SPOILERS: If you don't know what happened in Trust/Betrayal, and would actually like to see the OAVs first (unlike me ^__^) I don't suggest reading this chapter. It's not exact, due the the place and the nature of the Civil War, but I does follow the general story line.

Chapter Fifteen: Part Two

I had to go back, way back. Back before the afore mentioned Tomoe and even before Master. Back to when I wasn't an orphan with an uncertain future.

I was born in the deep South with my two parents. They weren't big plantation owners or anything. They owned a modest plot of land where they grew a scanty combination of cotton, indigo, and rice. The land was swampy mostly, and warm.

I don't particularly remember them or the land, this is from what little Hiko told me. How he knew I'll never figure out, but he seemed so certain. Anyway, my parents were taken by cholera, leaving me to the care of some distant relatives. They were kind, treating me as their own, especially my three aunts. I lived with them for a mere week before their house was burned to the ground and everyone slaughtered. I would have died also if Master hadn't come along.

'Too damn bad.' Battousai snapped, still in a tiff.

I thought you weren't going with me on this trip.

Ignore him, this is my story. He doesn't come in until later.

About Master, well, what can I say? He was as he is now. It doesn't seem to matter what age I am. How annoying.

'Very.'

Anyway, I stayed and trained with him for a while before I got it into my foolish little head that I needed to fight in the war. Yes, I called myself foolish. It was a mistake, I'll say that much freely. The fact that Master was right is the only part about admitting something like that, which galls.

Being born in the South I didn't know any different. Having been secluded for most of my life, I remembered little of society, slaves, soldiers, or anything else for that matter. But once you choose a side there's no turning back.

In my ignorance I allowed my skills to be drafted by the Confederates. Like any hot-blooded American, I'm sure you're shocked. Unless of course you are a Southern, then you seem to think the war continues to this day, even during Reconstruction.

I didn't particularly realize I was fighting for slavery. For me I was fighting against the heavy rules of the Yankees, convinced they would ruin the South with their high-handed ways. Which they did, but that's not the point.

Now understand, I'm giving the watered down version. If I dwelt on every single instance or situation that lingered in the grays of my past I'd probably not stop for a long while. As it was, I was under a time constraint. Shinta needed to be returned and I was sure Miss Kaoru would get nosy eventually.

There was a loud grunt of disapproval from the corner.

Why does he hate Miss Kaoru so much? I'm getting to that, patience!

I was a dedicated fighter, and maybe that's when Battousai started to gain strength. The man has always been a part of me. I'm sure you have little alter egos that belong to you as well, however small. Heck, I didn't even know or remember little Shinta existed until he was freed by a random thought or memory.

We eventually came to a truce, but that's not an issue. I never cared for the killing part of my job anyhow. Battousai is merely a man. He lusts for life far more than I do. Or maybe not more exactly, simply in a different way. Now I'm getting all philosophical, I apologize.

I was hanging around camp since I didn't care for the other activities the man indulged in. Seen as a man yet still such a child. Women didn't call out to me exactly, despite the fact that I was amidst a sea of raging hormones. Master's fault. His flawless drumming of my head led to blinders. I was focused entirely on my mission. Gambling and brawling was foolish and a waste of time in my disdainful opinion. I still think as much, but the years have lent me some tolerance. Hence I haven't incapacitated Sanosuke yet… yet.

I hadn't had much contact with any slaves. Well, none really. They weren't allowed to serve and I rarely ventured onto plantations.

Until one evening that is.

When I met Tomoe she was running for her life. Amazing right? Sweet, a damsel in distress. Kenshin, go save her! Well, I don't think she'd entirely appreciate that.

'Damn straight she wouldn't.'

Any thoughts of a nice, timid damsel were slashed up when she calmly turned and slit a pursuing dog's throat. The beast, a trained killer, fell with a chilling snarl. She ignored it and kept running. Straight into me. Which didn't work too well considering how short I am. Like a stumbling block.

Her eyes widened slightly, but she made no move to try what she had done to the dog. I had been engaged in a fight just moments before and realized she was spattered with the blood from my kill as well as her own.

Well, you know what happens next right? The chick faints, the hero rescues her, and they live happily every after. Not a chance.

I had never seen a black woman up close, let alone in my arms. I simply couldn't take her back to camp. After all, she quite obviously running from somewhere. Not to mention that there would be more dogs.

Against my better judgement…

'Whoever said you had good judgement. If you so much as think what you were going to say I'll kill you.'

Oro?

