Author's notes: Thanks for reviewing minna! I had a question wondering if I had meant to make the story all in bold. Yes, actually I had, but now I'm going to try it without the bold print. It just looked really thin on my computer, so that's why I used bold font. Thanks Ewunia for the tips! ^_^. I will try to make the second chapter a bit longer.
Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. No lawsuits please! ^_^
*Thoughts*
On with the story!
Chapter 2: Karma, good or bad?
Blue. That was what he had seen upon waking. Endless pools of sapphire. Quite intriguing, really. Of course, that was until he took notice of the fire burning in his lungs. And he was cold. Not as cold as he could have been, but cold nonetheless. He decided at that moment that perhaps the darkness would be a better place to go. Once again, he had left reality behind.
About fifteen minutes after Kaoru called nine 911, the ambulance finally arrived. The man was loaded onto a stretcher and then into the van. Since the paramedics insisted that she should come to the hospital for a checkup herself, she agreed. After all, what could it hurt? They arrived a little later. Kaoru watched as the doctors and nurses rushed him to a room, before a nurse came over and asked for her to follow. She did as she was told, allowing the nurse to run a few tests. As expected, nothing was really wrong, just a little chill. A doctor entered the room. "Hello. I am Dr. Megumi Takani. I presume you are the one that saved that man's life miss….?" Megumi waited for the woman's reply. "Kamiya, Kaoru Kamiya. But please, call me Kaoru." Dipping her head in a nod, she acknowledged her request. "Alright, Kaoru. Do you by any chance know the man's name, or have any information I may use to contact someone?" Instantly, a picture of the man's wallet flashed before her eyes, and she immediately stood to fetch it from her purse. She had taken it with her, just in case. The doctor took it, nodded her thanks, and left the room. Kaoru went to check in on the man and see how he was doing.
Megumi returned to the man's, Kenshin's, room, irritable. She had called his work and requested to speak with his boss, who in turn rewarded her with an earful. *Ouch! You would think that the man would have at least a little sympathy for his employee. I can almost feel pity for Mr. Himura. From what I've heard, Seijuro Hiko is his uncle. How can anyone put up with a man like that?!* Sighing, she re-entered Himura's room, only to find the raven-haired woman sitting there. Upon her entrance, the girl had looked up, her gaze questioning. "What's his condition, Dr. Takani?" *Well, besides being sexy as hell, nothing really serious.* "He has a minor case of hypothermia, and a small concussion. A few scratches and bruises here and there, but nothing really serious. He'll be fine." She watched the woman let go a relieved sigh.
Good. He would be okay then. She allowed herself a sigh of relief, before it happened. She remembered. "Oh NO! I didn't call in to work!" Kaoru groaned. Her boss was not one for sympathy, not even if she had just saved someone from a car accident. Picking up her cell phone, she called in to work.
Saitoh Hajime was sitting in his usual cloud of smoke, puffing on a cigarette. It seemed Miss Kamiya was late for work again. He smirked. Just another reason to get her to work late. As expected, the phone rang a few seconds later. Taking another drag of his cigarette, he placed the phone to his ear. "Well, hello Miss Kamiya. Late for another day of work?" His smirk grew larger as he heard her curse under her breath. "Saitoh-san, I'm heading to work now from the hospital. I'm so sorry, there was an accident!" Even though it just didn't seem possible, the cynical smirk grew some more. "I see. Well then, if that's the case, you will just have to make up those missed hours on Sunday. I will see you when you arrive, Miss Kamiya." Replacing the phone on the receiver, he leaned back in his chair. Perhaps he would go in that day for a little while, just to annoy her. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.
Kaoru groaned. Well, there went her weekend. Slender fingers rubbed her temples, blue sapphires dancing back to Megumi. "Say, Dr. Takani, do…." She was cut off shortly. "Megumi, if you will." She nodded. "Megumi-san, do you have any pain relievers?" Already, she could feel a headache coming on. Not only that, but when she got to work, Saitoh would probably make her work late. Oh yes, she definitely needed a Tylenol right about then. The doctor's lips were twitching, as if trying not to smile. Megumi left the room, returning shortly with a Tylenol in hand. "Take this. Your boss giving you a hard time?" The doctor was rewarded with a groan. This time, the doctor did smile.
