyes bored holes into him, "Why, so you can yell at me some more?" 

He hung his head, "No, so I can apologize."

Kat glared and frowned at him.

"You're right. Tomoe wasn't perfect and neither am I. You're the only one who has truly accepted me. You're the only one who has wanted to take the weight of the world away from me," he sighed and let go of her.

Kat got back into her sleeping bag and curled up next to him, "No I'm sorry, I know how much Tomoe means to you and I shouldn't have brought it up again."

He put his arms around her and gave her an awkward hug.

~end flashback~

^_^

He couldn't lie to himself, her outburst had hurt him and it was the first time anyone had 'really' fought with him.

Tomoe had meant a lot to him but she had betrayed him.

There was the soft sound of claws scraping against the floor.

"Kageunsei," he said.

The ebony wolf walked out the door and onto the porch. Your thoughts are so scattered. It gives me a headache.

The Hitokiri had had enough scolding for one time Kenshin's personality resurfaced and his eyes changed back to purple.

Nice to see you again.

"Good to be back."

What's troubling you?

"You can read my thoughts, why bother asking?"

Your thoughts are so scattered that even though I can read them it doesn't explain much.

"Kat brought up Tomoe. We had a fight."

You've never fought with anyone that way before? It was more of a statement than a question.

"I've never talked with anyone about Tomoe before, partly because no one knew her."

So what's troubling you?

Kenshin laughed, "I was hoping you could tell me."

^_^

"Just five more minutes Tanya!" Kat growled.

Tanya stopped trying to wake her friend, "How did you know it was me?"

A small snore was her answer, "KAT!"

"I'm awake!" came the muffled reply, "What do you want?"

Tanya pulled the covers off her friend, "Time to wake up!"

Kat glared, "There's nothing to do! Why bother waking up if there's nothing to do?"

Tanya laughed, "There's always something to do, you just have to make it up as you go along!"

"Whatever," Kat muttered as she brushed the dead leaves off her sleeping bag.

Kat got up and rolled the bag into a ball, "Could you take this back inside?"

"What am I you're mom?" Tanya asked taking the bag from Kat.

"Thanks," Kat said and wandered off to find Kenshin.

She rounded the corner and found Inuyasha and Kenshin fighting again.

"You think they would have learned the first time," Kat muttered.

There were yips of joy and Kat realized that Suzaku and Kageunsei had joined the fight.

Black and white flames shot everywhere as the wolves dodged swords.

Inuyasha and Kenshin were chasing after the wolves taking swings at them and missing.

Everyone seemed to be having fun with it and Kat wondered how Kenshin could be doing all this with a busted foot.

She studied his foot and noticed that it seemed to be healed, "Hey Kenshin! Be careful that you don't overuse your leg!"

Kenshin stopped running after the wolves and Suzaku skidded to a stop noticing that she wasn't being chased, "I was just about to finish. Suzaku has wonderful healing powers you know."

"That's great news!" Kat said.

Kenshin hobbled over, "I have something to show you."

He took her hand and pulled her towards the river.

"Where are we going?" Kat asked.

"You'll see," he said.

They reached the river and Kenshin lead her to an enormous tree with thick branches.

Kat looked up into the tree and gasped.

An enormous tree house was sitting on a huge branch that extended over the river.

"Kenshin, did you build this?" Kat asked.

He shook his head, "Not unless you call wishing for it building it."

Kat smiled, "Well it's the thought that counts."

Kenshin smiled, "Do you like it?"

"Well it looks beautiful, but how do we get into this tree mansion of yours?"

"Oro?"

(A/N: Took me forever to write this (whenever the heck that was. I'm guessing it was back in July!). PLEASE REVIEW!!!)