I spirited her away, satisfied? Even so, my commander found out. He was a kind man who saw people as equal. He wasn't endorsing slavery, perhaps he was as blind as I was. Instead he fought to keep tradition, to keep the South. It's deep culture and economy and the people who lived in it.

He would have invited her into camp, a move that surely would have gotten him in trouble. However, he felt guilty. Guilty for using one so young and guileless as I was. Before he got the chance the Union troops struck.

It wasn't the first time I had met Saitoh. Too bad it most certainly wasn't the last. I'm not here to harp about our rivalry or his bloody past. Besides being rude, I simply don't want to talk about him. This is my story, not his. You want to know how many people he slaughtered, go ask him yourself! The point was: we were on opposing sides. Hence the hostility that seems to be between us. Well, not seems, is.

My superior urged me to withdraw; the South was on the retreat. I took Tomoe with me. Honestly, what was I supposed to do with her? She was uncomplaining as ever. I wondered if she was so reserved because she failed to trust me still, I wouldn't blame her for that. But it didn't seem like that. At the time I wasn't sure, I hadn't known her long enough, but looking back I realized it not only was part of her upbringing, but also her nature.

We did as ordered and hid away. What happened there…

'Stays there. There is nothing to tell so move on.' Battousai snarled, turning a feral amber gaze on me. I shrank back. You simply have no idea how sensitive he is about this whole thing. Well, it is sort of private…

'And none of anyone else's goddamn business.'

I was there too!

'A mere spectator. You were the one locked up at the time. I can arrange for you to take another tour.'

Point taken.

You heard the man, private and off limits. Not all that starts off badly ends so badly, however, this totally wasn't the case. Apparently Tomoe's old master had decided to return. I didn't know it at the time, but the whole escape had been a set up. A trap.

Tomoe was free, as was her husband before he died. By my hand.

I understand revenge, although I have never partaken in it. I understand drive, rage, lust. Perhaps I simply understood all the darker aspects of human nature. How she could ever love me…

'Again, moving on!' Battousai snapped, not bothering to warn me as his fist punched my shoulder.

Well, after that I returned to the war, but it wasn't the same. I couldn't keep fighting under such false pretences. Not when I knew the truth. So I was a bit jaded. Saitoh and I met on several other occasions, all with crossed weapons. It seems odd to be living with him in the same town and never having come to blows.

Aoshi, I met him all of once, but we never fought. Still, we were on opposing sides. He takes that very seriously I know. I wonder why he isn't still with the group. As far as I know they were still in favour and protecting the new president. Perhaps the war wearied his soul as it had so many others. We were both so young. But that is the way of the world.

"Hey, Kenshin!" Sanosuke yelled. I blinked and looked at him.

Wait a second here, I'm in control of my body?

I looked around and called out a few times. Shinta never replied. Of course, I'm highly embarrassed to say that it took me so long to recognize myself. Then again, the years change a being. Time never stands still and neither do people. They change, adapt. Experience grows with them and morphs them into something different. Heh, such a lackadaisical view of the world.

"Ken-shin." Uh-oh, that tone. What did I do this time? I did a quick mental check. Insulted her cooking, no. Insulted her looks, no. Insulted anything about her, no. Ignored her, no, just Sano. "Why are you playing ring-around-the-rosie?"

"Oro?"

I looked down to find my hands clutched by two happy, eager children who looked slightly dizzy.

"Kenny! You're supposed to fall down!"

"Fall down, fall down!"

Obligingly I feel on my butt.

Miss Kaoru hauled me up and with a sweet smile said to the pair, "Kenny has to come with me to see the nice doctor lady. Have fun on the rest of your trip."

Doctor… lady… crap.

I was frog matched over to the clinic. Miss Megumi didn't look surprised to see me being dragged by Miss Kaoru with Yahiko and Sano in tow.

"Is Sir Ken hurt?" Her eyes traveled over every inch of me, "I don't see any injury."

"This unworthy one is just fine!" I replied slightly indignant.

"The shorty has gone bonkers." Sano supplemented helpfully. He was leaning against the doorway making no secret of the fact that he wasn't here to support me in the slightest. His interests quite obviously lay in other areas. "He was playing with a pair of runts."

"Maybe Sir Ken, unlike other insensitive men, cares for children." Miss Megumi suggested with an arched brow. Ouch.

"But Megumi, you didn't see him out there!" Miss Kaoru protested then looked vaguely ashamed and guilty for telling on me. "It was like when he spaces out, but worse. Then he started playing like a real child. Even his speech reverted."

Hello, the he was still here! So what if Shinta had some fun, does that make me a nutcase?