Amusement played in her cinnamon eyes. The girl was clearly distressed. "Shouldn't you be on your way to work then, so that you won't have to work extra hours?" Kaoru just glanced at the doctor. "Too late, unfortunately." Sighing, the girl grabbed her purse and headed out the door. "Thank you Megumi-san. Please let me know if he turns out ok. If he asks for my number, give it to him." She muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like 'karma.' As she left, a large man entered. A large white trench coat was worn over a broad chest and shoulders, barely inches from sweeping the floor. Black hair, perhaps even a fascinating green color, framed his face. The man stormed to Kenshin's side. "You are Seijuro Hiko, I presume?" Hiko turned to face her. "I am. You must be Takani-san. So, what's the runts condition?" Megumi raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Mr. Himura is suffering from minor hypothermia and a small concussion. He'll be fine, as long as he rests for a few days." It was Hiko's turn to raise an eyebrow. "A few days, huh?" He snorted. "How'd the runt get only minor hypothermia anyway? Is it not usually not a severe case of hypothermia when one is left to freeze in water for awhile?" She fought the urge to roll her eyes. Had she not explained this over the phone? "He was saved by a young woman, only a few minutes after the car plunged to the bottom." Grunting, he turned to face his nephew. The man was opening his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings. When his eyes fell upon Hiko, he groaned, and Hiko gave a satisfied smirk.
Wonderful. Just the thing he needed. The best thing in the world was to wake up, only to see Seijuro Hiko standing over him. How lucky he was! Another groan was released, and he closed his eyes, preparing for the yelling that was about to occur. Five, four, three, two, one…"You MORON! What have I taught you about driving?! WHY WEREN'T YOU WATCHING THE ROAD LIKE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO, IDIOT! I thought you had more sense then that! Explain, now." Hiko growled. "Well, let's see. I had to take a moment to hang up with my uncle. As I was putting my phone away, I glanced down at it, and missed the ice patch up ahead. Satisfied?" He grunted. "You should have kept your eyes on the road instead of on your phone. You've hung that phone up enough times to know exactly where it goes." Kenshin sighed. There was just no point in arguing with that man. "Ok, you're right Uncle Hiko, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." His reward was a satisfied smirk. "It had better not." And that was it. End of discussion.
Megumi watched the two bickering men with interest. Yes, indeed, how did one put up with a man like that? Violet eyes suddenly fell upon her, questioning. "Um, How exactly did I end up here in the first place? I mean, I remember the crash and all, but I would have thought I'd have died spending so much time in the water." A small smirk graced her features. "A young woman, Kamiya-san, saved you." Kenshin's eyes widened. Someone had saved him?! I mean, not that he found it strange, but someone had jumped into freezing waters just to save him, instead of risking it with the ambulance? "I was saved?" Her continuing smirk gave him his answer. "Yes. In fact, she was here about ten minutes ago. She would have stayed, but her boss was….well, not so understanding. She had to leave for work. Such a pity, really. She seemed rather distressed." It was then that the memory of sapphire blue eyes chose to appear. He thought about this for a moment. "Did she leave a number from which she could be contacted?" Hiko turned his gaze to Megumi. "Indeed, she did. Would you like it?" The nodding of his head was his confirmation. "Here, she wanted me to give this to you in case you were to ask for it." She handed him a card with the information he needed. It read:
Kaoru Kamiya
(678)-915-3027
After looking over the information, he nodded. "By the way, miss…." "Megumi." "Miss Megumi, when may I leave the hospital?" She turned thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I suppose you may leave today, but you are not to return to work for at least two days. I will provide you a prescription for your concussion." He nodded, sliding off the hospital bed. The three of them headed towards the exit, Kenshin having received the prescription.
Yahiko entered the apartment, setting his bags on the couch. He headed towards the answering machine on the counter, and listened to the messages while searching for small snack. When Kaoru's voice was heard on the machine, he stopped what he was doing.
