Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. I'm just a fan and I'm only using the characters for fun so no suing. ^_^

AN: Guys I'm back at last. Thanks to all those who reviewed my last chapter. It's a shame because it took this chapter too long than what is expected. Please enjoy this chapter. I love you guys!

The Dream

Kenshin dreamed of Kaoru being in danger.

 She was captured and tortured by an enemy before Kenshin arrived to save her. He saw her hanging on a tree, her hands were bounded with a tight rope and her eyes were blindfolded. He could hear her pained whimpers and his hatred doubled over, he looked at his enemy and couldn't contain his hand from unsheathing his sword from its scabbard. He stepped forward and faltered when his enemy pointed his sword towards Kaoru's throat.

"Uh, Uh, battousai, take another step and you will never see this lovely piece." The enemy sneered

Kenshin gritted his teeth in frustration as he looked at his enemy laugh all the more.

The enemy cut the rope and Kaoru's body fall into his arms. He shoved her in his body and licked her temple as he seized her bounded hands with his free hand. He anticipated Kenshin's reaction, and when he got it he laughed menacingly. "Battousai watch as I do what I want with your girl" the enemy shouted. He showed his sword and without warning he slashed her throat into two and released her. Her body dropped emotionless and her eyes were wide of fright. The enemy licked the remaining blood on the blade and crouched down; he took off Kaoru's clothes in a rush and started raping and mutilating her body. He bruised her lips with his own and touched her chest and other body parts mercilessly. A tear dropped from her eye and her lips formed a single word, it was Kenshin's name.

Kenshin roared out a battle cry and moved his legs but it wouldn't budge as if he was glued in his spot and his arms were difficult to move up, his eyes widen with disbelief then a feeling of helplessness engulfed Kenshin's heart. His head dropped to hide his face and he gripped his hands tightly until his knuckles turned white, he forced his numb feet forward then another until he was running toward her. But as he run, he was getting farther and farther from her. He saw the glow from her eyes fades and soon replaced by blankness.

"Nooooooooo" Kenshin screamed, reaching out his arms toward Kaoru.

**********************

Kenshin woke up with a start, his face covered with sweat, his heart beating faster than normal and he was panting for breath. He clutched his clothes and tugged it for air to get in as he sighed heavily. He pulled off the blanket and stood up, going directly to his bathroom. There he washed his face and looked at his reflection. "I couldn't even save her. Am I that weak, I could not protect the one I love the most?" he thought. Different kinds of emotions swirled before his face as he though about the way the enemy raped Kaoru in front of him.

He returned to his bed but his eyes won't shut in fear of dreaming the same absurd dream again. He looked at his alarm clock, which was beside his bed, and returned his gaze at his ceiling. "It was only 12 in the midnight. How long will I stay wide awake?" he murmured.

Kenshin was totally exhausted from not sleeping; his steps were slow, his shoulder sagged and his hair was not fixed. His eyes were glazed and his energy was surely drained out. He went directly to his classroom and slumped down in his chair. Sano sat right away beside him and started chattering about nonsense topic. He glared daggers at Sano and by chance he saw Kaoru entered their classroom and hastily averted his gaze to another part of the room, but still catching Kaoru's smile all the same,

Kaoru's smile faltered, the warmth in her eyes extinguished immediately. "He didn't even bother to smile back at me. Is he mad at me? What did I do?" she thought inwardly. She bowed her head hiding her eyes behind her bangs as her gaze dropped at her feet. Kaoru quickened her pace towards her chair and sat down; she tilted her face up and looked at him, his expression didn't even change.

Kenshin felt her sudden change of chi. He mentally cursed himself but kept his gaze on the board.

The bell chimed and the teacher entered the room, greeting them with a high spirits. Kenshin stood up but his body suddenly felt like liquid, he sank back to his chair and with a thud his head dropped at his desk.

The room swirled and stumbled around him and he saw a long, dark tunnel. He seemed to plunge down the tunnel and light slowly faded away until it vanished with surprising abruptness.

Kaoru was startled when Kenshin fell down on his chair; she bent over and shook him a little. When he didn't respond she touched his forehead and felt cold sweat and heat at the same time. She panicked and called out to her teacher then reported about Kenshin's condition, the teacher asked for a student who could carry Kenshin to the clinic and Sano went forward. He took Kenshin in his arms, pulled him up and placed him in his shoulder. Kaoru was trying to keep her tears from falling and she too volunteered in taking care of Kenshin.

