The Agreement

"We're right here dad," Kenji called out, getting his father's attention.

"Oro? What was taking you guys so long?" Kenshin questioned as he looked at his three children. He noticed how much Kenji and Kiriko were sweating. "What were you two doing?"

"Huh?" Kenji and Kiriko looked at each other and realized that they had worked up a good sweat. "Oh we were…ummm-" "Dusting the dojo floor," Kiriko finished Kenji sentence before he could said something stupid.

"Uuhh…Yeah it was kind of messy. Me and Kano got a little rowdy and made a mess," Kenji said.

"Oh…so Kano didn't help you two clean up?" Kenshin asked. Kenji and Kiriko looked at their little brother. They forgot that he wasn't sweating like them.

"Uumm…No. I let Kano rest since I kicked his butt pretty good." Kenji snickered.

"NO YOU DIDN'T!" Kano yelled in his face.

"Well, we better go hurry up and eat our breakfast before it gets cold." Kiriko cheerfully said obviously changing the subject.

In the dining room, Kenji and Kano were wolfing down the food like they always did and Kaoru was yelling at them like she always did. Kiriko sat silently eating her food. Kenshin could see that she was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about Miss Kiriko?" Kenshin asked his daughter. She must not have heard him because she kept on eating.

"Kiriko, your father asked you a question," Kaoru spoke up when Kiriko didn't answer him.

"Oh…I'm sorry daddy I didn't hear you. What was the question?"

"What were you thinking about?" Kenshin asked again.

She was thinking about her fight with Kenji. She was better then she thought and was tired of keeping it a secret from her family. It would be much easier and more fun if she had her father's consent to learn swordsmanship. Kiriko and her father had this conversation many times. I know if I bring this up again, it's going to start another argument, she thought, but I have to ask. Maybe he changed his mind.

"Why can't I learn swordsmanship?" She mumbled in a low voice.

"What was that?" He just knew she didn't ask him what he thought he heard.

"Why can't I learn swordsmanship?" She spoke up all of a sudden, startling the rest of her family.

Rolling her eyes, Kaoru groaned, "oh no…not this conversation again."

Kenshin looked at his daughter then smiled and went back to eating his breakfast.

"Why won't you let me try? I think I have potential. You never give me a chance to do anything. I'm tired of being your little princess. Please daddy. I want to learn but-"

"We went over this a thousand times Miss Kiriko, that we did." Kenshin interrupted her without looking up from his bowl of food.

"Yeah but you won't give me a straight answer. You just tell me pretty young ladies aren't supposed to fight and that's not a good enough answer for me. You know swordsmanship, mom knows Kamiya Kasshin from her father, so why can't I be taught like my brothers… IT'S NOT FAIR!" Kiriko yelled at her father. Tears were starting to weld up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

Kenji, Kano, and Kaoru watched in silence as they continued to argue.

"Life is not fair that it isn't Miss Kiriko. There is no need for you to learn swordsmanship when you have a family here to protect you." Kenshin stated as he lifted his lavender gaze to meet her indigo eyes.

"That's the whole point. I want to be able to protect myself…I mean, what if I was kidna-"

"That will never happen!" Kenshin said sternly, "I'll never let that happen."

"Well, maybe not kidnapped but you can't protect me forever."

"Oh course not forever…" Kenshin sipped his tea, "…just until you get married and then your husband can protect you for me."

Getting up, she slammed her fists on the table, and yelled, "Maybe I don't want a husband! I don't need a man to take care of me! I can take care of myself! You won't even let me prove it-"

"That's enough of this conversation! My decision is final Miss Kiriko. So no more of this talk again." Kenshin got up, picked up his bowl, and walked into the kitchen.

Kiriko watched her father go into the kitchen. She clenched her fist in frustration.

Kaoru got up, walked over to Kiriko and hugged her, "Your father doing this for your own good, Kiriko. Please try to understand."

"How can I understand? He keeps thinking someone is going to try to hurt me. Why does he think that way, mom? He won't give me a straight answer. What would make him like this?" Kiriko looked in her mother deep blue eyes, pleading for answers. Kaoru looked away. Kiriko knew in that moment her mother would never tell her the big secret about her father. Kiriko pulled away from her mother's reach.

"Do you think your really protecting me! You make me feel like a prisoner in my own home!" She turned towards the kitchen, "Daddy, you can't keep me under lock and key forever! I won't let you keep me like this! I WON'T! " Kiriko screamed as she ran out the house.

From the kitchen, Kenshin watched her run towards the dojo. Maybe I should tell her about my past, he thought. No... Kaoru and I made an agreement many years ago and I intend to keep it.

(Flashback nineteen years)

"Kenshin, are you up?"

"Yes."

Kaoru rolled over in the futon, so she could face her new husband. He was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. He turned his violet gaze to meet hers.

"I was just thinking... When we have children, what style of swordsmanship should we teach them?"

Kenshin smiled and thought about it for a minute. "You should teach them Kamiya Kasshin because I have no desire to pass on Hiten Mitsurugi to my children."

"Oh ok……….but if we have girls I don't necessarily want them to learn swordsmanship."

Kenshin frowned, "Why is that? Your father taught you."

"Yes, I know but there we're many times I wish he hadn't. It's hard to be a swordsman and a young maiden at the same time. Many men thought I was dishonorable. They would never want a wife that could handle a man's weapon. I want my girls to be real classy ladies that could make any man proud."

Kenshin sat up and looked at her "I never thought of you as dishonorable."

Kaoru smiled, "Yes I know and that's why I love you so much but you understand what I mean, right?"

He laid back down. "Yes, I understand and agree with you."

They became silent for a moment. This time Kenshin spoke up. "You know… I promised to protect you and that goes double for our children…. And when I say protect them, I mean from everything including my past. I don't want them to know about who I was or the things that happened to us."

Kaoru sat up and stared at him for a minute, "Do you think that's wise Kenshin? I mean keeping a secret like that would be extremely hard. A lot of people who you are. You are a legend, for goodness sakes. What about Sano, Megumi, Yahiko and all the others?"

"I already thought about that a long time ago and I've asked all of them, even my master Hiko, to please keep that knowledge from my children. I know it's an almost impossible thing to do but they all gave me their word."

"I don't know Kenshin. I don't think this a good idea. Why would you keep something that was so tremendous in your life away from your children? I mean, how would explain your scar to them and you know they're going to ask. You're not going to lie, are you?"

Kenshin pulled Kaoru back down into his arms and kissed her on the forehead.

"I know this sounds very confusing to you, my love but please let me explain…First of all, you know I don't lie. I will tell them I got it a long time ago and it's nothing for them to worry about…Second, I don't want our children living in fear because of who I was. I don't want them thinking that some day someone may attack or kidnap them to get revenge on me. And the biggest reason of all is…. I don't want my children to ever fear me…"

Kaoru gasped and sat up again. "Kenshin….why would your own children fear you? That's a horrible thing to say."

"Think about it, Kaoru. If your father were a murderer with a split personality, wouldn't you be a little frightened of him? Always wondering if you got him angry, would he flip out on you or hurt you really bad. Always having to watch what you say around him. Even though you love him, it will always be a thought in the back of your mind…. If I ever get angry and want to discipline my children, I want them to know that it's coming from the love of their father and not the anger of the Battousai. Do you understand now?"

Tears started coming down her face because he was right. Her father would have intimidated her if he had a past like Kenshin's. "I-I understand Kenshin. I understand." She said softly as she lay back down on his chest. He wiped the tears from her eyes and whispered, "I love you, Kaoru."

"I love you too, Kenshin….I love you too."