"…Sorry Yahiko, I'm going to be late again tonight. Please don't be angry with me! I'm having Tae send Tsubame over with some dinner. You guys can buy a movie on paperview or something. She'll be there about six. Please don't be angry! Sorry again!…"
He didn't know whether to groan or leap for joy. Sure, he liked Tsubame, and the food was great, but every time Kaoru got home late, she was grumpy. Well, he couldn't entirely blame her. Saitoh Hajime was enough to get one anyone's nerves. Glancing at the clock, he decided to skip the snack and go take a shower. Tsubame would be there in an hour. That was just enough time for him to get ready.
As expected, Tsubame was right on time. Yahiko opened the door, greeting her, before inviting her inside. A light blush appeared on her cheeks, and she nodded, setting the food on the counter. She had been over there enough times to call that place home. The apartment was huge, seeing as it was one of those studio apartments. It wasn't that Kaoru liked luxury or large spaces, but she wanted Yahiko to have some space for himself and his friends. Plus, they constantly had guests staying over, usually friends or relatives that were stressed out or depressed. So, when they had decided to move closer to Kaoru's work, they agreed upon a studio apartment. The two ate dinner and then settled down on the couch for a movie. Finally, after a few minutes of arguing, Yahiko gave in and agreed to watch Ever After. Tsubame cheered and hugged him. Feeling rather awkward, he patted her back, and then they watched the movie. They fell asleep sometime later on, Tsubame's head resting on Yahiko's chest, and Yahiko's arm draped across her shoulders. That was how Kaoru found them when she returned home.
Upon re-entering the apartment, the first thing she noticed were the two forms huddled together on the couch. A smile graced her lips, and she immediately slunk off to find the camera after setting her things down. It would become perfect for blackmail. Finding the camera, she made her way before the two, and took the picture. Luckily, they hadn't stirred. *Yes! Now Yahiko can't blackmail me anymore! Perfect!* Hiding the camera away, she picked up the phone and dialed Tae's number. After speaking with her a bit about Tsubame staying over, she put the phone back on the receiver, and went to make the beds. After she was finished, Kaoru woke Tsubame up. "Mmmmm? What time is it?" The girl mumbled lazily. She was graced with a smile. "It's only nine o'clock. Tae said you could stay here tonight. I made a bed up for you." Tsubame nodded. "Will you do me a favor? Would you wake Yahiko up for me? I don't want to embarrass him. Tell him I made it home ok, too. I'm going to take a shower." The girl nodded again. Kaoru smiled again and left to go take her shower. When she came out, the two were both fast asleep in their separate beds. Smiling, she tiptoed to bed, and climbed in, exhausted. She didn't even have the energy to braid her hair. Luckily, the next day was Saturday, so she wouldn't have to work. She was asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
Sunlight filtered through the window blinds, streaming light into the otherwise dark room. Kaoru's eyes closed tightly, before she finally opened them. Glancing at her alarm clock lazily, she decided it was time to get up. It was twelve o'clock in the afternoon. Groaning, she dragged herself out of bed and headed into the kitchen. A sticky note had been left on the refrigerator. It read:
Went out for a walk and breakfast. We will be back
Around 4:00 p.m. Bye!
-Yahiko & Tsubame
Perfect! Now she had the house to herself. After taking a shower and getting dressed, she settled down on the couch to read a book.
"Brrrriing! Brrrriing!"
Kaoru picked up the phone from the receiver. "Hello?"
"Kamiya-san?"
"Hai. May I ask who is calling?"
"My name is Kenshin Himura. You saved me after the car accident, remember?"
Kaoru instantly sat up, setting her book down. "Hai, I remember. Dajibou?"
She heard him chuckle on the other line. "Everything is fine. I was just calling to thank you for saving me the other day. But, if you don't mind, I'd much rather thank you in person. Well, also because I would like to see just who had saved me. Would you like to go out for coffee?" Giving it a quick thought, she agreed. "Okay, but why don't you stop by my apartment first? We can walk from here, seeing as there is a coffee shop just down the street." He agreed. "My apartment is number five hundred and thirteen. It's on the fifth floor. Berkley Walk, do you know the place?" Yes, actually, he did. It was only 5 miles away from his work. "Hai. Does two o'clock sound okay?" She agreed, and then they hung up.