At the clinic, Sano carefully laid Kenshin on a bed then Kaoru walked towards the other side holding a basin of cold water and a sponge. She started wiping off Kenshin's sweat and heat.

After an hour or two, the school announced that Kenshin must be to the nearest hospital because of his high temperature. At the hospital, Kaoru and Sano sat at the chair watching while a nurse tended Kenshin.

The nurse turned at Kaoru, "Miss, right now the patient is alright. If ever he perspires you could wipe it off" she said sweetly then left the room. Sano stood up and paced all around the room not knowing what to do, Kaoru went beside Kenshin and dabbed the sweat that was trickling down from his forehead.

The sun has set and the sky was nearly dark, Sano was now sitting on a chair across the bed from weariness but he dared not to close his eyes and Kaoru, same as Sano's condition, was trying to hold her eyes open and not wanting to close them even for a minute, but exhaustion won over both of them.

****************

"Please don't go" Kaoru whispered brokenly at Kenshin's ear while holding him in a tight embrace. Kenshin returned her embrace as tight as he could without crushing her, "I can't Kaoru, I have to go for the sake of Kyoto and I have to do this" Kenshin whispered miserably, not wanting to break free from her embrace and from her loving heat but he cannot stay forever in happiness while other people die from Shishio's clutches. He pulled away from her and turned his back on her, Kaoru hurriedly hug him at his back, still not wanting to him to leave, and wept wretchedly.

For the second time he pulled away and walked away from her and into the forest; her knees buckled and she fell on the ground, hands on her face as she wept shamelessly. Her body rocked from the intensity of her cries and her eyes were bloodshot from tears. A handful of dirt was plastered on Kaoru's Kimono and legs and fireflies danced around her in a consoling movement.

****************

Kaoru was awakened from Kenshin's slight movement and his whisperings. A frown marred her forehead and thought about what had Kenshin said, "I can't Kaoru, I have to go for the sake of Kyoto and I have to do this." "Is he talking to me in his sleep?" Kaoru thought and a smile spread on her lips while she mopped his face clean.

Kenshin's stepfather arrived and saw the young girl tending to his son while Sano slept on the chair; he shook his head and approached the girl. He placed a hand on her shoulder and felt her tense abruptly.

Kaoru was startled when a hand dropped on her shoulder, when she looked up she saw a huge man towering over her. She hastily stood up and bowed her heads in respect. The man bowed in reciprocation.

"Young lady it's already 7 o'clock. Won't your parents be troubled?" Heiko Seijirou asked in a soft tone

Kaoru gasped and looked at her watch. "I better go; I guess my parents worrying about me by now…" she smiled sheepishly

"Thank you for tending my son tonight and I would really appreciate it if you would visit him tomorrow." Hiko Seijirou said and smiled warmly at Kaoru. "Sano, accompany Miss Kaoru to her house" Hiko commanded.

Sano nodded and waited for Kaoru at the door.  Kaoru bowed again and went to Sano, and then they went to their destination.

After a comfortable silence, Sano opened his mouth to speak up "I'm just wondering jou-chan… do you have—certain feelings for my best friend?" Sano asked while chewing his favorite fishbone (AN: I don't know where it came from ^_^!)

Kaoru started blushing tremendously "Why do you ask?" Kaoru asked timidly, she moved her eyes from right to left then right again.

Sano felt her sudden shyness and a grin appeared on his lips. He stacked his hands on his pocket and looked up at the sky, "Nothing, it just crossed my mind, that's all" Sano replied.

Kaoru pouted, "Am I that transparent? What if he already knows what I really feel for Kenshin, would he tell him? Mou, he could've asked another question, anything instead of that!" She thought angrily.

Sano could feel her rising chi and his grin broadened immensely. "This is so much fun" Sano thought. He started to whistle and his eyes danced with merriment. Kaoru glared at him and shook her head in exasperation. Sano dropped her on her house and bade her pleasant dreams then laughed loudly. Kaoru's fist crashed on Sano's stomach that brought out a howl of pain from Sano. She stomped inside and slammed the door shut. Sano was left outside rubbing his sore stomach but smiled all the same.

"Tadaima" Kaoru announced and went directly to her bedroom. Her parents looked at their ascending daughter and stared at each other then her mother asked if she has eaten yet.

"Yep" Kaoru answered instantly.

In her room, she changed her uniform into a sleeping yukata and went directly to her shelves. She took out her diary and flopped herself on her bed. She wrote the special events that took place that day. When she was finished she closed it and placed it on her desk beside her bed and switch off her lampshade and went to sleep.