Miss Megumi gave a look to us men that said, get out now if you value your parts. We hastily complied, even Sano. Of course, that didn't stop us from pressing our ears against the door in hopes of hearing something interesting.

"Kaoru," Miss Megumi started then paused seeming to collect her thoughts, "You should have a bit more trust in Sir Ken. As I understand it he fights inner demons. I've treated many soldiers. War breaks men and women are required to fix them. Time and dedication are necessary for healing an injury of any sort, especially those of the mind and heart. Humans are the most irrational creatures on this earth."

Miss Kaoru made a sound, well, a cute, confused noise anyway.

"Sir Ken cares for you, and it's obvious to anyone who has eyes and half a brain that you care for him. All I ask is for that his sake that you give him the benefit of the doubt. The legendary Battousai is hardly an ordinary man, but a man he is."

Thump. Silence.

"Ohohohoho, I suppose she didn't know he was the Battousai." I could envision the fox ears now.

Rolling my eyes I rushed in, properly playing the doofus. The infuriating woman just smirked at me!

Miss Kaoru's eyes opened to my concerned, violet ones. A shocking sight maybe, but did she have to scream and push me away?

'Yes.'

Okay, so now he was speaking in monosyllables. Maybe he should see Miss Megumi instead.

'No.'

"Are you alright Miss Kaoru?"

Her eyes narrowed and mine widened. Why did I sense a serious butt-kicking coming on? I didn't bother to even talk my way out of it. The whaling of my life coming from a slip of a girl.

Once she was finished venting her fury and I had answered the enviable question of 'why' she looked down shyly.

"Kenshin, I'm sorry."

I swear, everyone's jaw dropped.

"I should have beaten you harder!" She growled and I decided to beat a hasty retreat much to the amusement of the brothers and a fox doctor.

A/N: -__-' I don't know whether to dance jubilantly and say 'And then there were three!' or continually smack my head on the keyboard. I have two chapters left, but one could get seriously sticky and fyyrrose has refused to help. I'll manage I guess. Get it done this weekend. No killing me for putting Kenny on the South! I considered what to do with him for at least a month (I have nothing else to think about, really). Side note: This chapter, as depressing as it was, was written to the Songcatcher Soundtrack. Very beautiful, songs from about the same period in the US, just with the Rocky Mountains. They're also pretty much about death, love, and affairs (my fav ^.~).

Reviewers:

Houndingwolf: That sounds cool. I think that's be interesting to do, as long as it wasn't one of my dreams being analyzed. They scare me x_x Cute lil kiddie ^^

MissBehavin: LOL, nope, he's er, having troubles at home >:) You'll see. Next chapter. He'd have to move in with Hiko! Oh boy, wouldn't that be fun? It's like throwing two rabid dogs in a pit and seeing which one climbs back out alive.

Wistful-Eyes: It would be cute, but slightly distrubing I'd think. Watching someone you thought was of shaky sanity before... oh, wait, I should stop talking about myself again ^__^; I don't have any children alter egos tho. No excuse when I go out to play. Yes, my dum- er, lighten! I'm finishing up my Pokemon story too. That just leaves BSR to work on (a task unto itself -__-').

Fyyrrose: Good day Eris, how are you enjoying your new residency? I imagine it's rather crowded with all you gals in there. As for Kaoru's head, yo no comprehendo ^___^; yo no hablo espanol o francis o italia either. Eh-heh, thankies on the correction to my Caesar, that was way back in 10th grade.

Addiction

Fyyrrose: Apparently, yes I have. I've gotten so many interesting reviews from this story LMFAO They either think I'm stark mad or a hidden genius X_x I can't believe I did fluff and crap either. I'm like a real-life female version of Aoshi in that respect. Not a romantic bone in my long, thin body. I probably won't. It will go to the back of my mind like that lemon challenge. I'll only remember it exists when I go digging for something in my RK folder. Did you find it? I don't think I ever read the end of that story ^__^; but I know I read it! Good luck with no internet >:) Remember, if you chuck the computer out the window and it kills someone below that's still involuntary manslaughter.

Wistful-Eyes: I've never really done one on her POV either (Res. doesn't really count). *snickering* I don't think I ever mentioned the medication she was addicted to. It wasn't opium, but laudanum is in the same family of opiates and laudanum was used as a painkiller until morphine was boiled out of it somewhere in Europe in the 1800s X_X. Hehe, also heroin and some poppy-derived material that's put in your cough syrup are in the same family. That's why if you take a drug test it can be messed all to heck by mere cough syrup. As you can see, I did my research on that sucker ^__^;