As Kaoru was getting up, she could have sworn she heard someone come in the door. She peeked around the corner, but no one was there. *Strange…I could have sworn I heard someone come in.* Shrugging, she was about to turn around, when a hand over her mouth stopped her. Her eyes widened as she felt the man's hot breath on her skin, whispering into her ear. "Don't scream, and I'll go easier on you…" A chill ran down her spine, and her anger mounted. There was no way she would go down without a fight. Slamming her right elbow into his gut, she twisted away and ran towards the door. And was caught before her hand could even touch the knob. The man had wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her away from the door and towards the bedroom.
"Now now, my sweet. Let's not be so hostile, shall we? Though I must say, you're quite the feisty little girl. How about we put those skills to work in…." He was cut short as her head slammed into his jaw, stunning him enough for her to get free. When he did recover, a fist was flying straight for his face. Stumbling back, he cursed, before chasing after the running girl.
Panting, she headed for the kitchen. The man would only be subdued for so long. Picking up the phone, she was about to call the police, only to find that there was no dial tone. *KUSO!* She was beginning to panic. Sure, she was a strong woman and knew some kenjutsu, but that man was not ordinary. For one, his pupils were red, and the rest of his eyes were black. That was the thing that bothered her most. Well, that and the fact his hands had calluses caused by a sword. What good would her shinai be to her now, especially if he had the sword with him? It was better than nothing. Quickly, she grabbed her shinai off its rack and hid behind the corner. The man walked through the door, and she immediately proceeded to bash his head in. She had no such luck….Well, she had managed to get in a few. The man somehow found a way to twist the shinai from her hands, and into his. Kaoru gasped. Backing up slowly, she watched as the man advanced forward, throwing the wooden sword behind him. His grin claimed he had won. Once again, her anger was boiling. Slender hands wrapped around something behind her, and so it was deemed her new weapon. When the man was close enough, she swung, viciously knocking him upside the head. The vase shattered, slicing the man's skin in a few places. It was his turn to look angry. Sweeping her feet from under her, he pinned her to the ground, covering her mouth with a hand. "And now, koishii, we play…" He hissed into her ear. There was a knock on the door. "Kamiya-san, is everything okay in there?" Kaoru's eyes widened. *Kenshin!*
As he approached the door, he could have sworn he heard glass shattering. A bit confused, he had hesitated, wondering whether he should knock or not. It sounded like there was a scuffle going on. *It was probably just the TV.* After reasoning with himself, he knocked on the door.
The man tightened his hold over her mouth. *Oh no you don't!* Kaoru sunk her teeth into the man's hand, biting until he released her. He was howling with pain, clutching his hand to his chest. She took this opportunity to scream. "HEEEEELP! KENSH….." A resounding slap was heard throughout the apartment. Kaoru's cheek was smarting, and she was a little more than dazed. That had hurt. Bad. Bleary eyes rolled to glance at the man. "Tell me, how did THAT feel?" Mustering enough energy, she spit on him. She was slapped again, harder. If he kept hitting her like that, she wouldn't be able to remain conscious much longer. She was slipping into darkness, even as his hands roamed her body, searching for anymore weapons that she might have. And she was fighting it, trying to stay in the light. It would only last for a few more minutes.
Now, he knew he wasn't imagining things. Kaoru was in trouble. He tried the doorknob. It was no good. Well then, he would just have to make an entrance for himself. The door flew inside off its hinges. As the dust settled, he was quick to find her. What he saw made his blood boil. A man was straddling a dazed Kaoru, hands roaming her body. One glance at her eyes and he knew she wouldn't be able to stay conscious much longer. The man went flying. Instantly, Kenshin was before him, throwing him up against the wall. "Just what the HELL did you think you were doing?!" He was furious. Beyond furious. The woman that had saved his life had nearly been raped. Without waiting for an answer, a punch was delivered. Another one followed. And then another. It continued in this way until the man was unconscious. Dropping the man, he went to Kaoru's side, helping her sit up. "Are you okay?" Sharp blue eyes followed her movements, watching as she rubbed first her cheek, and then her temples. She groaned. "Just a few bruises here and there, and a headache. Other than that, I'm fine." As he kneeled beside her, she glanced upwards, offering a small smile. "Arigatou, Himura-san." He caught her as she slumped forward, unconscious.
Author's notes: So, what did you think? Was it long enough this chapter? Just to clear up a few things, Kaoru had given them information when the nurse was taking tests. Didn't want any confusion. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Should I continue?