The next day, after the class, she went directly to Kenshin's room and sat comfortably next to Kenshin's sleeping form. She stared at his face for a while and noticed his soft steady intake of breath and his normal pulse that appeared in the monitor. And for the first time she saw how smooth his face, how boyish he appeared when he was sleeping, and how peaceful he seemed. She gave in to her urges and caressed his well chiseled cheeks with the back of her hand. Out of no where a muscular hand gripped her small and fragile hand painfully, she tried to free herself but when she looked at him all her strength washed up in an instant. His eyes were the most cold and dangerous eyes she has ever seen and they looked at her own eyes intently. A shiver ran down her spine and a deep blush creep in her cheeks. She couldn't even avert her gaze from those intense eyes.

"Protect me goddess" He whispered then he released her hand and fell back to his sweet slumber. Kaoru couldn't speak and couldn't think properly, she was stunned by those words and by the look he gave her. She swallowed hard and put her hands in her left chest hoping to stop the ferocious pounding of her heart.

A sound startled her reverie; Sano walked inside the room and found her sitting near Kenshin. He smiled and offered her some food; Kaoru shook his head slowly and announced that she was going. Sano bowed and showed her to the door. Kaoru opened it and smiled back at him then bade him farewell.

That night Kaoru dreamed of Kenshin. He was wearing a gi and hakama with a sword at his right side. His hair was arranged in a high ponytail and his eyes were cold and scary like at the hospital that day. His face was somewhat covered with blood that oozing out from the wound on his forehead.

He started approaching her with deathly grace and the swiftness of a predator. She was amazed at how he moved but at the same time she could smell her own fear. She glanced from left to right and found herself unable to move from her spot.

He withdrew his sword upward and brought it down to slash her; she squeezed her eyes and waited to be sliced up but she felt no pain at all. She peered and saw a body lying at her feet covered with its own blood. Then she saw Kenshin walk toward the body and embraced it. She could tell that this body was dear to Kenshin because he collapsed down on his knees and shouted the girl's name.

Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut but when she opened it she was inside a dojo where a young lady, facing her back at Kaoru, was sitting on the porch peacefully. Kaoru thought that she was waiting for someone, when she walked toward the girl she could smell the same perfume she has, it caught Kaoru's curiosity and walked infront of the girl.

 When she looked at the girl she inhaled sharply. She could not believe that the lady sitting infront of her has the same face as she has. But the difference they have is that the girl's eyes were blank and her eyes were full of emotions. Then her attention was turned away when someone opened the gate. She was taken aback as Kenshin who opened the gate and walked toward the girl.

Kaoru looked at the girl and saw a glimmer of happiness wash over her being. Kaoru saw how she embraced Kenshin and how he returned that attention. Kaoru felt a pain stabbing her heart and she seethed with anger. She realized her mistake instantly, "Why am I angry? He isn't mine" Kaoru smirked and her eyes were downcast.

Kaoru pivoted and left the two lovers alone. When she looked back she saw another situation. She saw the two lovers in the forest crying to one another. Then she saw him pull way from her and turn his back to her. Kaoru was touched when the girl embraced him again and cried on his back but it soon vanished when Kenshin walked off leaving the girl in her own isolation and misery. She could see the vulnerability of the girl and had an urge to comfort her but a light took her without another thought.

She opened her eyes and realized that it was only a dream, but it seemed real because of the pain she felt was gripping her chest. She went to her bathroom and felt a tear trickle down followed by a torrent of tears that weaved its way out of her eyes. She couldn't stop herself from crying even though she didn't know the reason why she was crying in the first place.

****************

AN: Thanks guys. Whew! At last I finished another chapter. Sorry for the delay because I'm having a hectic time right now. ^_^!

To XP-DarkAngel: Ei, I updated as soon as I canJ.

To MiraiGurl: thanks for supporting; I'll try to update another by this coming week. If you want you could email me and you

                        Could give me suggestions and I would appreciate it J

To glory230:  thanks for giving your undivided attention. I hope I'll see you in my next chapter. Sorry it took this chapter

                        Soooo long than I anticipated. Hehehehe ^_^

To Ocean Fish: Thanks for visiting this little accomplishment of mine. If you want you could email me and you could give

                        Suggestions for my in coming chapter J

To Nanakilover/Brukaoru: thanks, I like your review, sowie for this chapter; I hope I can see you in my next chapter.

                        I'll try my best to upload as soon as possible.

To RK-128: Yeah, it's kind of a little cute; I hope I'll see you again in my next chapter.